This selection — in partnership with the NZ Film Commission — showcases award-winning examples of Kiwi short filmmaking. From the the tale of two men and a Cow, to the sleazy charms of The Lounge Bar, from Cannes to Ngawi; this collection is a celebration of "a beautiful medium for nailing an idea to the fence post with a piece of No.8 wire." 

Director and screenwriter Jane Campion became a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2016 New Year's Honours. Campion was the first woman to win the grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival, in two different categories — short film (for Peel in 1986) and feature (The Piano in 19...

Fish Out of Water manages to unfurl its light-hearted tale of young man and the sea, without a word of dialogue. Avoiding the morning traffic jams, our man (Nick Dunbar) finds peace by rowing each day to work in the city. But when a seductive blonde unexpectedly enters the picture, he finds his morning boat ride heading in unexpected directions. Directed by Lala Rolls (Land of My Ancestors), Fish Out of Water was invited to play in the 2005 NZ Film Festival, plus another 10 overseas fests. Victoria Kelly composes the brass and banjo-inflected soundtrack.

Long ago a beloved NZ tourism advertisement revolved around a globe-trotting Kiwi who made the mistake of leaving town without seeing his country. This tourism-themed short is a variation on the theme. Veterans Kate Harcourt and Helen Moulder play speed-crazed neighbours, whose competitive spirit stretches to comparisons of the extent of their grandsons' travels. Directed by Australian Aya Tanimura, Sweet As nabbed the People's Choice award in Your Big Break, an international contest run by Tourism New Zealand to promote Aotearoa's scenery.

These CGI short films are the product of Auckland's Media Design School; combining the expertise of lecturer James Cunningham (director of award-winning shorts Poppy and Infection) with the raw smarts and hard work of his 3D animation students. With established industry talents (eg writer Nick Ward and cameraman Simon Riera) helping guide the students, the results have won awards and selection to impressive international festivals, including SIGGRAPH. 2011's effort saw the screen debut of alien hunter Dr. Grordbort, originally created by Weta Workshop's Greg Broadmore.

Film festival time has rolled around again. Among the picks from around the globe, some Kiwi gems can be found (including three seasons of short films). As these trailers indicate, the local feature listings include a movie from Eleanor Catton's debut novel (The Rehearsal), a crowdpleaser about c...

Kiwi Brent Hansen helped make Radio with Pictures downunder then headed MTV in Europe. His Top Five titles on NZ On Screen aptly begin with two music video gems: Len Lye’s Swinging the Lambeth Walk and the “auteur chutzpah” of Tall Dwarfs’ Turning Brown and Torn in Two. Then there’s Two Cars One ...

If anyone could claim to be a genre-crossing Godfather of Godzone screen and song it’s Don McGlashan: from Blam Blam Blam (‘There is No Depression in New Zealand’), to musical theatre group The Front Lawn (classic comedic short films Walkshort, the Lounge Bar, Linda’s Body) and beloved band The M...

This Spotlight collection turns the dial to screen titles that have radio connections. Tune into classic documentaries (Rock the Boat, The Rate Race); TV shows (Radio Times, Radio Waves); and award-winning short films (Talkback, Signing Off). Also check out legendary DJs ruling the waves: from a ...

This Spotlight collection showcases the work of Influential producer and network executive Caterina De Nave, who was the founding producer for Shortland St, and one of the main forces in the show’s development. As Commissioning Editor at TV3, she brought drama and comedy to a new level of commerc...