Vicky Pope
After working in advertising and film development in London and at the NZ Film Commission, Vicky Pope segued into independent producing in 2005. In 2008 she produced acclaimed high school documentary Trouble is My Business, and award-winning shortThe Graffiti of Mr Tupaia. Since then Pope has produced and executive produced numerous shorts, plus Robert Sarkies' black comedy Two Little Boys and award-winning documentary Gardening with Soul.
Paul Stanley Ward
Paul Stanley Ward won a Qantas Award for his first short film script: 2008's The Graffiti of Mr Tupaia. After an OE that took in a Masters in Literature at Oxford University and work for the Discovery Channel in the United States, he returned home to write for Kiwi settler show Here to Stay, plus policing documentary Undercover. Later came shorts Choice Night and Cold Snap, which was selected for the 2013 Venice Film Festival. Ward was founding editor of NZ On Screen. The longtime nature lover went on to create kids nature app Wild Eyes, and Capital Kiwi, whose mission is to return kiwi to the wilds of Wellington.
Andrew Bancroft
Two of Andrew Bancroft’s early short films won awards — science fiction tale Planet Man was the first New Zealand short to win the Critic's Week section at the Cannes Film Festival. Aside from his own shorts and a run of arts documentaries for television, Bancroft has also helped develop a successful slate of short films for other directors.
Rawiri Paratene
Actor, writer and director Rawiri Paratene, ONZM, first sprang into the public eye on the iconic Play School and comedy shows like Joe and Koro. In 1999 he played gangmember Mulla Rota in the sequel to Once Were Warriors, and four years later was seen around the globe as the stubborn grandfather in Whale Rider. In 2010 he won further acclaim after starring in movie The Insatiable Moon.
Chris Dudman
Kiwi Chris Dudman studied film at Ilam and London’s Royal College of Art; his graduation short was nominated for a student Oscar. After working on arts documentaries in the UK, Dudman returned to NZ in 1995. Since then he has directed drama shows (the high-rating Harry), documentaries (The Day that Changed My Life), attention-grabbing shorts (Choice Night), and a number of high profile ads for his company Robber’s Dog.
Tim Shadbolt
Tim Shadbolt’s amiable journey from protestor to politician has included many appearances before the cameras. Shadbolt has competed on Dancing with the Stars, climbed mountains in Borneo for Intrepid Journeys, and made cameo appearances in a number of movies (Utu, The World's Fastest Indian, the 2017 remake of Goodbye Pork Pie). He has also presented on The Project, That's Fairly Interesting and for 1981 graffiti documentary Writing on the Wall. In 2012 the longtime Invercargill mayor broke two world records, after completing a marathon 26 hour long interview on Southland’s former Cue TV.
Hamish McKay
After starting his career commentating local rugby in Palmerston North, Hamish McKay went on to become one of New Zealand's best-known sports broadcasters. The longtime TV3 sports anchor commentated over 70 rugby test matches, including TV3’s coverage of the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. He also presented on travel series Time of Your Life, and was a repeat victim on Pulp Sport. McKay left TV3 in April 2016.
Julienne Stretton
Julienne Stretton spent three decades documenting NZ people and culture for TV, as a researcher, producer and director. Her subjects have ranged from Katherine Mansfield and Hollywood actor Nola Luxford, to a young disabled couple in the groundbreaking Miles and Shelly documentaries. She researched major documentaries on Moriori and Gallipoli, and shared a 1992 Qantas Award for 60 Minutes.
Chris Graham
Chris Graham studied filmmaking in New York before returning to NZ and forging a reputation through distinctive promos for well known Aotearoa musicians (Scribe, Trinity Roots). He made his feature film debut with comedy hit Sione's Wedding (2006), closely followed by horror movie The Ferryman.
Hone Kouka
Hone Kouka studied English Literature at Otago University, then acting at Toi Whakaari. A leading figure in Māori theatre, Kouka is an acclaimed playwright (including The Prophet, which was filmed for TV in 2012). He has also written for the screen; he studied screenwriting at Amsterdam's Binger Institute, and co-wrote dance movie Born to Dance and NZ TV Award-winning Treaty of Waitangi drama Ngā Tohu: Signatures. In the mid 2000s Kouka executive produced a run of successful short films (Nature’s Way, Run) and worked in development at the NZ Film Commission, advising on films like Boy and The Orator.