Grieving the death of his father, 19-year-old Haami (Michael Koloi from detective series Harry) starts hanging around with a local underground boxing promoter. In order to pay off Haami’s drug debt and keep him safe, his uncle Moko (played by ta moko artist Gordon Toi Hatfield), an ex-street fighter, must make one last sacrifice and step up to fight for his family. Written and directed by Joseph Lee, this gritty short film also features a cameo acting performance by Scotty Morrison, better known as long-time newsreader for Te Karere.

Four-year-old Dahlia Hitchcock lives by this mantra: When you die, you don’t do anything; when you’re alive you play. Behind her cheeky grin is a brave wee girl who endures several daily “bum pricks” to treat her Type 1 diabetes. Her father, director Joe Hitchcock, made this 2016 Loading Doc to bring awareness to Type 1 diabetes, which has no known cause or cure.  The same year as they made this, Hitchcock and producer Morgan Leigh Stewart completed another short film  — action comedy Stick To Your Gun.

The follow up to 1989 tour doco The Good, the Bad and the Rugby sees winger John Kirwan narrate an insider’s guide to the All Blacks’ 1990 tour to France: from Michael Jones negotiating a haircut (“how do you say ‘square top’ in French?”) to 19-year-old Simon Mannix leading a ‘Ten Guitars’ singalong. Footy relics of the era include afternoon test matches, four point tries, placed kick-offs, sneaky ciggies and Steinlager. Producer Ric Salizzo later repeated the Pasta Productions’ recipe — sports fandom mixed with schoolboy pratfalls — in the successful Sports Cafe series.

In this acclaimed Kiwi-Aussie co-production Sam Neill confronted what ‘Anzac’ means, a century after NZ and Australian troops landed at Gallipoli as part of an invasion by British-led forces to capture the Turkish territory. Through the lens of his whānau’s war stories (including a visit to his grandfather's grave) Neill uncovered forgotten truths about the catastrophic campaign, and examined ways the Anzac myth has been manipulated. "I hate militarism, loathe nationalism but honour those who served.” The full documentary screened on Māori Television on Anzac Day 2015.

This edition of the Rangatira series chronicles the colourful life of Donna Awatere Huata: activist, opera singer, psychologist, businesswoman, author, Ngā Tama Toa member, ‘81 Tour protest leader, daughter of war hero-turned-murderer. Awatere Huata’s decades of dedication to Māori causes, including the promotion of literacy and education programmes, are reflected upon by Dr Ranginui Walker, Sir Roger Douglas, Tame Iti and Hana Te Hemara. Filmed here debuting in parliament as an ACT MP, Awatere Huata was later to be expelled from the party and convicted of fraud.

This boisterous Geoff Dixon-directed commercial dates from the time when craft beer was yet to make a big mark, and Lion Red was NZ's number one beer. Hyperactive in a flannel shirt, a pre-Hercules Michael Hurst takes the mic at a pub talent quest, and sings a war cry for Kiwi blokes against wimpy pretenders like champagne cocktails and Mexican beers. Local advertising veteran Roy Meares wrote the "anti-yuppie commercial" (he was also behind the long-running Speights 'Perfect Woman' campaign). The Murray Grindlay-composed song became a pub anthem.

This feature tells the true story of the notorious 1941 manhunt for Stanley Graham. The West Coast farmer went bush after a shooting spree that followed police pressure to have him hand over his firearms. Seven men were ultimately killed. Written by Kiwi-born Andrew Brown (from Harold Willis’ book), Bad Blood was made during the tax break era for UK TV, but was released in NZ cinemas. Directed by Brit Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral), it won strong reviews. Aussie legend Jack Thompson and compatriot Carol Burns star as the isolated Bonnie and Clyde coasters.

This documentary tells the heart-wrenching story of Eve van Grafhorst, who contracted HIV from a blood transfusion after she was born three months premature. 1980s' attitudes to HIV saw Eve banned from her pre-school in Australia, leading her family to settle in New Zealand, where Eve became a high profile poster child for AIDS awareness. This award-winning film chronicles Eve’s medical struggles, her HIV AIDS awareness work, and her astonishing bravery in the face of illness and death. Eve died peacefully in her mother’s arms in 1993, at the age of 11.

In this award-winning short film Michael is a 17-year-old who gets the abattoir blues during his first day at 'the works'. Fitting in turns out to be the least of Michael’s worries as young blood is welcomed on the line in the old fashioned way, and rite of passage is interpreted literally to meaty effect. Meathead was filmed at the Wallace Meat plant in Waitoa. Based on the true story of a mate of his, director Sam Holst’s debut short was selected for Cannes and won the Crystal Bear in the Generation (14plus) section of the 2012 Berlin Film Festival.

In July 1985 New Zealand Party leader Bob Jones and president Malcolm McDonald surprised many by announcing the nation's then third most popular party was taking an 18 month recess. Seeking comment, TVNZ chartered a helicopter and found Jones fishing near Turangi. Jones was not amused, infamously breaking reporter Rod Vaughan's nose (and punching cameraman Peter Mayo). Claiming harassment and backed by public opinion, Jones filed a court writ claiming $250,000 in damages. Later, after being fined $1000, he asked the judge if paying $2000 would allow him to do it again.