Jonathan Brough
Jonathan Brough's short films have screened at Cannes, Edinburgh and America's Slamdance Film Festival. His directing CV includes episodes of Outrageous Fortune, the acclaimed The Insiders Guide to Happiness and mockumentary The Pretender, followed by a run of acclaimed Australian TV comedies (Rosehaven, The Family Law). He also edited award-winning documentary Colin McCahon: I Am.
Peter Coates
If director and producer Peter Coates was a superhero, he’d surely be ‘Renaissance Man’. His contribution to championing the arts on television is arguably heroic, and his career multi-faceted. From 1971 to 2004 Coates produced, directed or scripted hundreds of TV productions covering a smorgasbord of topics, from operas to soap operas, and from portraits of New Zealand artists to rugby coaching films.
Marcus Lush
Popular and idiosyncratic radio and TV host Marcus Lush chronicled his love affair with the railways on high-rating series Off the Rails, which won him an award for best presenter at the 2006 NZ Screen Awards. Lush followed it with Ice, which saw him spending time in Antarctica, before making further Kiwi excursions South and North.
Steve Locker-Lampson
After stints in the merchant navy and the British film industry, Steve Locker-Lampson began a new life in New Zealand in the 60s, heading the camera department at indie production house Pacific Films. The following decade he forged a reputation as one of the country's pioneer aerial cameramen, and worked behind the scenes on movies Solo and Smash Palace. Locker-Lampson passed away in October 2012.
Aaron Watson
Aaron Watson's career path has been anything but dull. He's acted in children's television programmes (eg InFocus and Oi), performed at the 1996 Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his friend Duncan Sarkies, and spent 14 years as a tour guide in Russia and Central Europe. Dunedin-raised, Watson turned to producing in 2011, working with friend Jackie van Beek on short films In Safe Hands (a 2012 NZ Film Award winner) and Go the Dogs (2012 Berlin Film Festival). In 2017 the pair released their first feature film The Inland Road. Watson has gone on to produce feature comedy This Town, from Wellington filmmaker David White.
Elizabeth Mitchell
Elizabeth Mitchell made her name as creator and producer of animated hit bro'Town, which screened for five seasons and won multiple awards. Since then she has produced short films and directed documentaries, and is currently developing a feature based on Oscar Kightley's award-winning short Tom's Dairy.
Richard S Long
Not to be confused with the newsreader of the same name, Richard S Long has had a prolific career as a cameraman and director. Since starting out in 1977, he’s shot news, run his own production company, and worked abroad, directing commercials and music videos in Asia and the US. In 2015 Long directed his debut feature Not For Children.
Steven Zanoski
Aged 19, Steven Zanoski successfully answered an advert to be a writer/presenter on kids favourite What Now? He followed it by scripting teleplay House of Sticks, and joining the Shortland Street writing team. Zanoski went on to write for television in Russia, Europe and New Zealand — including a Balkan version of American hit Ugly Betty. After four years producing Shortland Street, he began his second stint as South Pacific Pictures' head of development in early 2013. After leaving SPP he produced TV series Filthy Rich.
Simon Marler
Simon Marler's film industry experience includes stints as a casting director, as a director of shorts and documentaries, and three years as head of New Zealand film organisation Script to Screen.
Carolyn Robinson
Carolyn Robinson has presented TV news for roughly two decades. For seven years she hosted Nightline, and was a weekend anchor for 3 News (alongside Simon Shepherd). She also filled in as a weekday back-up to Hilary Barry, and fronted foreign affairs with Mike McRoberts. Robinson also hosted consumer investigation show What’s Really In Our Food. In 2016 she took over presenting 20/20 for TV One.