James Wallace
James Wallace, KNZM, is a patron of cinema, among other types of art. His CV as a producer of short films includes Accidents and Cannes success Planet Man. Wallace produced pioneering AIDS drama A Death in the Family and acclaimed feature Desperate Remedies. He was the Company Secretary and Solicitor for cinema chain Kerridge Odeon, and has spent time on the board of the NZ Film Commission.
John McBeth
John McBeth's commentating career began after injuries put paid to his senior rugby playing days. He became Radio New Zealand's lead rugby commentator in 1985 and took that position at TVNZ in 1992. With his trademark sense of humour never far away, he has covered Olympic and Commonwealth Games and America's Cup yachting along with many other sports.
Diane Musgrave
Musgrave is a producer, director and researcher with over 50 credits to her name, over 25 years in television. Musgrave’s research subjects have ranged from Gallipoli to Ivan Curry to the America’s Cup, and she has produced high profile current affairs reports on Māori leadership, the Peter Ellis creche case and beaten baby James Whakaruru. She is now senior lecturer in Communication Studies at AUT.
Michael Heath
Though Michael Heath helped create a run of pioneering examples of the Kiwi cinema of unease, his contributions to our culture defy easy categorisation. His scripts include many films which have made a comfortable home between genres: children’s vampire tale Moonrise/Grampire, nostalgic Ronald Hugh Morrieson chiller The Scarecrow, Heath’s work with director Tony Williams, and his acclaimed song-cycle A Small Life.
Simon Price
Simon Price grew up in Dunedin. Named most innovative graduate at Melbourne's VCA Film School, he worked in Australia for many years as a writer/director, editor and video artist before returning home to help edit King Kong. Price's feature editing credits have since included Blackspot, landmark Samoan drama The Orator, Cambodian-set fable Ruin, Pā Boys, and docos Last Men Standing and Antarctica: A Year On Ice.
Chris Plummer
Christopher Plummer went from playing punk music to cutting film, first at TVNZ editing documentaries, and then on a slate of award-winning films. They include the shorts Sure to Rise (Niki Caro), and Possum (Brad McGann); and feature films Channelling Baby, In My Father's Den, Black Sheep, No.2, Vincent Ward doco Rain of the Children, and Taika Waititi's breakout hit Boy.
Peter Montgomery
Peter Montgomery’s colourful and vibrant commentaries made him “the voice of New Zealand yachting”. Through the 1980s and 1990s, Montgomery played a major part in the sport’s move to mass popularity and had a central role in radio and TV coverage of Team New Zealand’s America’s Cup campaigns. On dry land, he has covered many other sports, and made the Eden Park side-line his own over two decades of rugby commentaries.
John O'Shea
Throughout his 50 year career, John O’Shea was a pioneer and a champion of the independent New Zealand film industry. His name was synonymous with Pacific Film Productions, which he ran for over 20 years after Pacific founder Roger Mirams left for Australia. O’Shea was involved in the establishment of the New Zealand Film Commission, Ngā Taonga and the Wellington Film Society.
Geraldine Brophy
Geraldine Brophy is one of our most loved and recognisable actors. She has a swag of awards for her work, which — she half-jokes — come in handy as doorstops. After beginning her screen career with walk-on parts in McPhail and Gadsby, she went on to iconic titles like Shortland Street and Second-Hand Wedding. Brophy has gone on to a second act in her career, writing for the theatre.
Philip Alpers
With his eccentric wardrobe and hard-hitting stories, Philip Alpers has been one of Fair Go's most memorable hosts. Not just a one trick pony, he presented dozens of documentaries and series during his time in television. Since backing off from reporting, Alpers has founded gun injury organisation GunPolicy.org, and is currently an associate professor at Sydney University's Medical School.