Marc Chesterman
Composer Marc Chesterman has brought his experience of playing drums in bands and sound designing for the theatre, to the screen. Chesterman has worked on a run of films with director Florian Habicht, including composing the soundtrack for Woodenhead and Spookers. He has composed music for Zia Mandviwalla short Eating Sausage, and was sound designer for Rita Angus documentary Lovely Rita.
Zia Mandviwalla
Fascinated by different cultures and how "human emotion transcends culture", Zia Mandviwalla began making films after studying english and history at university. Indian-born but raised in Dubai, she moved to New Zealand as a teen. Now her short films travel the world’s festivals. Mandviwalla’s tales of cross-cultural collision include immigrant stories Amadi and Eating Sausage. Her short Night Shift was nominated for best short at major festivals Cannes and Sundance. She has also directed many commercials.
Simon Morris
Before Simon Morris became resident film reviewer and arts presenter for Radio New Zealand, he had a freelance television career encompassing scriptwriting, reporting and directing. He wrote for high-rating soaps like Close to Home, City Life and Shortland Street, directed classic music videos and was a key part of the Radio with Pictures team.
Alun Bollinger
Alun Bollinger, MNZM, has been crafting the slanting southern light onto film and other formats, for almost 40 years. He is arguably New Zealand's premier cinematographer; images framed by Bollinger's camera include some of the most indelible memories to come from iconic films like Goodbye Pork Pie, Vigil and Heavenly Creatures.
Ross Chambers
Sydney-born Ross Chambers spent much of his career in New Zealand, honing sound and pictures for a variety of movies, plus the occasional television show. Along the way he edited Geoff Murphy's first feature Wild Man and worked as a sound editor on Kiwi classics Utu and Vigil.
Annie Whittle
Actor, singer, and comedian Annie Whittle first won television fame on 70s comedy classic A Week of It. Since then she has presented a run of shows, had her own musical special, and acted alongside the likes of Billy T James, Miranda Harcourt, George Henare, and Anthony Hopkins.
Elizabeth McRae
Veteran actor Elizabeth McRae, NZOM, is probably best-known for her long-running role as Shortland Street receptionist Marjorie Brasch. Alongside her work as a theatre actor and voice coach, her screen work includes leading roles in the Return Journey episode of anthology series About Face, and Nancy Brunning short Journey to Ihipa.
Mike Westgate
Mike Westgate began working in sound in his native England. Since moving to New Zealand in the 1970s, he has contributed his skills to documentaries, drama series, and more than 20 features, and passed them on to a new generation, both on film sets and as a guest tutor at South Seas Film & Television School.
Ginny Loane
Ginny Loane began attracting award nominations in 2006 with Fog, one of many short films she has shot that have made a mark overseas. By then Loane had already shot her first feature, dark family tale Christmas. In 2013 she won praise — and a Moa Award — for another family drama, Shopping, the debut feature from Louis Sutherland and Mark Albiston. Loane went on to win two awards from the NZ Cinematographers Society for Mahana (2016), Lee Tamahori’s first Kiwi feature since Once Were Warriors. Her work also includes based on a true story TV movies Jean and Consent - The Louise Nicholas Story.
Murray Milne
Cameraman Murray Milne often finds himself working on jobs that involve swimming or hanging from helicopters. After starting on commercials, Milne worked with director Richard Riddiford, filming 80s road movie romance Arriving Tuesday, and Zilch! Following acclaimed shorts with Costa Botes, Milne did impressive work for Peter Jackson on Meet the Feebles and zombie epic Braindead. Since then Milne's work has mixed TV with aerial and underwater photography.