Ian Mune and Roger Donaldson on Winners & Losers...
Long before they became veritable Kiwi screen legends, Ian Mune and Roger Donaldson hatched a clever plan: pool their talents, turn some classic short stories into a series, and maybe even get paid for their efforts. The result was landmark 1976 anthology series Winners & Losers, which helped open the door for New Zealand stories on screen.
Mark Mitchinson: A career playing dangerous men…
Award-winning actor Mark Mitchinson has made a name for himself bringing complex and dangerous characters to life on screen. He has played a psychiatrist who murdered his wife in Bloodlines; a gunman in Siege; and a dodgy shrink in Nothing Trivial. Mitchinson also produces and stars in the made for the web drama/comedy High Road.
Jackie van Beek: On the importance of chaos in filmmaking...
Jackie van Beek is an actor, director and writer who first honed her storytelling skills in theatre. She has acted in a variety of television and film roles, and directed several award-winning short films. In 2017 van Beek directed her first feature film The Inland Road, then co-wrote, co-directed and co-starred in hit comedy The Breaker Upperers, with Madeleine Sami.
Hugh Macdonald: Expos, epics and animated amphibians...
Hugh Macdonald’s long filmmaking career encompasses historical epics, Oscar-nominated shorts, and lots of time on the road. Macdonald is probably best-known for three-screen spectacular This is New Zealand, which got crowds queueing at World Expo in Japan, before playing for months back home. A two-decade long stint at the National Film Unit also saw him directing two episodes of historical epic The Governor, and producing the first of many animated shorts.
Bruce Morrison: Heartland, poetry and liquor bottles…
Bruce Morrison's career as a producer, director and writer has brought some memorable New Zealand stories to the screen. He has been involved in a number of arts shows such as Kaleidoscope and Profiles, as well as poetry documentaries The Roaring 40's Tour and The Road to Jerusalem. Morrison directed the feature films Constance, Shaker Run and Queen City Rocker, and was a long-time director on Gary McCormick's iconic Heartland documentary series.
Alison Maclean: A gothic crush…
Canadian-born to New Zealand parents, writer and director Alison Maclean helmed one of the most successful NZ Film Commission-funded short films of all time, Kitchen Sink, which debuted at Cannes and won eight international awards. A graduate of Elam School of Fine Arts, she has directed feature films Crush (which she also wrote) and Jesus’ Son. A director of commercials and television series including Sex and the City and Gossip Girl, Maclean divides her time between New York, Canada and New Zealand, and she is developing several feature films.
ScreenTalk Short: Jackie van Beek
The multi-talented Jackie van Beek first honed her storytelling skills in theatre. Since then she has combined acting with directing, starting with a run of award-winning short films.
Stephen J Campbell: Classic kids TV, comedy, sci-fi fantasy and more...
Stephen J Campbell is a long-time television writer, director and producer who began in TV aimed at younger viewers, including classic series 3:45 LIVE!, and Ice TV. Campbell has also worked on comedy shows including That Comedy Show and Funny Business. In more recent times, he has specialised in creating kidult shows with a sci-fi/fantasy bent, including hits Secret Agent Men and The Amazing Extraordinary Friends. Campbell also worked on Nigel Latta’s Politically Incorrect Guide to Teenagers and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Grown Ups.
Waka Attewell: Cinematography highlights...
Cinematographer Waka Attewell is something of a legend in the Kiwi film industry. From landmark 70s TV series Tangata Whenua, he has gone on to climb mountains with Sir Ed; shoot commercials, shorts and six and a half features — including the acclaimed Starlight Hotel — plus direct Ian Mune doco In the Shadow of King Lear.
Tom Hern: From kid reporter to film producer...
Tom Hern is a film producer who began his screen career as a junior reporter on children’s television show What Now?. He went on to star in The Tribe, where he met his future business partner James Napier Robertson. Hern acted in a number of other TV shows such as Shortland Street and Power Rangers, before producing his first feature film I’m Not Harry Jenson. Since then Hern has produced features Everything We Loved and The Dark Horse.