David White
Raised on a Hawke's Bay farm, David White went on to make a run of documentaries exploring agriculture, from animal slaughter (I Kill) to pigs (The Cleanest Pig, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival). White studied producing at England's National Film and TV School, then co-produced documentary Shihad: Beautiful Machine and directed TV's Little Criminals, a survivors' record of boys’ homes. His feature documentary Meat — centred on three farmers and a hunter — hit Kiwi cinemas in 2017. White followed it with a TV movie inspired by a meth importing case, and movie comedy This Town, which he also acts in.
Cushla Dillon
Self-taught editor Cushla Dillon moved from shorter works to features with Harry Sinclair's Topless Women Talk about their Lives: both the bite-sized TV series then the movie, for which she won her first NZ film award. Dillon has gone on to edit shorts, documentaries, and many more features — including The Price of Milk, Orphans & Kingdoms, and award-winning documentary This Way of Life.
Simon Baumfield
Simon Baumfield is a multi-award-winning cinematographer, whose work includes ensemble TV series Insiders Guide to Love and horror movie The Irrefutable Truth about Demons.
Grant Roa
Porirua-raised Grant Roa made his mark in athletics and martial arts, before returning to another childhood passion in his 20s: acting. Award-nominated for playing Pai’s uncle in Whale Rider, Roa has also acted in sketch show Facelift and dramas The Hothouse and The Lost Children. In 2012, working with Laurence Alexander, he produced his first feature: music doco Shihad: Beautiful Machine.
Sam Peacocke
Sam Peacocke won attention for his work on a slate of distinctive music videos, for everyone from King Kapisi (Lollipop) to The Mint Chicks (Vodafone award-winner Crazy? Yes! Dumb? No!). Peacocke's dramatic debut — short film Manurewa — reimagines events surrounding a high profile 2008 liquor store shooting. At the 2011 Berlin Film Festival, it won the Crystal Bear for best short film in its section. Peacocke has also won awards for a number of his commercials — and for 2012's Beautiful Machine, a feature-length documentary on Kiwi rock band Shihad.
Mitchell Hawkes
Mitchell Hawkes' list of directing credits ranges from The X Factor to The Hard Stuff with Nigel Latta. His event directing skills have gained him a go-to reputation for covering high profile concerts, music awards and comedy galas. In 2016 Hawkes formed company Ruckus Media with Nigel Latta and producer Arwen O’Connor. Their shows include live broadcast What Next? and award-winner Born This Way: Awa's Story.
Matthew Metcalfe
After learning the ropes making short films and music videos, ex-soldier Matthew Metcalfe has made films in Antarctica and Iraq, and produced movies and TV movies with partners in Canada (Nemesis Game), England (Dean Spanley) and France (Capital in the 21st Century). His projects range from tutus (ballet feature Giselle) to war (animated film 25 April).
Josh Frizzell
Part of a well-known Kiwi arts family, Josh Frizzell’s screen apprenticeship involved props and design; one early gig saw him delivering prop machine guns up the Shotover River by helicopter. He went on to direct a run of music videos in the 1990s, including award-winners for Emma Paki and Shihad. Frizzell has gone on to helm episodes of The Brokenwood Mysteries and Fresh Eggs, plus TV movie Ablaze, about the 1949 Ballantyne's fire. His advertising work includes multiple inflight safety campaigns for Air New Zealand, and a break-in at the Tui Brewery. He is one of the owners of Trans-Tasman commercials company Eight.
Peter Blake
Peter Blake introduced more local content to popular music shows Ready to Roll and Radio with Pictures at a time when covers of overseas songs were the norm. The longtime musician began in television via 1970s music programme; Grunt Machine, and ended up in charge of a stable of shows. He has also composed music for everything from TV One's nightly News theme to drama Shark in the Park.
Mark Albiston
Mark Albiston has won awards at festivals in Cannes, Berlin and Salt Lake City, thanks to short films Run and The Six Dollar Fifty Man (which he directed with Louis Sutherland). After time in the United Kingdom, Albiston returned home to launch Sticky Pictures, where he won gongs for arts shows The Living Room and The Gravy. Alibston and Sutherland's 2013 movie Shopping won further awards and acclaim.