This highly evolved Maori music and comedy group was formed by former C4 television presenter Jermaine Leef in 2010. With tongue firmly in chic, it took the song and dance formula of the boy bands and combined metrosexual fashion, grooming and beauty with traditional Māori culture (and some heavily stylised moko). In 2012, as Jgeeks, they finished fourth in the second series of New Zealand’s Got Talent, with elements of their striking neon costumed performance for the final created in collaboration with multi-media dance group Vospertron.

Peter Jackson has gone from shy fanboy to master of his craft; from Pukerua Bay to Wellywood. With six journeys into Middle-earth now behind him, he has few peers in the realm of large scale filmmaking. Led by early 'behind the scenes' docos this collection pays tribute to PJ's journey, from re-making King Kong in his backyard to err ... re-making King Kong in his backyard. 

In a Mika-inspired cross cultural collision, this Māori music and comedy group blends traditional Māoritanga with the metrosexual world of fashion and beauty. Founded by former C4 presenter Jermaine Leef in 2010, they launched with this video which debuted on YouTube and received 100,000 views in 10 days. From Queen Street to the beach and bush, their appearance moves from Outkast-inspired nerd chic to a style best described as high camp haka; and boy band posturing mixes with lyrics tackling what it means to be a modern 'Māori boy' (“I play my Nintendo everyday”).

Taika (Boy) Waititi's first feature is an offbeat comedy about two lonely misfits and their attempts to find love. Lily (Loren Taylor) is a shy fast-food cashier with a crush on clueless gaming geek Jarrod (Conchord Jemaine Clement). When Lily crashes Jarrod's fancy dress party wearing a shark costume and impresses the self-styled ‘Eagle Lord' with her gaming prowess — excerpted here — she gets her man. But their budding romance is sorely tested by Jarrod's obsession with a childhood nemesis. Empire called the film, "a comic delight destined for cult adoration."

This short film by Clare O'Leary interviews New Zealand women at the forefront of new media design and development around the turn of the millenium. Among those on screen are Emily Loughnan, who moved from televison to co-founding company Click Suite, musician Jordan Reyne, and academic and author Lalita Rajasingham. Many agree that new developments in technology mean increased opportunity for women. The documentary first screened on the BBC World, Life series, as part of the Women Broadcasting for Change network. 

Written by Helena Brooks and comedian Jaquie Brown, Nothing Special could be seen as a cautionary tale: it's good to love your son, but not so good to think he's Jesus reincarnate. How can Billy escape the crazed adoration of his doting Mum? By striving to be the most boring man he can be. Featuring an aptly quirky soundtrack (Blerta's 'Dance All Around The World') and a very funny performance by Alison Routledge as the quintessential overzealous Mum, Nothing Special was chosen for competition in the short film section at Cannes (2005).

"This is what happens when jocks meet geeks." That's how a modern knight defines the brutal sport of medieval combat. Participants don armour, swords and battle axes to fight each other, with the hope of representing New Zealand. The documentary's eccentric cast — including rookie Nick Waiariki and Steel Thorns captain Martainn 'The Machine' Cuff — have to overcome an array of obstacles, including a fear of wolves. Directors Andy Deere and Ryan Heron made this film as a follow-up to their 2016 Loading Doc short film of the same name. 

This science fiction comedy ended up becoming a three year labour of love for director Christian Nicolson and his crew. Inspired by memories of old school sci-fi like Blake’s 7 and The Six Million Dollar Man  — in those long ago days before computers transformed special effects —  the film follows three geeks plunged into an alien world which inexplicably resembles a B-grade movie. The project was born as one of 750 entries in low budget contest Make My Movie; it was runner-up. In 2016 the finished film won Best Comedy prizes at genre festivals in London and Boston.