DEGANZ Watch List: New Series and Day One Shorts

,

This DEGANZ Watch List features new factual series and the online release of the 2026 Day One Shorts, following their premiere at Show Me Shorts.

Season two of Licence to Drive, by DEGANZ member Robyn Paterson, arrives on 4 November. The series puts Kiwis with disabilities in the driver’s seat as they navigate the milestones, nerves and hijinks of learning to drive. Watch the trailer below for a first look at the new season.

Also new to the factual space is Te Ara Poutama, a web series directed by DEGANZ Vice President Rāhera Herewini-Mulligan. Edited by both Rāhera and her wife and fellow member, Janice Herewini-Mulligan, the series follows rising Māori talent in the music industry.

The 2026 Day One Shorts also spotlight emerging filmmakers, with both documentary and drama represented. In Silver Lining, Harriett Maire (DEGANZ) distils 25 years of living with a chronic illness into a 15-minute documentary, edited by fellow member Josh Yong. Meanwhile, DEGANZ member Connor Amor-Bendall explores the messy dynamics of friendship and exes in the short drama Mutually Assured Destruction, edited by Sam Small (DEGANZ).

Check out the trailer and explore the latest releases below!

Licence to Drive S2

Factual Series 

Executive Producer and Director: Robyn Paterson

Licence to Drive returns for a second season, featuring a new group of Kiwi drivers with disabilities taking on the challenge of getting behind the wheel, alongside some returning favourites who are taking the next step in their driving journeys. Across the season, drivers work with instructors, families and support networks to build their skills and confidence, while discovering what it takes to make driving work for them. Some chase the freedom that comes with a licence for the first time; others return to see how far they can go.

Coming soon to Sky from 4 November.

 

Mutually Assured Destruction

Short Film

Writer/Director: Connor Amor-Bendall

Editor: Sam Small

A casual drink between four exes quickly sours into queer chaos when a long-buried secret surfaces, putting whatever hope they have of friendship on the line.

 

Silver Lining

Short Documentary

Writer/Director/Producer: Harriett Maire

Editor: Josh Yong

Approaching 25 years with a chronic illness, Harriett Maire explores how it feels to live with type 1 diabetes.

 

Te Ara Poutama

Factual Web Series

Director: Rāhera Herewini-Mulligan

Editors: Rāhera Herewini-Mulligan & Janice Herewini-Mulligan

A new series by Waiata Anthems showcasing some of the amazing emerging Māori talent in the music industry. Supported by the best of the best–established tuakana artists who want to see them flourish–the series follows different artists’ stories and songs.

 

/by

Glenday Awarded ANZSE Accreditation

DEGANZ is proud to announce that Francis Glenday has been awarded Aotearoa New Zealand Screen Editors (ANZSE) Accreditation!

Established by DEGANZ in 2025, ANZSE Accreditation recognises master editors whose work consistently meets a world-class standard. The accreditation celebrates the mana, artistry and expertise editors bring to their craft, provides a benchmark for excellence, and helps identify highly experienced editors for projects both in Aotearoa and internationally.

Francis was approved for accreditation by the ANZSE Committee, joining inaugural recipients Annie Collins ANZSE, Peter Roberts ANZSE and Jonno Woodford-Robinson ANZSE.

In awarding Francis the accreditation, the committee recognised:

[His] broad range and depth of editorial skills gained over 25 years, encompassing aptitude with cross-cultural work, DEGANZ Board and committee service, training and mentoring as well as designing post systems at an international level.

Francis brings decades of editorial experience across feature films, documentaries, factual and drama series, and commercials for local and international audiences. Some of his most notable works include feature docu-drama Sgt. Haane (2026), HBOMax Original There is No ‘I’ in Threesome (2021), and feature documentary Poe E: The Story of Our Song (2016). He has also worked on major live broadcast productions, serving as lead editor and head of post-production for the international broadcasts of the 36th and 37th America’s Cup.

Alongside his editorial career, Francis has made a significant contribution to Aotearoa’s screen industry. A DEGANZ member for almost a decade, he has served five years on the Board and contributed to a range of sub-committees, talks, events and industry presentations.

Francis has also been committed to supporting the next generation of editors, training and mentoring numerous junior editors throughout his career. His expertise extends beyond the edit itself, with experience developing and implementing post-production systems designed to streamline workflows, improve processes and support efficient collaboration across productions.

Congratulations, Francis, on this well-deserved recognition!

 

/by

DEGANZ Members Show Their Shorts at Show Me Shorts 2026

This October, Show Me Shorts is bringing over 100 screenings to 40 cinemas across Aotearoa, with 11 DEGANZ members selected across the 2026 programme.

Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa NZ’s leading international short film festival, connecting audiences with short films from around the world while championing local filmmakers. It is one of Aotearoa’s most prestigious programmes to screen in as an Oscar, BAFTA and GOYA-qualifying festival.

Check out the full list of DEGANZ’s members involved below:

Aotearoa Strand

Beautiful stories of our land and our people. The films in this collection showcase the work of talented Aotearoa New Zealand short film makers. Bold coming-of-age films sit alongside thoughtful drama, silly comedic fun, inventive fantasy, and warm-hearted documentary. We explore unlikely friendships, face our past, and step into the unfolding future.

Kurī

Editor: Sam Small

Producer: Julie Zhu

Kurī hasn’t been back to Te Urewera since she was bitten by a dog as a child. After her father’s passing, Kurī must face her grief and go home – whether she’s ready to or not.

Lucky Luke

Director: Jesse Griffin

Eighteen-year-old Luke’s morning sleep-in is disrupted by his solo mum, with the news that their domestic set-up is transitioning from mother and son to flatmates.

The Owl and the Rainbow

Director: Jo Luping

Writer: Lynda Chanwai-Earle

Based on a true story, a mother must find the courage to soar to the moon and battle the creature of death, or lose her daughter forever.

The Return

Editor: Alex Boyd

When Lupesina answers her ancestors’ call, she must find acceptance of herself, or risk being stuck in the in-between.

Six Minute Supplement

Writer/Director/Producer: Sinead Lau

A brother and sister overdose on entitlement when a sample drug swaps their bodies.

 

Day One Shorts Strand

Show Me Shorts is proud to present this collection of new short films, commissioned and supported by Day One Hāpai te Haeata. The shorts are made by talented young filmmakers who are interested in exploring stories about building resilience, ancestral memory, connection to others and finding their place in the world. They are boldly taking story risks, pushing the envelope, and looking to the future.

Silver Lining

Writer/Director/Producer: Harriett Maire

Editor: Josh Yong

Approaching 25 years with a chronic illness, Harriett Maire explores how it feels to live with type 1 diabetes.

Mutually Assured Destruction

Writer/Director: Connor Amor-Bendall

Editor: Sam Small

A casual drink between four exes quickly sours into queer chaos when a long-buried secret surfaces, putting whatever hope they have of friendship on the line.

 

The Sampler Strand

Taste a selection of highlight short films from Show Me Shorts Film Festival. These inspiring and thoughtful stories include long-distance love on a distant planet, precocious children up to mischief, a whole town waiting for bad luck to pass, and a man stuck in a time loop. Comedy, science fiction, romance, and coming-of-age classics abound.

Socks

Writer/Director: Todd Karehana

In small-town NZ, a young Māori boy feels an unexpected bond with a Mormon missionary.

Ciggie

Editor: Scott Milligan

In the bush behind their suburban houses, two children tell stories, tease, and confide in each other, all while sharing their first cigarette.

 

Run For Your Life Strand

Prepare to fear. The zombies are coming. A worm is giving you dark orders. And the coyotes are out there. Do not open the door or drink from that chalice. Strange creatures lurk, and our deepest fears can be brought to life in this decidedly frightful collection of short films.

Scared Old Men

Director/Editor: Stella Reid

Music video for the song ‘Scared Old Men’ by Dick Move. Screaming at the violent and decaying patriarchal system that shapes the world through fear, control and suppression.

 

Odd Balls & Absurd Calls Strand

In this collection of short films, we explore intriguing worlds that are just one step from reality. We look through lenses of strangeness and meet amusingly unusual characters in odd settings: a puppet having an existential crisis, two Kung Fu masters on a date, an artist searching for the perfect thrift-store find, and a poet trapped in a society that frowns on talking. It’s an inventive reverie you won’t want to wake from.

埋單 (Let’s Settle This!)

Writer/Director/Editor: Jack Woon

Elle and Winson are brought together by a dating app – or is it fate? After their date, they must settle the bill…and an ancient blood feud.

 

Whānau Friendly Strand

In this collection of short films for children and their families, cute animals and inquisitive insects spring to life in vibrant stories. Characters learn about kindness, curiosity, and heart as they defeat negativity and overcome bullying by working together—with a dose of magic and explosions for good measure! Find out why this is one of the most popular sections of Show Me Shorts.

Lemonade

Writer/Director/Editor: Logan Sutherland

In the cutthroat business world of lemonade stands, the sister/brother dream team of Suzy and Jack descend into bitter rivals as they chase success and sweet profits.

 

/by

Beyond Doc Edge: ‘Devils on Horses’ Continued Success

DEGANZ member Edward Sampson’s feature documentary Devils on Horses is currently screening on Māori+, following its world premiere at the 2025 Doc Edge Festival.

While at Doc Edge, the film became the festival’s highest-attended film. It went on to have a limited New Zealand theatrical run. Screenings in Palmerston North, Tauranga and Christchurch included filmmaker Q&As and attracted strong interest from veterans, RSA members, and rural communities.

Since then, the film has also travelled to the US, screening at the 41st Boston Film Festival, as well as having an in-flight season with Air New Zealand. The film has also been acquired by SBS Australia and is scheduled to screen in April 2027.

Directed, edited, and produced by Edward, the documentary explores the powerful bond between Aotearoa New Zealand soldiers and their horses during the First World War’s Sinai–Palestine campaign. Devils on Horses also examines the psychological impact of war and the devastating decision that prevented almost all the surviving horses from returning to Aotearoa.

Congratulations to Edward on the film’s continued success!

/by

Zhu’s ‘Unknown, Unknown’ Secures Short Cuts Production Funding

Congratulations to director Julie Zhu (DEGANZ), whose drama short film Unknown, Unknown has been selected as one of two projects to receive production funding through the Pan Asian Screen Collective’s Short Cuts initiative.

Julie is working with writer Carolyn Deng and producer Matilda Boese-Wong on the project, which was awarded a $40,000 production grant from PASC with support by the New Zealand Film Commission.

Established by PASC in 2019, Short Cuts was created to address the need for greater Pan-Asian representation on screen and provide career pathways for emerging practitioners through the development and production of short films. Now in its sixth iteration, the programme brought together nine production teams for a weekend of specialised development. Two projects were ultimately selected to receive production funding following a rigorous assessment process by acclaimed filmmakers Fran Borgia, Philippa Campbell and Steven Chow.

Short Cuts designer and course convenor Dr Shuchi Kothari MNZM commented on this year’s selections:

While the three assessors were unanimous in their decision to fund the two projects, they were just as vocal in their recognition of the breadth of ideas across all nine applications. Though the assessors’tastes are ultimately subjective, their adjudication took into account freshness of the story, teams ability to deliver, feasibility of the project, accuracy of budget, and trajectory of the director.

We look forward to hearing more about Unknown, Unknown in due time and eventually seeing it on the big screen!

 

/by