Garth Maxwell
Long conscious that New Zealand is made up of many minorities, “all with something to say”, Garth Maxwell has brought his distinctive sensibility to gay love story Beyond Gravity, two features (the dark and offbeat Jack Be Nimble, and relationship drama When Love Comes), and chalk and cheese TV series Rude Awakenings.
Michele Fantl
Michele Fantl has been producing acclaimed documentaries, telemovies and features since the 1990s, often through her production company MF Films. Along the way she has worked extensively with writer/directors Stewart Main (50 Ways of Saying Fabulous), Garth Maxwell (When Love Comes) and Fiona Samuel (Bliss).
John Campbell
English literature graduate and former share trader John Campbell joined TV3 as a reporter in 1989. In 1997 he began fronting his own current affairs segment on 3 News. John Hawkesby's resignation in 1998 saw Campbell drafted in to read the 6pm news with Carol Hirschfeld. In 2005 he moved to 7pm for Campbell Live, and hosted it for a decade. After returning to Radio New Zealand, he joined TVNZ in 2018.
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.
Fiona Samuel
Fiona Samuel, MNZM, has worked prolifically across so many fields that she defies labels: aside from acting on stage and screen, she is a playwright (The Wedding Party), director (TV movies Bliss and Piece of My Heart), scriptwriter (Consent, Outrageous Fortune) and singer (musical revue Babes in the Mood).
Rose McIver
After appearing briefly in The Piano at age three, Rose McIver went on to star in big budget fantasy series Maddigan’s Quest while still a teen. Since then she has played one of the passengers in true life train disaster tale Tangiwai - A Love Story, and completed a five season run in American series iZombie, starring as a crime-solving zombie. She is set to co-star in Kiwi movie musical Daffodils.
Danielle Cormack
Danielle Cormack has showcased her naturalistic, seemingly effortless acting style on both sides of the Tasman. After roles in TV soaps Gloss and Shortland Street, she began a run of big screen starring roles — Topless Women Talk About Their Lives, The Price of Milk and Via Satellite (playing twins). On Australian TV, Cormack has starred as a prisoner (Wentworth), crime lord (Underbelly: Razor) and barrister (Rake).
Peter Hobbs
Composer and sound designer Peter Hobbs cut his musical teeth playing in Dunedin bands (eg Kitset) while studying music at Otago University — he also ran a community recording studio in war-torn Bosnia. His soundtrack credits include movie I’m Not Harry Jenson and a run of based-on-a-true-story telefilms (Jean, Abandoned, and Tangiwai - A Love Story — for which he was NZ TV Award-nominated). Hobbs has composed for TV series Rude Awakenings, Aussie reality show Highway Patrol, commercials and a variety of live performances. He runs Auckland music studio Harmonic Studio (aka Harmonic Music and Sound).
Carl Bland
Carl Bland is an acclaimed actor, playwright and painter. He was a core cast member in neighbours at war show Rude Awakenings, and hit drama Street Legal; later he reprised his screen legal skills in Filthy Rich. In 1999 Bland was award-nominated for his turn as an HIV positive agoraphobic in I’ll Make You Happy. Bland is a veteran of NZ alternative theatre, often in collaboration with his late partner Peta Rutter.
Geoffrey Cawthorn
Geoffrey Cawthorn has directed drama and documentary on both sides of the Tasman, including crime (Lawless - Beyond Justice), soap (Shortland Street), fantasy (Maddigan’s Quest) and award-winning shorts (Philosophy). His documentary work often reflects Cawthorn’s musical leanings, including pieces on everything from classical and jazz to Kiwi love songs.