Bryn Evans
Documentary director Bryn Evans has honed his skills on an eclectic range of subjects, from Kiwi tragedies (Descent from Disaster) to the Taliban cricket team (The Great Game) to elderly hip hop dancers. The Great Game (2002) marked one of his earliest directing credits. After working on multiple seasons of genealogy series Tātai Hono, Evans won international acclaim for Hip Hop-eration, a feature-length documentary about elderly hip hop dancers heading to the World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas. In late 2018 he followed it with Born Racer, about Kiwi IndyCar racing driver Scott Dixon.
DJ Sir-Vere
Phil Bell is a hip hop artist (as DJ Sir-Vere), music TV presenter, and editor of iconic magazine Rip It Up. He co-founded and ran the Aotearoa Hip Hop Summit for three years. After hosting Max TV show The True School with DJ DLT in 1996, Sir-Vere and DLT were invited to host MTV's Wrekognise. Sir-Vere went on to C4's Holla Hour. His ongoing hip hop compilations Major Flavours have been hits on both sides of the Tasman.
Sima Urale
Sima Urale, Samoa’s first female filmmaker, has brought touching stories of Pacific peoples to the screen, often from an NZ outsider’s point of view. Urale credits her film success to determination and dealing with social issues close to her heart. Her lauded shorts (O Tamaiti, Still Life) were followed by her 2008 feature debut Apron Strings. Urale has also spent time as head tutor at Wellington's NZ Film and Television School.
Peter Roberts
Since relocating from the United Kingdom, Peter Roberts has made his mark in New Zealand as an editor. Roberts found his editing niche at TVNZ, before a prolific freelance career saw him cutting a string of documentaries, shorts, and features — including award-winning drama The Dark Horse. In 2013 he became the first editor to be elected President of the Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand.
David Stubbs
David Stubbs is co-creator of Emmy-winning web series Reservoir Hill, and three seasons of Girl vs Boy. After starting his screen career as an editor at the National Film Unit, Stubbs began directing an eclectic range of commercials, music videos, documentaries and dramas — including Moa Award-winner Belief and musical Daffodils. In 2009 he set up company KHF Media, with actor turned director Thomas Robins.
Oscar Kightley
Oscar Kightley, MNZM, is a man of many talents. After launching The Naked Samoans, he worked with the comedy troupe over five seasons of hit series bro’Town, NZ's first animated show to play in prime time. The group also featured in movie Sione’s Wedding and its 2012 sequel, both of which Kightley co-wrote. In 2013 he took on a serious role: starring as a Samoan-Kiwi detective in TV series Harry.
John Barnett
Since the 1970s John Barnett has brought a host of uniquely Kiwi stories to local and international screens, from Fred Dagg and Footrot Flats, to Whale Rider, Sione's Wedding and Outrageous Fortune. As boss of production company South Pacific Pictures for 24 years, he was a driving force behind some of our landmark television dramas and feature films.
Charlotte Purdy
Charlotte Purdy’s CV ranges from reality TV to Antarctic disaster. After a television OE in the United Kingdom, she helmed documentaries and factual TV back home. Under her Rogue Productions banner she created reality format The Big Experiment, and made Reel Late with Kate. After a decade producing current affairs, she co-directed docudrama Erebus: Operation Overdue and rugby doco By the Balls.
Tom Hern
Tom Hern was a teen reporter on What Now? before winning attention for a show watched in more than 100 countries: on sci fi hit The Tribe, he played "villainous paraplegic polygamist" leader Ram. He followed it with the starring role in short-lived series Revelations - The Initial Journey, and time on Shortland Street. Since then Hern has balanced acting, hip hop and behind the scenes roles — including twin Moa Award nominations for his producing work on acclaimed dramas The Dark Horse and Everything We Loved. In 2016 he produced a high profile remake of classic road movie Goodbye Pork Pie.
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.