Bouchet, Mayow, and Boult Win Big at MIFF

Congratulations to DEGANZ members Prisca Bouchet, Nick Mayow, and Victoria Boult for their recent wins at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF)!

Prisca and Nick won the City of Melbourne Grand Prix Award for Best Short Film for Lion Rock, one of three short films from Aotearoa to screen at the festival.

Inspired by a trip through Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s spooky Waitākere Ranges, Lion Rock is a unique take on the coming-of-age drama, transforming a routine drive into a mysterious thriller told from the boy’s perspective. The film was produced as part of Jane Campion’s A Wave in the Ocean film school, and premiered at Venice in 2025.

The jury commented on the win, saying,

From its opening frame, Lion Rock draws us completely into a world of striking natural beauty and quietly mounting unease. Within a beautifully contained dramatic structure, Prisca Bouchet and Nick Mayow craft a subtle yet deeply affecting portrait of the shifting balance of power between a son and his mother. The narrative unfolds with remarkable restraint, while the wild coastline of Aotearoa New Zealand becomes an active presence rather than a mere backdrop.

Prisca and Nick both attended the MIFF Accelerator Lab along with a cohort of other Kiwi filmmakers, where they all pitched feature films.

Through the Lab, fellow member Victoria took home the Pitch Competition’s top prize, earning her both bragging rights and a cash prize.

DEGANZ is proud to have supported the attendance of Aotearoa’s filmmakers at MIFF and the Accelerator Lab again this year.

 

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DEGANZ Members Get the Green Light From NZFC

The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) has announced its Feature Film Development Funding allocations for May–July 2026, with five members attached to commissioned projects.

This fund supports local filmmakers to develop new feature films through script development, research, packaging and audience strategy with the intention to get their projects production-ready.

We’re thrilled to see so many DEGANZ members among the recipients:

  • Refuge — Max Currie
  • Tandem — Pennie Hunt
  • The Rebirth of Barbara Luggate — Jackie van Beek
  • When the Goats Came — Arthur Gay
  • Where The River Runs — Rouzie Hassanova

Congratulations to all our members involved in these projects! We can’t wait to see where these films go next.

 

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DEGANZ Watchlist: For the Love of Sport & Settling

This week’s DEGANZ Watch List features two sports-focused projects and a brand-new dramedy series, showcasing the work of three DEGANZ members across advertising, documentary and television.

Up first is DEGANZ member Liv McClymont‘s latest ad campaign for 2degrees, focusing on keeping girls in sport by challenging the culture around comments made from the sidelines.

Also in the sports world is fellow member Vea Mafile’o‘s highly anticipated feature documentary LOMU. After premiering at NZIFF as the festival’s centrepiece, the film is hitting cinemas across Aotearoa on 3 Sept. Support local filmmaking and support the cinemas by finding a screening near you.

Last but not least is the new dramedy series Settling, directed by Ghazaleh Gol (DEGANZ), and starring Pax Assadi and Hannah Marshall, with narration from The Office‘s Rainn Wilson. Plenty of laughs to be had as estranged best mates reconnect and reinstate a pact they made to marry each other if they’re still single by 35.

Check them out below!

SupportHER Line

Advertising Campaign

Director: Liv McClymont

The 2degrees SupportHER Club is part of our commitment to Fighting for Fair for women and girls in sport at every level. Research shows that sideline support is a key factor in keeping girls playing, so 2degrees has created the SupportHER Line to help fans recognise the line between sideline support that uplifts and behaviour that unintentionally pushes girls out of their game.

 

LOMU

Feature Documentary

Directors: Vea Mafile’o and Gavin Fitzgerald

LOMU is a complex and nuanced portrait of Jonah Lomu, the most adored son of the Pacific, a legendary All Black, who transcended the game with his immense power and unstoppable determination. More than a sports biography, this documentary is a Pasifika story of identity, faith, collective responsibility and vulnerability behind legend. Jonah Lomu emerges not only as a revolutionary athlete, but as a deeply human figure whose legacy reshaped rugby, expanded representation, and changed who the game belongs to forever.

In NZ cinemas 3 September. Find a screening near you via MadMan.

 

Settling

Comedy Series

Director: Ghazaleh Gol

Two disillusioned 30-somethings carry out their teenage pact – a platonic marriage – to satisfy family and societal expectations.

Available to watch on ThreeNow, with new episodes dropping every Thursday.

 

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Saville Selected for Prestigious TIFF Programme

Congratulations to DEGANZ member Matthew Saville for being selected to the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) inaugural International Financing & Project Market!

Matthew is attending the programme alongside producer Angela Littlejohn with The Frogman, a psychological dramedy and the only film from Aotearoa to be selected.

The prestigious programme acts as an engine to accelerate finance and find co-production collaborators, allowing participants to gain exposure across the A-List festival, access networking, and become eligible for awards.

TIFF is one of the largest and most prestigious film festivals in the world. Taking place in September of every year, the festival is Academy Award and BAFTA-qualifying, with many of its selected films going on to receive nominations and wins at other major festivals and awards.

Best of luck with the programme, and we look forward to seeing more as the film continues to develop.

 

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That’s the Spirit! Osman’s ‘Arrival’ Wins at NZIFF

DEGANZ Member Ahmed Osman’s short film, Arrival, has won the 2026 Spirit of the Civic Award at NZIFF. Along with the accolade, Ahmed will receive a $4,000 cash prize.

Filmed in part at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre, the film follows a mother and daughter as they settle into their life in Aotearoa as refugees. Exploring the struggles of leaving an entire life behind, Ahmed draws on his own personal experiences as a refugee to tell this authentic story. The film provides powerful insight into the realities of resettlement and refugee resilience.

Staff at the Resettlement Centre found the film to be extremely resonant. Residential Team Leader Ko Parsons claimed that Ahmed truly captured refugees’ experiences and created an extremely emotional film.

Chosen as one of the 14 finalists from a total of 130 films submitted for NZIFF’s Aotearoa’s Best Shorts Programme, Arrival has also been selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). Ahmed is currently in Melbourne participating in the MIFF Accelerator Lab to showcase the film and connect with international filmmaking networks and opportunities.

Congratulations to Ahmed and all those involved in the making of the film!

 

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