A New Name for the Guild

DEGANZ logo appearing as 'deganz'

At the 2021 Annual General Meeting, members voted in favour of a remit to include Aotearoa in the Guild’s name. We proudly present our new name as the Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ).

Subsequently, we have a new, easier to pronounce acronym (deg·anz) and a refreshed logo.

In other changes, members also passed a remit to expand the Constitution’s definition of ‘editors’ to include assistant editors. This is because the Guild has over time moved to officially support and represent assistant editors as well, explained Executive Director Tui Ruwhiu.

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Hawai’i International Film Festival: Members’ Films Selected

Congratulations to DEGANZ members whose films have been selected for this year’s Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF) in November. Furthermore, several films will be having their US Premieres.

Annually, an average of 150 narrative features, documentaries and shorts are chosen from around 1,500 films. HIFF endeavours to recognise new and emerging talent. In addition, the festival spotlights work that explores social and cultural issues.

High Tide, Don’t Hide is a full-length documentary about teenagers discovering that activism, authority and awareness make for a steep learning curve in the race for existence. The film was written by Niva Kay, DEGANZ member and participant in our Emerging Women Filmmakers Incubator 2021. Niva is one of four producer-directors on this film, which is having its US Premiere at HIFF.

Earlier this year, High Tide, Don’t Hide had its World Premiere at the New Zealand Doc Edge Festival, where it won an award for Best New Zealand Editing and a Special Mention in the Best New Zealand Feature category.

The short film Disrupt (pictured above) follows the aftermath of a burglary gone wrong. In it CJ must choose between his whānau or his next fix. DEGANZ member Lisa Greenfield was the editor with Margot Francis (DEGANZ board member) as the supervising editor.

Celia Jasper, writer, director and editor of short film Milk, explores what happens when a young girl sees an old man unable to pay for his milk. It recently won Best Editing at the Venezia Shorts in Italy and is nominated for Best Screenplay at Show Me Shorts.

Teine Sā is a supernatural anthology series based on legends of the Pacific. After centuries of slumber, the ‘Teine Sā’ or ‘the ancient ones’ have been evoked to come into the world once again. Having its US Premiere at HIFF, Teine Sā has a couple of DEGANZ members behind it. Jack Woon was the editor, while Zoey Zhao worked on episode 3 as his assistant editor. Zoey is part of our Incubator 2021.

Inspired by the Black Panther Party in the USA, a group of young radicals from New Zealand follow suit in The Panthers. The six-part mini series made history as the strongest opening week for a drama on TVNZ OnDemand. DEGANZ member Vea Mafile’o directed two episodes.

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Kāinga Funded: Spotlight on Pan-Asian Female Immigrant Stories

Following the success of feature films Waru and Vai comes Kāinga. With funding through NZ On Air, Kāinga will be an anthology of short films led by Pan-Asian filmmakers that celebrates the experience of eight different Pan-Asian women as they navigate what it means to become ‘at home’ in Aotearoa.

The movie will be produced by Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions for RNZ.co.nz. It closes a  film trilogy written and directed by underrepresented female filmmakers in the New Zealand screen industry.

We are delighted that DEGANZ members are among the eleven female creative leads in this project!

Writer Mia Maramara 

Director Michelle Ang 

Writer/director Ghazaleh Golbakhsh 

Director Julie Zhu 

Writer/director Nahyeon Lee

 

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Live Performance and Film Collide in New Opera Movie

DEGANZ member Rebecca Tansley directed the New Zealand Opera film Semele, which opens in selected cinemas from 28 October.

Filmed live in Auckland’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, Rebecca had just one live performance to get the film right which required a lot of careful pre-production planning, including bringing camera operators into rehearsals.

Semele is a sensual love triangle between Jupiter, King of the Gods, his wife Juno, and his lover, the mortal princess Semele.

Although the film’s premiere was back in May in Auckland, this nationwide release enables New Zealand Opera to travel from major cities to the regions. Find out more information on the film and see if it’s screening near you.

Meanwhile, Rebecca’s short film The Finding has been selected for Montecatini International Short Film Festival in Italy, one of Europe’s longest running short film festivals. The film, written and directed by Rebecca, was shot on Kodak 16mm in Central Otago and Dunedin. In The Finding, a teenager’s efforts to reconnect with her estranged father forces them to confront a secret in their past.

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DEGNZ Supports Call for COVID Relief Funding for Māori Screen Sector

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

12 October 2021

The Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand (DEGNZ) supports the call by Ngā Aho Whakaari, who represents Māori in the screen industry, for direct COVID relief support for the Māori screen production sector.

In July 2020, NZ On Air and the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) received $23.4 million for a Screen Production Recovery Fund. In September of this year, the Government announced further COVID relief support accessible through NZ On Air and NZFC. Again, Te Māngai Paho (TMP) received no direct COVID funding. Māori creatives and production companies who are not utilising NZ On Air or NZFC funds therefore cannot access COVID relief funds from those bodies.

“Industry relief has been appreciated but Treaty obligations need to be honoured,” says DEGNZ President Robyn Paterson. “Te Māngai Paho is significantly underfunded compared to NZ On Air, and this results in smaller budgets for Māori productions, many of which are made for Māori Television.”

“The financial hardship this inflicts on Māori creatives and production companies is exacerbated when there is no COVID relief funding to enable them to recover.”

“Māori directors, editors, writers, producers and crew are already working on lower production budgets. This puts a strain on financial sustainability and wellbeing. They need access to COVID funded support” Paterson added.

DEGNZ calls for the Government to support Te Māngāi Paho directly with COVID funding to aid those Māori creatives and production companies under duress due to COVID.

ENDS

 

Contact:

Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director
Directors & Editors Guild of NZ
tui@deganz.co.nz
+64 21 659 950

Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand

The Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand is a not-for-profit Incorporated Society and Union that represents Directors, Editors and Assistant Editors in the New Zealand screen industry. This includes Directors, Editors and Assistant Editors of feature drama and documentary; television drama, documentary and factual programmes; short films; video art; animation; commercials and web content.

DEGNZ’s two primary roles are advocacy and professional development. We:

  • are dedicated to promoting excellence in the arts of directing and editing.
  • foster collegiality and unity within the screen industry.
  • promote members’ creative and economic rights.
  • work to improve industry working conditions and remuneration.
  • offer professional advice and information on contracts and industry standards and practice.
  • offer professional development events, networking opportunities, career advice, dispute resolution, mentoring, workshops, training, discounts and regular news bulletins for members across all levels of expertise, from novices to seasoned professionals.
  • are a voice for Directors, Editors and Assistant in influencing policy in the interest of our members. We do this through our membership of various pan‐industry bodies, and by making submissions to government and public officials.
  • Internationally work co-operatively with other directors’ guilds
  • belong to the International Affiliation of English‐Speaking Directors’ Organisations, Writer’s & Directors Worldwide, Alliance of Asia-Pacific Audiovisual Writers and Directors and the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers.

DEGNZ is Auckland-based with an office in Grey Lynn.

Contact Details:

Directors & Editors Guild of NZ
Level 2, 66 Surrey Crescent
Grey Lynn
PO Box 47294, Ponsonby
AUCKLAND

admin@deganz.co.nz
+64 9 360 2102
+64 21 659 950

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