Penny Black

Billed as a "mix of realism and absurdity", Penny Black follows a self-centred model (Astra McLaren) who is looking after her superhero-obsessed sister. Setting out from Auckland for Wellington so Penny can try to repair her waning career, the duo meet an anarchist (Anton Tennet) who offers new angles on what matters. Much of the story and casting was improvised on location across the North Island, and the film was partly crowdfunded. The chalk and cheese tale marked the feature debut of director Joe Hitchcock, inspired by memories of teen road trips.