Tag Archive for: DEGANZ Member

Promotion of Member’s Films

As a Guild, we fully appreciate the mahi and dedication that goes into creating screen content. As such, we celebrate the efforts of all of our members when they release their work. We appreciate that some work is controversial – particularly in the documentary genre – and It should be noted that acknowledging its release does not necessarily mean that DEGANZ endorses the content or message of the work. We congratulate those who have released content this year and we wish all of our members the best in completing their projects – we know it’s tough out there! Please contact DEGANZ if you need help or advice.
E te tī, e te tā nei rā te mihi manahou ki a tātou ngā mema o DEGANZ.
Ko tātou ngā kaitiaki, e haere tonu ana i ngā mahi o rātou mā, kia eke ngā kaitohu me ngā kaiwāwahi ahua o Aotearoa ki ngā taumata e hiahia ana.
Tūwhita te hopo, marangitia te angitū.
Ngā mihi,

The DEGANZ Board.

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‘Still Here’ at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards

The Voyager Media Awards has announced the 2023 winners with Still Here taking home the Best Video Documentary Series title. Congratulations to DEGANZ members Josh Yong and Frangipani Foulks who are credited as editor and assistant editor respectively. Josh was also the series’ associate producer.

Still Here tells stories of Pasifika communities residing in Auckland’s Ponsonby, Herne Bay, and Grey Lynn suburbs. The four-episode documentary series captures the families’ lifestyles that keep their traditions alive. By remaining in their family houses, they fight rampant gentrification daily. In each episode, the intergenerational community stories debunk the myth that ‘all the islanders have left.’ They are still here and visible.

As the judges of the awards said,

These intimate portraits (of the locals) are a rich intersection of the past and present that conveys with nuance what it means to be Pacifica in New Zealand.

The Voyager Media Awards acknowledges the best of New Zealand’s journalism. The awards, formally known as the Qantas Press Awards and the Canon Media Awards, aim to celebrate the work of journalists, reporters, feature writers, columnists, cartoonists, reviewers, photographers and video journalists.

All four episodes are out now on TVNZ+.

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Feast Your Eyes on DEGANZ Members at Vision Feast 2023

DEGANZ members Sophie Black, James Fink-Jensen, Eva Fulco, and Brian Gill have been nominated at this year’s Vision Feast 2023. 

Vision Feast is an annual short film and music video festival that acknowledges filmmakers with a creative passion, technical skills, and what they call a ‘stroke of madness’. The festival accepts both domestic and international submissions. This year’s international entries are from the USA, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Canada, and Europe.

Vision Feast nominated Sophie’s project Believing is Seeing in two categories – Best Aotearoa Project and Best Documentary. The short film features Dr Robert Bartholomew who debunks myths about ‘psychogenic illness’, a stress response caused by social media. 

Strangers, a short directed by James, is nominated for the Emerging NZ Filmmaking Talent. The film explores the struggles of a young and awkward journalist to make a lasting impression on a first date. Despite hopes of a romantic cafe date, it unavoidably all goes wrong. From the unconfident protagonist to the impatient waitress, all the characters undergo an emotional roller coaster ride in just 5 minutes.

Brian’s short film Solitaire and Eva’s Buona Notte, Mio Amore are in the Best New Zealand Student Work category. Solitaire is about a lonely security guard who plays a card game only to witness the cards come alive to keep him company. Meanwhile, Buona Notte, Mio Amore explores a romance during World War II.

You can grab seats for the festival’s evening screening at Academy Cinemas in Auckland now. Congrats to the selected filmmakers!

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DocEdge Superhero Annie Goldson

DEGANZ member Annie Goldson has been chosen as this year’s Doc Edge ‘Superhero’. The ‘Documentary Superhero’ is a yearly title honouring those who contributed significantly to the industry. 

Festival director Alex Lee comments that the ‘superhero’ inspires others in the industry and works hard to achieve excellence. He adds, “Annie’s work is exemplary in its authenticity and humanity and shows New Zealand filmmakers the way to tell and the importance of universal storytelling. They are called not by the fame or the fortune but rather are driven by the necessity to bring these stories to the world.”

Annie directed over 12 films and is best known for Punitive Damage, Georgie Girl, Brother Number One, Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web, and A Mild Touch of Cancer. Her latest film Red Mole: A Romance is in post-production. 

In her interview with the University of Auckland, Annie discussed how honoured she feels and what to look out for in the festival. When asked about her film recommendations from this year’s programme, she mentioned her teaching career at the University. She says the festival is so broad and rich that some would be perfect for teaching in her courses.

She made her selection of both national and international films:

Congratulations, Annie!

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‘The Polycees’ on the Loose in LA Dances With Films Festival

Congratulations to DEGANZ Board member, Celia Jaspers, for her new fantastical adventure short selected to screen at the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles! Directed, written, and produced by Celia, The Polycees was chosen as one of the 250 finalists. 

The family-friendly short takes you on a wild ride through parliament, unearthing a secret government below Aotearoa’s iconic Beehive. It’s up to Lee, the prime minister’s daughter, and Spoo, a cheeky puppet creature, to keep the secret of the bustling network of The Polycees under wraps. Full of puppet mischief, sudden villain plot twists, and gentle satire, there is something for the whole family.

Image Credits: IMDb

As part of the Dances With Films festival, The Polycees will screen at the TCL Chinese Theatres in June this year. The festival highlights independent filmmakers and screens a wide range of feature films, documentaries, shorts, and animations. It is exciting to see a Kiwi children’s film included in the mix!

Don’t keep it a secret, and support The Polycees.

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