Kia ora and welcome to all of you joining us at Doc Edge Industry, including the Doc Edge Pitch and Doc Edge Forum. It’s been 20 years since we first launched Doc Edge, and over these two decades, our journey to support the documentary industry has been nothing short of remarkable. For those of you who have been part of this journey, we extend our heartfelt thanks.
“千里之行，始于足下.” “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
We are deeply honoured to have Ruby Chen with us today—our esteemed Doc Edge Superhero. Ruby’s groundbreaking work in the documentary world has inspired countless filmmakers, and we are privileged to have her here to share in this exciting event. Her passion and commitment reflect the very principles we hold dear.
“E leai se toa i le tama, ae i le tama’ita’i.” “There is no warrior like a woman.”
As the Asia-Pacific Centre for Documentary, Doc Edge is proud to serve as a home for documentary practitioners across our region. This space is vital for us to connect, support one another, upskill, and create opportunities for collaboration. At a time when securing funding and exhibition opportunities for documentaries is increasingly challenging, the need for independent, authentic storytelling is more important than ever. Documentaries play a pivotal role in countering disinformation, malice, and hate, while shedding light on the critical issues of our time.
As you sit in this space, we encourage you to explore the carefully curated sessions and listen to the exciting new projects being presented. Take this opportunity to meet your fellow attendees, engage in conversation, and build enduring friendships.
I leave you with a whakatauki that embodies the power of community and shared learning:
“Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.” “With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.”
This whakatauki reminds us of the strength we gain when we share knowledge and resources with one another. We are deeply grateful for your presence, and we look forward to the connections, ideas, and opportunities that will emerge from this gathering.
Enjoy Doc Edge Industry 2025. You are all part of the Doc Edge whānau, and particularly the kaitiaki (guardians) of documentary. Thank you for your tireless advocacy and commitment to the art of documentary.
Vive le documentaire! Here’s to the next decade.
Alex Lee and Dan Shanan Doc Edge Directors
ALIEN NATION – A BURIED HISTORY
SYNOPSIS: Time for another narrative. Our whānau stories have been buried too long. Alien Nation is about the infamous history behind New Zealand’s infamous Poll Tax –increased to £100 per head, with only one Chinese immigrant allowed for every 200 tons of cargo (1881 – 1944).
Chinese New Zealanders make up around 6% of our population. Thousands of us are Poll Tax descendants, including three of the team behind the making this documentary.
“Under this system, every Chinese person entering New Zealand was required to pay a tax. The Poll Tax was finally repealed in 1944.”
Dramatic re-enactments, historical archive and interviews will bring to life some firsthand accounts from ancestors who paid the Poll Tax. Our ancestors suffered during an infamous period of New Zealand’s history where white supremacy was promoted.
Community leaders, descendants and advocates like Kirsten Wong, whose grandfather emigrated to Wellington in 1895 – share their stories. A ‘curriculum champion’ in an advisory group to the Ministry of Education, Kirsten’s helping to change our history curriculum.
“We bring up this history, not just because we want our presence and belonging in Aotearoa to be recognised and seen, but also because we want it to make a difference
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: Concept/In Development
LOGLINE: It was only one word, but it represented a milestone in New Zealand’s ethnic relations. That word was ‘sorry.’
to people today… all of us hope that the curriculum will lead to greater social equity, greater social justice.”
Lobbying brought about the Poll Tax Apology from the Labour Government in 2002 and created the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust.
“It was only one word, but it represented a milestone in New Zealand’s ethnic relations. That word was ‘sorry.’”
Alien Nation – A Buried History will be filmed and produced by the award-winning team behind Tawera Productions and the acclaimed web series Farewell Guangdong – Whānau Stories of Love, Humility and Sacrifice currently screening on RNZ.
BUDGET (NZD): $650,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): $10,000.00 (The Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust) for early development research and writing of shooting script.
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $640,000
LYNDA CHANWAI-EARLE
eurasian@xtra.co.nz | Director/Writer
Lynda Chanwai-Earle (Ngāti Haina, Ngāti Pākehā) has a background in public broadcasting (TVNZ, RNZ) and scriptwriting. Lynda’s award-winning plays have toured festivals here and abroad. Her feature screenplay Little Dragon was the first from NZ to be pitched for co-production at the Shanghai Film Festival, 2009. Lynda was 2019 Writer in Residence at the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML), Victoria University of Wellington. Lynda is writing the hybrid feature documentary Memory of Longing with Kim Webby. Lynda directed the documentary series Farewell Guangdong –Whānau stories of love, humility and sacrifice with Tawata Productions – screening on RNZ, funded by NZonAir.
PETER LEE
peter@stillsandmotion.co.nz | Editor
Peter is Lily Lee’s son and an award-winning editor. with over 20 years industry experience, born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, his upbringing was informed and enriched by his Chinese and Māori heritage. In 2024 Peter edited Ruamata: It’s More Than Hockey –Mairanga Media / RNZ winning Best Sports Programme at the 2024 New Zealand Television Awards – Ngā Taonga Whakaata O Aotearoa (NZTVA).
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://vimeo.com/1095514722?share=copy#t=0
VIDEO PASSWORD: ALIENNATION
TAWERA PRODUCTIONS PROJECTS:
TOBY MILLS taweraproductions@gmail.com | Producer
Toby Mills: Ko Weraiti te maunga Ko Waihou te awa Ko Ngati Hinerangi te iwi Ko Ngati Tawhaki te hapu Ko Tainui te waka. Toby has worked extensively in the film and television industry over a period of 25 years with some 30 mainstream documentaries to his credit as well as numerous series and other film projects. Many have screened at international film festivals in Australia, USA, Canada, England, Turkey, Germany, Sweden, Russia and Finland.
Toby’s documentary Mana Moana Mana Tangata has its World Premiere in the Doc Edge Festival 2025.
LILY LEE lily@rautaki.co.nz | Researcher
Lily Lee: After a career in education Lily coauthored Sons of the Soil: Chinese Market Gardeners in New Zealand in 2012 and Farewell Guangdong: Refugee Wives and Children Arrive in Aotearoa New Zealand, 1939 – 1941. Lily is our research consultant and contributing writer for the shooting script Alien Nation – A Buried History which will draw from some whānau that are researched within her extensive publications.
Mana Moana Mana Tangata – World Premiere, Doc Edge Festival 2025
A gripping film chronicling Māori in a defiant struggle against systemic racism and colonial injustice to reclaim their fishing rights. Through resilience and legal strategy, they secured their place in the industry, marking a landmark victory for Indigenous sovereignty. Thirty years later, the fight for equity and environmental stewardship continues.
Farewell Guangdong – Whānau stories of love, humility and sacrifice – Tawera Productions / RNZ / NZonAir. Release Jan 2025. Whetū Mārama / Bright Star. Doco Feature on Navigation and Hek Busby. Release 2022.
Moana Jackson. Portrait of a Quiet Revolutionary. Release May 2022.
LAST MAN STANDING
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Last Man Standing is a feature length documentary that highlights the legacy of Athlete, Entrepreneur and Politician: Les Mills. We are granted a rare window into not only the highlights of his 3 successful careers, but also the inner workings of his own personal hero’s journey and what drove him to rise to the top of each of his chosen fields. From rubbing shoulders with World Leaders and Movie Stars to evading deadly terrorists at the Munich Olympics, Les has an incredibly rich and colourful story to tell. At 90 years of age, many of his close friends and colleagues have already passed on, so he is the ‘Last Man Standing’.
SYNOPSIS: Last Man Standing is a feature length documentary that highlights the lasting legacy of Athlete, Entrepreneur and Politician: Les Mills. We begin by exploring Les’s childhood experience — his family dynamics, English heritage, and unique challenges at home and in school that developed an iron mindset to take on the world of sport, ultimately becoming a four time Olympic athlete, NZ Chef de Mission, and Coach. Right from the outset, Les approached life with an entrepreneurial mindset, always looking for an opportunity to make some money, whether it was investing in property, commodities, the stock market, or fine art, he was always ready to risk it big to make it big. Starting out with a chain of home appliance and shoe shops, he eventually pioneered New Zealand’s
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature
Documentary
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: Principal
Photography
LOGLINE: Ninety-year-old Les Mills looks back on the highlights of his life and career and reflects on what drove him to become the ‘Last Man Standing’ in business, politics, and sport.
biggest gym chain. His son Phillip took over as he came of age, and took this concept to an entirely new level. Being an alpha male, and the head of New Zealand’s ‘outstanding family’ of Athletics, leadership and the ability to motivate came naturally to Les. So it was a no brainer when faced with the opportunity to run for mayor of Auckland in 1990. He had the head, the heart, and the experience to get Auckland firing on all cylinders. He pioneered the Sky Tower project, The Britomart, and got Auckland out of debt. Les has an incredibly colourful story to tell. At 90 years of age, many of his close friends and colleagues have already passed on, so he is the ‘last man standing’. We see another side of the titan, who is enjoying his final years at his family fortress in Point Chevalier, Auckland. Les takes care of the animals around him, listens to the music soundtrack of his life, and revisits the old training grounds that shaped him into one of New Zealand’s most iconic athletes.
BUDGET (NZD): $212,282
CONFIRMED SUPPORT: Grant from The Mills Foundation
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $100,000
MCARTNEY
With over 20 years of experience in the film industry, Gabriel McArtney is a seasoned and multifaceted filmmaker. He brings a deep understanding of the entire production pipeline and a proven ability to adapt across a wide range of roles and environments. Now focusing primarily on documentary filmmaking, Gabriel is dedicated to crafting authentic and compelling stories that resonate with real-world impact.
LIVE AND LET DIE
SHORT SYNOPSIS: When Aubrey Welsh chooses to die before illness can claim his independence, two filmmakers begin documenting his final weeks - only to be drawn into a complex moral dilemma. Is this truly his choice, or a quiet cry for help? Does their presence support his autonomy - or influence the outcome?
Then, after giving away his possessions and life savings, well-meaning friends and family intervene, prompting Aubrey to reconsider. As he searches for resolution, the filmmakers launch an investigation into assisted dying, autonomy, and society’s fraught relationship with mortality - seeking insight not only into Aubrey’s fate, but into the meaning of death itself.
SYNOPSIS: At 70, Aubrey Welsh decides to end his life on his own terms—healthy, lucid, and before decline robs him of agency. He prepares for death through a legal end-of-life program, whilst filmmakers Kylie Cushman and Dan Hartley document his journey. Through candid interviews and intimate observational moments, they capture Aubrey’s fascinating life story—but also wrestle with unease. Is this truly his choice, or a quiet cry for help? Does their presence make them complicit in the outcome?
Aubrey appears resolute. But with mounting pressure from family and friends, Aubrey considers abandoning his plans - just as life
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature Documentary
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Production
LOGLINE: After choosing to die, a man’s journey takes an unexpected turn - prompting the filmmakers documenting his story to search for meaning in life and death.
delivers a devastating blow. And so begins a year-long exploration into the landscape of assisted dying, as the filmmaking team explores the ethics and lived experiences behind one of the most urgent moral questions of our time. They encounter stories of courage and suffering, dogma and defiance.
They sip tea at death cafés, attend their own living funerals, shuffle a “death deck” of provocative questions and sit with those who have chosen assisted dying as well as those who helped them die. Along the way, they engage with thinkers who ask: could the right to die be the final, most meaningful act of living? Finally they return to Aubrey who has reached his final end-of-life decision.
Far from a bleak meditation, the film is suffused with Aubrey’s wit, the compassion of those around him, and the filmmakers’ sensitive exploration - forming a profound reflection on mortality, autonomy, and what it truly means to live - or to die - on your own terms.
BUDGET (NZD): $400,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT: None yet
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $400,000
kycushman@hotmail.co.uk | Co-Director
Kylie Cushman is a New Zealand-based filmmaker whose journey into documentary filmmaking is rooted in two decades of work as an actor and presenter. She studied documentary directing in London and has a passion for telling human-centered stories. Her debut short For the Love of Dog travelled the festival circuit globally. In 2023, her personal project Killing Brigitte Nielsen won the DOK Leipzig Accelerator Award. A Completed Life is her first feature-length co-directing project.
DAN HARTLEY dan@roguerunner.com | Co-Director
Dan Hartley is a UK-based filmmaker with a career spanning studio films, independent features, and premium documentaries. His feature Lad: A Yorkshire Story became a sleeper hit during the pandemic, and his recent HBO/Sky documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived received widespread critical acclaim and award nominations. Dan brings cinematic craft and sensitivity to emotionally challenging narratives.
VIDEO SIZZLE - URL: https://vimeo.com/1068537653/77356a2950
CELEBRATING
20 YEARS OF DOC EDGE
A proud partnership with Grand Millenium Auckland
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Guests can enjoy a wide range of premium amenities, including ample on-site parking spaces, an exclusive adults-only Club Lounge, an indoor pool and outdoor deck, a fully equipped business service centre, electric vehicle charging stations, and unlimited Wi-Fi.
Explore the culinary delights within our Grand Dining Precinct, home to renowned restaurants Katsura, Ember, The Aviary, and Dans Le Noir, led by Executive Chef James Kenny, who brings his passion for seasonal produce to every dish.
The Les Clefs d’Or Concierge Team is at your service to offer personalised recommendations and assist with booking local events and activities, ensuring your stay is seamless and memorable.
Located just 30–45 minutes from Auckland Airport by taxi, with convenient public transport links and an on-site taxi rank, the hotel provides unmatched accessibility.
Whether you’re visiting for business or pleasure, Grand Millennium Auckland promises an unforgettable experience filled with grand comfort, breathtaking views, and exceptional service.
OUR FORGOTTEN HOME
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature Documentary
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Pre-Production
LOGLINE: Peter, a Chinese-Māori father, moves his reluctant wife and preschool daughter to China to rebuild the derelict house of his ancestors, striving to restore his Chinese identity.
SHORT SYNOPSIS: While Peter is strongly connected to his Māori roots he feels disconnected from his Chinese heritage. He struggles with his identity, especially as a new father wanting to guide his daughter. To bridge the gap, he must convince his wife to leave their life in New Zealand and move to his grandparents’ long-abandoned home in Gum Kei, China. Facing culture shock, a challenging rebuild, and marital strain, Peter searches for his sense of belonging. This heartfelt story will inspire anyone of mixed heritage to explore and embrace their own identity.
SYNOPSIS: Tūrangawaewae - ‘a place to stand’. Places where one feels especially empowered and connected.
While his ties to Māori are strong, Peter feels a sense of shame that he does not speak Cantonese and doesn’t feel “Chinese”. Now a father, there is an urgency to address the gaps in Peter’s identity so he can guide his daughter as she navigates her place in the world.
Peter’s journey begins with the need to convince his wife, Sou Muy, to move their young family away from her career and their life in Auckland, New Zealand. Waiting for them in China is his grandparents’ home which has been left vacant for 85 years, in the village of Gum Kei, Zhongshan.
The stakes are high. He will face all the challenges of the rebuild; day to day living in culture shock with no safety net; and the strength of his marriage will be put to the
test. There is no guarantee that Peter will feel any more Chinese or find his tūrangawaewae. In witnessing the risks and sacrifices Peter makes for his family, Viewers will find inspiration for their own cultural exploration. This is a love letter to everyone of mixed heritage.
BUDGET (NZD): $500,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): $20,000
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $480,000
PETER LEE peter@stillsandmotion.co.nz | Lead Filmmaker
Over the years Peter has helped bring many important local stories to the screen mainly as an editor but also as a camera op, writer and director. He has a passion for stories that celebrate people, language and culture. In particular he has focused on Māori and local Chinese stories reflecting his whakapapa and cultural upbringing. Peter’s strengths as a storyteller lie in his empathy and understanding of the human condition.
As a New Zealand-born Chinese creative, Megan has navigated the balance between embracing a proud Kiwi identity and honoring her Chinese heritage while forging a career in the creative industries. She began her career as a motion graphics artist in local actuality TV and spent a decade running a successful photography business. In 2022, Megan returned to the screen sector as General Manager of the Pan-Asian.
Screen Collective, advocating for greater representation and opportunities for PanAsian creatives in New Zealand’s film and television industry. Peter’s struggle to redefine his connection to his Chinese heritage, for both himself and his daughter, resonates with Megan and her own experiences with being NZ Chinese. As such she is compelled to supporting Peter on his journey and telling his story.
JULIE ZHU
julie.zhuu@gmail.com | Director
Born in Xi’an, China and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Julie Zhu is a photographer, filmmaker, and storyteller committed to championing marginalised voices and stories. She has created both scripted and documentary content for a range of platforms including Whakaata Māori, The Spinoff, TVNZ OnDemand, and RNZ.
Julie co-directs and co-hosts the podcast and docu-series Conversations With My Immigrant Parents for RNZ. She directed the observational documentary series Takeout Kids for The Spinoff (winning Best Director at NZ Web Fest), and was one of the directors on anthology feature film Kāinga. Her short film Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le won her Best Director and Best NZ Film at Show Me Shorts 2023.
KAREN LEE WORKMAN
karen@goldthreadpictures.com
Co-producer
Born in Taupō, Karen has played roles in film production, education, mentorship and career strategy. She has collaborated on independent film projects and has served as a judge at various film festivals, and has spearheaded the development of curriculum for a high school film program. Karen also has experience as a commercial actor and as a talent advisor with a Hollywood management company. With 11 years of experience working with industry professionals, actors and their parents in Hollywood, she understands the entertainment landscape and is passionate about fostering creative, impactful film projects that nurture new voices. Karen’s ancestors arrived in Aotearoa in 1886, establishing themselves as businessmen in various communities around the country. As a NZ born Chinese, Karen’s involvement in Our Forgotten Home is as much for the film as it is to see and support the journey of Peter to find his belonging.
TRAVIS BEARD notbeforetwelve@gmail.com | Camera Operator
Travis is a multi-directional artist whose projects traverse music, film and social advocacy. Travis’ debut feature documentary, ROCKABUL, focused on the music scene in Afghanistan told through the perspective of the Afghan band, District Unknown, and had its World Premiere at the prestigious Rotterdam International Film Festival 2018. He is currently completing his third feature documentary about his 11-day visit to North Korea.
Travis’ wife, Amy, is Peter’s cousin and keen to support the rebuild. He desires to support his partner visiting China, he wishes for his daughter to experience Chinese culture, and his understanding of Peter Lee’s vision for the film. He believes his presence and perspective as the only European crew member will allow him to capture subtle yet powerful moments while maintaining a respectful distance.
PUBLIC NUISANCE: SMITH V THE POLLUTERS
SYNOPSIS: Our film will follow a high-profile court case, Smith v Fonterra & Ors beginning in mid- 2027 in Auckland’s High Court. Mike Smith (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu), is suing Fonterra Co-op, Z Energy, Contact Energy, BT Mining, NZ Steel and Dairy Holdings for the environmental damage their greenhouse emissions are causing. Smith’s crack legal team have retooled a 14th C English law, a ‘public nuisance’ tort, setting legal precedent internationally. In another ‘world first’, Smith brings his case as Kaitiaki, guardian of all living things, under the principles of Māori customary law. Our coverage of the court case will form a compelling narrative spine to the documentary into which we will insert rich and emotional observational sequences, interviews, and archives.
BUDGET (NZD): $876,384
CONFIRMED SUPPORT: Early Development Grant, NZFC $25,000; Research Development Fund, University of Auckland $20,000
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature Documentary
DURATION: 90 - 100 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Development/Pre-production
LOGLINE: To safeguard the future, Māori activist Mike Smith is using an old British law for a new purpose - to take civil action against Aotearoa’s most prominent corporate polluters.
Annie Goldson, PhD is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and academic. Several of her most successful films deal with the justice system, including Brother Number One, Punitive Damage and Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web. Her most recent films are A Mild Touch of Cancer (NEON, 2021), ‘Red Mole: A Romance’ (SKY ARTS, 2023) and Refuge: A Duty to Care (TVNZ+, 2024). She is a Professor at the University of Auckland | Waipapa Taumata Rau, received an ONZM for services to film, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of NZ | Te Āparangi, from whom she received the Aronui Medal for Excellence in the Humanities.
KAREN SIDNEY
thescriptlounge@gmail.com
Producer/Director
Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Kahungūnu, Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Pākeha Karen is a producer and screenwriter specialising in Māori and indigenous screen. Her titles include writing the awardwinning Kahu and Maia and writing an episode and co-producing the Aroha drama series for Whakaata Māori. Her documentaries include producing A Whale’s Tale and Ta Moko: Art of Life. Sidney received the 2023 WIFT Mana Wahine Award along with several writing awards and has been active in film industry bodies, such as Māori Screen rep body Te Manu Aute/Ngā Aho Whakaari. Sidney lives in Kaipara Northland, has lectured in filmmaking at North Tec and was Creative Manager at Creative Northland.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://vimeo.com/1011504534/40a2b0b348?ts=91483&share=copy
RATSO: AGAINST THE TIDE
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Ratso: Against the Tide is a gritty, inspiring journey of New Zealand’s surf legend, Ian “Ratso” Buchanan. From small-town Aotearoa to the global stage of the hedonistic 1980s pro surf tour, Ratso’s story is one of passion, transformation, and defying the odds. After losing it all, he made a stunning comeback—rising from the ashes to claim a world title in his 50s. A life defined by ocean, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of the perfect wave.
SYNOPSIS: Ratso: Against the Tide is a captivating documentary that delves into the life and career of one of New Zealand’s most influential surf icons. Known for his relentless drive and dedication to the sport, Ian ‘Ratso’ Buchanan helped shape the surf culture of Aotearoa through his surfing, surfboard shaping, and mentoring.
The documentary charts Ratso’s early days riding waves in the 70s, his emergence on the international pro circuit in the indulgent 80s, and his reputation as one of New Zealand’s finest surfboard shapers. But Ratso’s journey took a sharp turn when he lost his business and marriage—forcing him to rediscover purpose and identity. Through judging international surf competitions, Ratso rebuilt his life, culminating in a surprise world title win in his 50s that shook the surfing world.
Told through interviews with friends, family, pro surfers, and fellow judges, the film paints
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: Concept/In Development
LOGLINE: Fueled by an unshakable love for the ocean, Ratso’s journey—from the bottom of the world to a world title—proves that passion, resilience, and perseverance can conquer all.
a portrait of a man whose passion for the ocean never wavered—and whose comeback proved that it’s never too late to ride your greatest wave. Stories of Love, Humility and Sacrifice currently screening on RNZ.
BUDGET (NZD): $300,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT: None yet
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): TBC
KENT BELCHER kentbelcher.1@gmail.com | Director
Kent Belcher is an accomplished cinematographer, photographer, and director with a passion for visually compelling storytelling. His latest feature-length documentary Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara. It premiered at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival and has also screened at Sydney, SXSW, and the New Zealand International Film Festival. With a strong background in both commercial and documentary filmmaking, Kent’s work is defined by its immersive visuals and human-centered narratives.
As a filmmaker, Kent has a deep appreciation for stories of resilience and reinvention— making Ratso: Against the Tide a perfect fit for his lens. His experience behind the camera, coupled with a keen eye for emotion and authenticity, ensures that Ratso’s journey will be captured with the depth and respect it deserves.
TAUPO THE THIRTEENTH
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Each summer, a group of middle-aged men gathers for the Taupo Amateurs golf tournament—an absurd, evolving event born from friendship and the desire to escape daily life. What began with six mates has ballooned into a 60-person spectacle, complete with a chaotic rulebook and emotionally charged rivalries. Taupo the Thirteenth explores the significance of this grassroots tradition and the emotional space it carves out for male connection, reflection, and release.
SYNOPSIS: Taupo the Thirteenth is a warm and humorous documentary about male friendship, middle age, and the need to occasionally escape from everyday life. Each year, a group of men reunites in Taupō for their self-styled amateur golf tournament—a hybrid of sport, satire, and soul-searching.
The Taupo Amateurs began as a small, informal competition. But over 13 years, the tournament has developed into an elaborate ritual, complete with its own eccentric rulebook and unpredictable structure. The documentary will follow the 13th edition of the event, spotlighting key participants and the long-time organiser whose passion has helped shape the experience.
Through interviews, vérité footage, and moments of reflection, Taupo the Thirteenth delves into why this tournament matters: as a moment of retreat, a release valve, and a reminder of youth. For the 60 men who
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 50 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: Concept/In Development
LOGLINE: A group of men in their 40s escape their wives and lives to compete in a bizarre golf tournament, chasing sporting dreams and deepening their friendships.
attend, it’s not just about golf—it’s about connection, expression, and mental well-being.
Funny, poignant, and quietly profound, this documentary reminds us that shared traditions—no matter how strange—can carry deep emotional value and offer meaningful spaces for men to talk, bond, and play. web series.
BUDGET (NZD): TBC
CONFIRMED SUPPORT: None yet
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): TBC
Ben Howard is a filmmaker based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. A 2020 graduate of South Seas Film & Television School, Ben blends visual artistry and technical precision with a love for character-driven stories. His background in skateboarding, music, and travel informs his work as both a director and aerial cinematographer. With credits across documentary and TV, Ben thrives in collaborative environments and brings a grassroots sensibility to Taupo the Thirteen and Down for Love.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://vimeo.com/1063990623
VIDEO PASSWORD: 2026
DAN GRAHAM dgraham.media@gmail.com
Dan Graham is a post-production specialist with a background in hydrographic surveying. After retraining at South Seas Film & Television School, he transitioned into television editing and visual storytelling. His experience includes commercial editing, motion graphics, and storytelling for broadcast and digital platforms. Dan’s editorial instincts and comedic timing are a perfect fit for the tone and rhythm of Taupo the Thirteenth.
THE FASHIONABLE FARMER
SHORT SYNOPSIS: This documentary tells the beguiling story of sheep-farmer-comefashion-entrepreneur Eden Hore and his extraordinary collection of gowns and garments. Who was this man? What drove him to collect one-off, designer garments? And what can his collection tell us about the country and the era it came from?
SYNOPSIS: In the 1970s in the heart of the rural South Island of New Zealand, a highcountry sheep farmer with an unusual passion for haute couture, commissioned and collected an astonishing assortment of bespoke gowns and glamorous garments. Eden Hore’s remarkable collection now offers an unparalleled window into two decades of the NZ fashion industry and the society from which it sprang.
But who was this man? What drove him to collect one-off, designer garments? And what can his collection tell us about the country and the era it came from?
This documentary tells the strange, beguiling story of sheep-farmer-comefashion-entrepreneur Eden Hore and his extraordinary collection of gowns and garments.
In the tradition of films such as Finding Vivian Maier (2013) and Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict (2015), this documentary explores the enigma that was one person with an extraordinary eye for fabulous things – a shy
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature Documentary
DURATION: 70 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Development
LOGLINE: The beguiling story of a farmer and his passion for flamboyant fashion.
farmer and lover of flamboyant fashion; an animal whisperer; a pragmatic but sensitive man, alive to the subtleties of good design. It weaves together the threads of Eden’s life – a country boy who went to war, returned from battle, became a successful farmer and turned into an impresario. It explores the roots of Eden’s collecting from his fascination with the transformation of natural materials to his forays into the beauty queen industry.
But like all good mysteries, Eden’s story is about more than Eden. His collection reflects wider cultural and social narratives, from the birth of a local fashion industry that reflected the rise of New Zealand’s national identity post-WWII to the changing fortunes of natural fibre production and the rise of feminism worldwide.
Interweaving purpose-shot cinematography and rich archive with a soundtrack that transports viewers to 1970s and 80s, this film provides a unique window into a unique man and the rapidly changing world in which he lived – a singular man, borne of a singular place, captured in a moment in time.
BUDGET (NZD): $590,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): $50,000
rebecca@minervaproductions.co.nz
Director/Producer
Rebecca is an award-winning independent filmmaker working across documentary, drama and live performance. Her films have been selected for film festivals around the world and gone on to screen on international broadcasters and streaming platforms.
Rebecca’s current projects include a feature documentary about Samoan tenor Pene Pati and his brother Amitai, a co-production with ZDF / Arte to be distributed globally by Mercury Studios.
Rebecca’s previous feature documentaries, Crossing Rachmaninoff and The Heart Dances, have screened on Netflix and Disney Plus, and HBO respectively. Her film of a live opera, Semele, won Best Entertainment Programme at the 2022 NZTV Awards and her second opera film, The Strangest of Angels was awarded the Special Mention for Extraordinary Artistic Achievement at the Golden Prague International Television Festival in 2023.
Rebecca has an MA (Hons) and a Diploma in Broadcast Communication from the University of Auckland and a Graduate Diploma in Media Law from the University of Otago.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://vimeo.com/1092709359/718aa855fd
Sue Marshall is a Producer currently living and working in Otago, New Zealand. With a photography background she began creating scientific and cultural documentaries at James Cook University, North Queensland.
As cinematographer and producer at JCU for nine years, her productions included a wide variety of subjects including indigenous activism, underwater coral spawning, giant clam breeding, diverse rainforest flora and fauna, and Torres Strait Island culture, as well as JCU promotional material.
Photography and film have always been a first love. After initially gaining a BFA, majoring in photography, Sue later completed a Diploma of Digital Film at Southern Institute of Technology. Several fine art exhibitions have included her photographic work including COCA and The Forrester Gallery. Sue’s first feature documentary , Deal’n with the Devil, premiered at Doc Edge 2017.
THE WHITE THING TO DO
SHORT SYNOPSIS: After finding out they carry Nigerian DNA, two Kiwi sisters uncover a horrific family history as enslavers in Jamaica. Aidee Walker and her older sister Kate Thomas give a live-streamed apology to acknowledge their Scottish ancestor’s crimes against humanity—the first family to ever do so in Jamaica. But their act sparks controversy: demands for reparations, accusations of white saviourism, and pushback from their own family. Through their quirky-dysfunctional relationship, the film explores weighty themes of slavery, colonisation, and reconciliation with humour and heart.
SYNOPSIS: The White Thing to Do is a confronting yet heartfelt documentary that follows two sisters—Aidee Walker and Kate Thomas—as they grapple with the shocking discovery of their ancestors’ role as enslavers in 18th- and 19th-century Jamaica. Upon learning they share Nigerian DNA, the sisters make the unprecedented decision to travel to Jamaica to publicly apologise. They are the first descendants of slave-owning families to offer such an apology on Jamaican soil.
Initially met with resistance from their own family, the sisters soon find themselves at the centre of a global debate when their apology goes viral. They are challenged on the sincerity, impact, and implications of their gesture. As demands for reparations roll in and strangers demand proof of descent, they
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: Concept/In Development
LOGLINE: Two Kiwi sisters travel to Jamaica to apologise for their ancestors’ involvement in the slave trade, but soon discover their apology sparks the beginning of a great debate—between them, their family, and the rest of the world.
begin to question their place in the discourse. A surprising connection to Bob Marley adds another layer to their journey, while conversations with Jamaican communities and experts offer nuance and context.
From their preparation in Aotearoa to being ghosted by extended family and facing scrutiny from all sides, the film explores whether a personal apology can ripple into national or even global healing—and whether two ordinary women can change anything at all.
BUDGET (NZD): $900,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT: TBC
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $335,000
AIDEE WALKER
aidee@humans.co.nz | Co-Director
Aidee is an accomplished NZ actress, director, and writer, best known for her character work and directorial roles in TV and documentary. She directed Stand Up Girl, Westside (S4 & S5), Mystic (BBC), The Brokenwood Mysteries, and was series director for Kid Sister and ABC’s White Fever. Her award-winning short films screened at Palm Springs and NZIFF. As a storyteller, Aidee blends humour and vulnerability, ideal for capturing this personal and politically potent journey.
Gabrielle is a Jamaican director and cinematographer with international experience across the US, UK, and Caribbean. Her award-winning work has screened at major festivals including ABFF and Hamptons. A Sundance Lab shortlisted filmmaker and recipient of the Geoff Evans Award, Gabrielle brings cultural authority and visual mastery to this project. She holds an MA in Screen Production and is a past president of the Jamaica Film & Television Association.
CASS AVERY
cass@darkdoris.com | Producer
Cass is EVP of Production & Development at Augusto Ltd (Auckland and New York). She has produced or executive produced over 40 factual titles for networks including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and Sky UK. Her work includes Chasing Great, NZ’s highest-grossing cinema doc; the Sundance-winning Prime Minister; and Jessica’s Tree, Barbie Uncovered, and Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles. Cass brings global market expertise and a commitment to bold, socially conscious storytelling.
LAURA TREVELYAN lauraktrevelyan@gmail.com | Executive Producer
Laura is a British-American journalist, reparations advocate, and former BBC correspondent. She is a co-founder of Heirs of Slavery and an Honorary Fellow at the University of the West Indies. Laura’s 30-year career in broadcast journalism is marked by courageous storytelling and leadership in truth and reconciliation efforts. Her work adds historical depth and global perspective to the film.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://vimeo.com/1013439323/9d87030370
24 STRONG
SHORT SYNOPSIS: A national TV broadcaster fires an entire newsroom of 24 journalists for protesting censorship. Together they form Papua New Guinea’s first independent investigative media. A year later, financial struggles and internal tensions test their unity. Star reporter Julie, balancing motherhood with award-winning investigations from the remote highlands, faces death threats for her work. Sincha, the former editor-in-chief, dreams of returning to her island of origin, but struggles to leave it all behind. Frank, a former driver for criminals turned cameraman, contemplates returning to driving because it made more money. Will they achieve their dream despite all the obstacles?
SYNOPSIS: A newsroom of 24 journalists at Papua New Guinea’s national TV broadcaster is fired for resisting censorship. Together, they embark on an uncertain journey to establish the country’s first independent investigative media. A year later, the weight of survival overshadows their bravery. Funding is scarce, tensions rise, and cracks begin to show.
Star reporter Julie continues exposing critical stories from the remote highlands. An award-winning investigation brings both recognition and death threats. As a mother of five, she depends on her husband’s support— something not guaranteed in PNG. When her own family faces illegal eviction, the battle
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 80 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: Concept/In Development
LOGLINE: Inside Papua New Guinea, a Pacific country with the highest rates of genderbased violence in the world, a groundbreaking media emerges led by women determined to revolutionize investigative journalism.
she has reported on for years becomes deeply personal.
Sincha, the former editor-in-chief, once held the team together. Now, exhausted and disillusioned, she dreams of escape, but her red truck remains vital to the newsroom. Is she ready to walk away?
Kila, a fiery young mother of four, steps up as the new leader. But balancing journalism, motherhood, and keeping the mission alive proves an overwhelming challenge.
Frank, the cameraman, was saved from a life of crime by the newsroom. Now, with their dream crumbling, he faces temptation to return to the underworld.
As the team fights against the odds, one question looms—can they succeed in building Papua New Guinea’s first independent investigative media, or will the dream slip away?
BUDGET (NZD): $ 844,545
CONFIRMED SUPPORT:
VAF - Flemish Audiovisual Fund (screenwriting): $21,960.00
VAF - Flemish Audiovisual Fund (development): $73,200.00
Producer/overhead fees in-kind: $9,699.00
In-kind THE POST OFFICE: $13,725.00
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $91,500. We are looking for a co-production with Australia for around $90,000 NZD, a combination of minor co-production grant and TV sale for example.
KRISTIAN VAN DER HEYDEN office@haraldhouse.com
Producer/Co-director
Kristian Van der Heyden started Harald House Belgium in 2016. He produced A Punk Daydream (2019) by Jimmy Hendrickx, a documentary on street punk in Indonesia, which premiered at Rotterdam Film Festival in 2019. Slave Island, a co-production with Belgium, Estonia, Taiwan, and Italy, about present-day slavery on a remote island of Indonesia, is his third feature documentary to premiere at Movies That Matter 2025. He also works on series and features in development and co-productions. Kristian was honored as an Emerging Producer by the Ji-Hlava Film festival in 2022.
RIENEKE VAN SANTEN rieneke@dendezo.com | Director
Rieneke Van Santen is a Dutch/American media professional specialized in independent journalism within repressed societies, an impact strategist, published writer and communication lecturer. Her work as a media consultant covered countries such as Iran, Sudan, Azerbaijan, Russia, the African continent and Pacific region. She produced several human rights films for a Persian journalism platform where she was acting as Executive Director, prior to founding her own company. With her films she has been selected for CIRCLE Women Doc Accelerator, Movies that Matter Impact Pitches, Esodoc, Holland Film Meeting and more. Her first feature documentary Sānsūr was in the NFF Gouden Kalf competition ’23 and won her the Best Producer Award with the LA Independent Women Film Awards and Best Feature Documentary with Sydney International Women’s Film Festival. The film reached millions inside Iran through satellite broadcast.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://vimeo.com/877193227/f3cbf878b9
ATOMIC PARADISE
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Atomic Paradise is a feature documentary that explores key moments in colonial nuclear history from an Indigenous perspective across the U.S., Pacific, and Australia. For 50 years after World War II, the U.S., Britain and France tested over 1,200 nuclear tests on Indigenous lands. Through powerful Indigenous storytelling, Atomic Paradise challenges iconic nuclear imagery and mythologies of power, offering a hidden view of our nuclear past and revealing how today we are all part of an unfolding nuclear mythology.
SYNOPSIS: Atomic Paradise is a feature length documentary inviting audiences to confront the Pacific nuclear testing story in a mythic, new narrative. This is a story of the atomic bomb testing program seen through a First Nations lens, where some of the 20th century’s most iconic and devastating imagery is cast in a new light.
For 50 years after World War II, the U.S., Britain and France conducted over 1,200 nuclear tests on Indigenous lands, the legacy of which is ongoing and sustained, and the images distributed as propaganda and weaponised ever since. Atomic Paradise boldly challenges these colonial myths, drawing on cinematic language with archive and lyrical contemporary scenes that layer cultural wisdoms, lived experience, pop cultural iconography, music and song, allowing audiences to understand this story in a new and prophetic reality.
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: Concept/In Development
LOGLINE: Atomic Paradise is a powerful documentary using archive and testimony, reframing the nuclear testing program in the Pacific region through a First Nations lens in a new and prophetic light.
Atomic Paradise is an explosive, big screen, emotional and cinematic film that collapses the past and the present offering revelations and knowledge from an Indigenous perspective.
BUDGET (NZD): $1,730,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): $46,300
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $1,682,700
JOHN HARVEY john@browncabs.com | Director
John Harvey is a producer, director and writer working in both factual and narrative. He produced feature film Spear directed by Stephen Page, premiering at TIFF and Adelaide Film Festival. He also produced the chapter Sand for Robert Connolly’s omnibus feature film The Turning (MIFF, Berlinale) based on Tim Winton’s stories, and was a producer on the ABC TV series The Warriors (Arenamedia). John has directed two halfhour documentaries for ABC—Light from the Shadows and Menny and the Bundaroos—as well as short-form documentaries for NITV. His 2022 ABC documentary Still We Rise won Best Documentary / Factual Single at AIDC 2023. John is passionate about working with ambitious and risk-taking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytellers.
SALLY AITKEN
sally.aitken@samcontent.com | Producer
Sally is a twice-Emmy nominated director, producer, writer, and showrunner of international feature documentaries and series, renowned for visually arresting work with compassion and wit. Her documentaries Every Little Thing and Playing with Sharks both premiered in competition at Sundance, with the latter described as “extraordinary” and “visually stunning.” Her slate includes Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles (Amazon Prime, SXSW), The Pacific in the Wake of Cook with Sam Neill (Foxtel), and Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth (Nat Geo). She is known for delivering emotionally resonant stories with cinematic flair and global impact.
ALINE JACQUES aline.jacques@samcontent.com | Producer
Aline Jacques is a creative and strategic media executive who has developed and produced documentaries across a wide range of genres for major global broadcasters including ABC, SBS, BBC, National Geographic, Arte, PBS, Curiosity Stream, and Discovery, along with theatrical distributors like Madman and Universal Pictures. Her diverse slate includes the musical feature Slim and I, science doc The Living Universe, political feature Big Deal, and the contemporary music documentary Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles. Aline is known for her ability to combine powerful narratives with commercial reach.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://vimeo.com/997992684/bbd28a4636
We’ll take care of you here.
Ōtautahi Christchurch has diverse landscapes, accessible film locations, digital screen capacity and talented crew ready to help tell your stories.
Ōtautahi Christchurch and Screen CanterburyNZ congratulate Doc Edge on their 20 year anniversary.
GOTIPUA: BEYOND BORDERS
SHORT SYNOPSIS: In the heart of Odisha, where devotion breathes through temple stones, a centuries-old dance form silently fights for survival. Gotipua—a mesmerizing blend of classical dance and acrobatics— sees young boys transform into the divine female form, embodying stories of love, devotion, and resilience. Once the foundation of Odissi, this art is now fading, lost in time’s relentless tide. Gotipua: Beyond Borders unravels the untold saga of these young performers, preserving a legacy of wisdom, discipline, and spirituality. This documentary is not just about dance; it’s a heartfelt call to recognize, honor, and safeguard a vanishing cultural treasure.
SYNOPSIS: Gotipua: Beyond Borders explores a rare and indigenous dance tradition from Eastern India, where young boys dress up as females to worship Lord Jagannath—known as the Lord of the Universe.
Gotipua is a powerful blend of classical dance and modern-day acrobatics, performed since the 16th century. This sacred art form holds ancient wisdom and deeply guarded secrets. This documentary is a journey to uncover those hidden truths, confront the complex stigmas surrounding the practice, explore its profound spiritual significance, and understand why this
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 120 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Post
LOGLINE: Gotipua: Beyond Borders explores a rare and indigenous dance tradition from Eastern India, where young boys dress up as females to worship Lord Jagannath—known as the Lord of the Universe. Performed since the 16th century, this sacred art form holds ancient wisdom and deeply guarded secrets.
powerful tradition now stands at the edge of extinction.
These artists have represented India in 30 countries, performed at the G20 Summit, and even at Buckingham Palace—a place very few people ever reach in their lifetime.
And yet… they are unknown in their own homeland.
They are struggling—not just for recognition, but for survival, for dignity, and to pass this living heritage on to future generations.
It’s a path where beliefs will be shaken, perspectives will be challenged, and every answer will lead to even deeper questions.
BUDGET (NZD): $72,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): N/A
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $36,000
Breakdown of remaining budget:
• $10,000 – Permissions
• $9,000 – Mixing, Mastering, DI
• $7,000 – Legal Fees
• $10,000 – Archival Footage Licensing
Additional support required for distribution, marketing, and festival submissions to raise awareness.
CHINTAN PAREKH
chintan@yatrafilms.com
| Director/Producer
Chintan Parekh founded Yatra Films to craft impactful stories that matter. His documentaries Kausani: Hidden Gem and Every Drop is Special received recognition at international festivals including Zagreb Tour Film Festival, Berlin International Art Film Festival, and Stockholm Gold Awards. He also created The Conscious Planet, a storytelling platform highlighting overlooked subjects through arts, music, travel, and more. A transformative experience during Jagriti Yatra, an 8000km train journey across India, reinforced his belief in storytelling’s power. Passionate about travel and untold stories, Chintan’s yatra—both literal and creative— continues to inspire real impact in every frame he creates.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://f.io/o6IFv6r4
JJI EXILE BROTHERS
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Once, they were the voice of a stolen land- three Tibetan brothers whose music ignited hope and rebellion. At their peak, they toured the U.S. and Europe, even recording their first album in Bob Dylan’s studio. Now, Jamyang makes momos to survive, Jigme devotes himself to social service, while Ingsel runs a small clothing store. Their mother, Nyima, who sold her jewelry to fund their dreams, still believes the world is waiting. As they confront their fractured past, personal demons, and the weight of exile, one question looms- will they rise again or fade into silence?
SYNOPSIS: JJI Exile Brothers is an immersive documentary following a Tibetan rock band whose dramatic rise and fall mirror the complex, emotional journey of a displaced nation. Through a blend of animation and live-action, the film tells the powerful story of artistic resistance and identity, tracing the band’s formation, cultural defiance, and the silent burden of exile. With the rhythm of rebellion and the poetry of loss, JJI Exile Brothers invites audiences into a world where music is both a form of protest and a fragile lifeline to a fading homeland. It is a visual and sonic journey through the heart of statelessness, resilience, and the price of freedom.
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: Not specified
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Production
LOGLINE: Three Tibetan brothers, once bound by music and a dream of freedom, must confront their broken bond and lost identity. As their mother, Nyima, who sacrificed everything for their success, urges them to reunite, they face a choice, remain in obscurity or reclaim their voice for Tibet.
Kusuma Santapoori is a filmmaker and cinematographer with a keen eye for capturing untold stories. With over five years of experience, she has co-directed 15 animated films and 14 graphic novels, bringing history, culture, and identity to life through compelling visuals. Her documentary work includes stories as diverse as an Afghan princess’s forgotten legacy. Kusuma has also produced brand films for Fratelli Wines and Kati Patang Beer.
As co-founder of Floating Tiger Films, she blends animation and live-action to create immersive narratives. Currently co-directing JJI Exile Brothers, a documentary about a Tibetan rock band, Kusuma’s work is defined by emotional depth, striking cinematography, and a commitment to amplifying unheard voices—making her a dynamic force in independent filmmaking.
DEVANSH MATHUR
devanshmathur1993@gmail.com | Co-director
Devansh Mathur is the co-founder of Floating Tiger Films. He graduated from Srishti School of Design, Bangalore specialising in cinema. He further studied direction and cinematography from the Prague Film School in 2016. He is an experienced filmmaker who has been working with brands such as Fratelli Wines, Cabo Coconut Rum, Malas Fruits and products, Paranjape builders and Bummer to name a few. He was also the official cinematographer for Bacardi NH7 2017. In 2016, Devansh’s film “Gotya” was the only Indian film to be screened at the “Filmed by Bike Festival” in Ohio, and is now streaming worldwide on Hotstar Disney+. His debut feature project, Marham Rao was part of the Journey to Europe: Scriptwriting Development Lab organized by the European Union Film Festival in association with the Dharamshala International Film Festival and Cineuropa. His most recent film, ‘Alternism’ (2020) film has been screened in over fifteen festivals worldwide, notably being “Dharamshala Film Festival (India), Royal Stag Barrel Select Films (India), Flickfair (LA), Jaipur International Film Festival (India)” He has co-directed 15 animation films and 14 graphic novels for a Jain museum project. He is currently working on two web series for OTT platforms.
When you’re so smart it’s downright sexy. ie.
“I heard you used Saatchi & Saatchi to create the Doc Edge Festival advertising. That’s so of you.”
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1veGFmK7Y75RGFKE5k-Z4FBC2FRo6fod1/view
ME, MY MOTHER’S FAVORITE MONKEY
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Estranged from her cultural heritage, Chinese-Indonesian filmmaker Ivonne turns her camera on her mother, seeking to understand the traditional rituals she holds dear. This intimate exploration of their family’s practices—from Chinese New Year to Qing Ming—becomes a microhistorical journey, uncovering clashing values and the enduring impact of Indonesia’s complex political history on their personal lives. Ivonne reimagining her quest for identity as a personal “Journey to the West”, as she confronts various questions inside her and lingering effects from the past.
SYNOPSIS: Ivonne, a Chinese-Indonesian filmmaker, embarks on a journey to reconnect with her family’s ancestral traditions and rituals—practices from which she has long felt estranged. With a camera in hand and questions in her heart, she delve into the cherished rituals her mother holds dear—Chinese New Year, Tomb Sweeping Day (Qing Ming), and the Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi)—to understand their significance to her family and, ultimately, to herself. Ivonne’s identity and her mother’s resilience are shaped by the shared experiences of Chinese Indonesians.
Through this journey, Ivonne seeks to unveil the past and confront the lingering effects of systemic suppression faced by her community, deeply reflecting on how
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature Documentary
DURATION: 75 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Development
LOGLINE: An intimate microhistorical journey between Ivonne and her mother, exploring their clashing values and how personal identity is deeply shaped by the complex political history of Chinese-Indonesians in Indonesia.
these forces have influenced both her life and her mother’s. This journey juxtaposed with Sun Wukong’s “Journey to the West,” reimagining it as Ivonne’s personal quest for understanding. She will wear a golden headpiece symbolizing her search, though her “West”, is not a literal destination but a journey inward—an exploration of her own beliefs, family rituals, and collective history.
Ivonne Kani is an Indonesian filmmaker and visual artist, she employs an autoethnography approach to investigate her personal lived experience as Chinese-Indonesian and weaving its connections to the broader collective experiences. She experiments with various mediums, such as film and installations. Her previous works have been screened at Festival Film Dokumenter and Arkipel International Documentary & Experimental Film Festival. She was a participant in Asana Bina Seni 2023, Indonesia Contemporary Art and Design (ICAD) 2023, Loop Lab Busan “Moving on Asia” 2025 and EFM DocToolbox 2025.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-0HQvD8si8ICF4NyZBxWeme0ZnpomlfR/view?usp=sharing
NOMADS OF THE NORTH
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Nomads of the North is a sensory, soul-driven journey following four remarkable individuals living on the disappearing, river-swept edges of northern Bangladesh. Each of them carries a wound—grief inherited or endured—that flows beneath the surface of daily life like the river beneath their feet.
As the land erodes and the seasons shift, so do their emotional landscapes. What begins as silence becomes song, and what seems like survival becomes something deeper: a reckoning with memory, loss, and the human need to hold on to what cannot stay.
Through music, glances, and quiet rituals of resilience, the film listens—to sorrow, to endurance, and to a form of belonging that must constantly rebuild itself from fragments.
SYNOPSIS: Nomads of the North’ is a hybrid documentary set in the disappearing river islands of northern Bangladesh. Told over six distinct seasons, the film follows four individuals whose lives are shaped by loss, migration, and inherited trauma—stories rarely captured in mainstream narratives around climate and displacement.
Rather than pursue a linear narrative, the film moves through cycles of rhythm,
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature Documentary
DURATION: 80 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Production
LOGLINE: Set on the fragile, flood-swept edges of northern Bangladesh, four lives drift across six seasons through grief and music anchored by memory.
memory, and silence. It uses observational footage, music, and sound design to explore how personal histories—often marked by grief and dislocation—intersect with a landscape that is itself unstable and vanishing.
The characters include Kakoli, a mother and folk singer who reclaims her voice after years of social exclusion; Laizu, a survivor whose outward energy masks deep psychological wounds; Parvin, a child growing up in the shadow of generational trauma; and Neelchand, a traveling drummer haunted by the absence of his late mother, a respected singer. Each of their lives speaks to a different form of resilience in the face of slow, cumulative loss—whether caused by nature, society, or memory.
With minimal dialogue and a strong emphasis on mood, texture, and non-verbal storytelling, Nomads of the North challenges conventional documentary form. It is not a climate film in the traditional sense—it is a film about how people live and remember in places shaped by erasure.
By listening closely to what is often overlooked—sound, silence, and gesture—the film becomes a portrait of emotional survival in an environment where even the ground beneath one’s feet cannot be trusted to stay.
BUDGET (NZD): $825,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): Government of Bangladesh Film Fund – 165,000
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $660,000
PIPLU R KHAN
piplu@appleboxfilms.net | Director
Piplu R Khan is a Bangladeshi filmmaker and founder of Applebox Films. Blending documentary and fiction, his work explores South Asian identity, history, and memory through nuanced characters and poetic form. Influenced by theatre, his films have screened at MoMA, Busan, and DMZ Docs, reflecting a deeply rooted regional voice.
JUNJUNI CHAKMA
jun@appleboxfilms.net | Executive Producer
Junjuni Chakma is a producer based in Dhaka and Executive Producer at Applebox Films Ltd. She has experience across independent and commercial films, including fiction, documentary, and shorts. She executive produced Boli (The Wrestler), winner of the New Currents Award at the 28th Busan International Film Festival and Bangladesh’s official submission to the 97th Academy Awards. Her other works include the feature film Jaya Aar Sharmin and shorts Kalpana and Aar Theko Na Dure.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://youtu.be/60xTTkUdtNQ
SSAM SEONKYU PARK mmedia.ssam@gmail.com | Producer
Ssam Seonkyu PARK is a producer whose vision is to communicate with and unite humanity through collaborative films transcending borders and ethnicities. He has worked on Korean and international productions including HERO, 20th Century Boys, A Barefoot Dream (Timor-Leste), and God’s Eye View (Cambodia).
Congratulations Doc Edge on 20 years of impactful storytelling.
THE CHIMNEY SWEEPER
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Yoshio Saito, 85, is one of the last chimney sweepers in Japan maintaining traditional bathhouses (sento). His family urges him to retire, fearing for his safety, but he refuses. One day, he meets Kenta Shinya, a young and inexperienced bathhouse owner whose public bathhouse was severely damaged in the Noto earthquake. Determined to pass on his skills, Yoshio takes on the repair of the damaged chimney as his final mission. This heartfelt documentary traces Yoshio’s final journey as he mentors Kenta, capturing a profound generational transfer of wisdom, heritage, and identity.
SYNOPSIS: Yoshio Saito, 85, has spent a lifetime sweeping chimneys of wood-fired public bathhouses in Tokyo. With declining work opportunities and no successor, Yoshio’s family urges him to retire due to his age and the danger of working at heights. But Yoshio refuses—he believes he still has one last job to do.
When Yoshio learns of Kenta Shinya, a young bathhouse owner in Suzu City, whose facility was severely damaged in the Noto Peninsula earthquake, he sees a purpose. Kenta is passionate but lacks the skills and experience to maintain a traditional bathhouse. Yoshio offers to help him repair the collapsed chimney, determined to pass on his rare craft.
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 80 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Pre-Production
LOGLINE: Yoshio, 85, is a chimney sweeper who does not want to retire even though his work has declined. He meets Kenta, whose public bathhouse was damaged in the Noto earthquake, and decides to repair the chimney as his last job
Despite his physical limitations, Yoshio travels to the earthquake-affected region. There, he reconnects with the human spirit of the sento and discovers the emotional importance of these spaces for a community trying to rebuild. Burning wood from collapsed houses becomes not just a heat source—but a ritual of remembrance and hope.
As Yoshio trains Kenta, a bond forms between them that transcends teacher and student. For Yoshio, this is more than a repair—it’s a farewell to a life’s purpose. When the repaired chimney exhales smoke once more and the community gathers to celebrate, Yoshio quietly steps away, knowing the tradition will live on through Kenta.
BUDGET (NZD): $160,870
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Film Frontier Section) – $45,884
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $114,986
ota@bluegrotto.asia
| Director
Born in 1985 in Nagano Prefecture, Shingo Ota is a Japanese filmmaker known for poetic narratives that explore identity and generational memory. He graduated from Waseda University with a background in philosophy and narratology. His early documentary The End of the Special Time We Were Allowed (2013) was screened at YIDFF and distributed in 12 countries. His drama At Kinosaki (2022) won the Grand Prize at Yubari International Film Festival. Most recently, his feature documentary Numakage Public Pool (2025) received the First Cut+ Award at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Ota’s distinct voice blends realism with introspection, and The Chimney Sweeper continues his deep dive into vanishing traditions and intergenerational connection.
FULL TEASER URL: https://vimeo.com/1082920294/880c20ac91
SHORT TEASER URL: https://vimeo.com/1082919832/04cbedcefa
THE HEARTBREAKER
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Melvis is a 68-yearold Indonesian-Chinese former factory worker turned street performer. Every night for 30 years, he dressed as Elvis and performed only Elvis songs. Despite being recognized as a Hong Kong cultural icon, he was both loved and ridiculed. Filmmaker Richie, who grew up seeing Melvis in his neighbourhood, discovers a different side to the performer. The Heartbreaker uncovers Melvis’ untold personal story while capturing a changing Hong Kong in the background—through unrest, pandemic, and the fading glow of performance spaces.
SYNOPSIS: Melvis is Hong Kong’s infamous, out-of-tune Elvis impersonator—known, seen, but never fully understood. Filmmaker Richie, a childhood neighbour of Melvis, begins documenting his life. He soon discovers that behind the rhinestones and pompadour lies a lonely man estranged from his family and struggling with deteriorating health. As Richie films, Hong Kong faces massive disruption—2019’s protests, then the COVID-19 pandemic, which shuts down performance spaces and forces Melvis into solitude.
In December 2020, Melvis unexpectedly passes away. Richie fears the film is lost— until Melvis’ funeral brings together an unlikely group of people, revealing the impact he had on Hong Kong’s working-
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Production
LOGLINE: Against the tide of social and cultural changes in Hong Kong, Melvis, an off-tune and imperfect Elvis impersonator, pursues his dreams at tremendous cost.
class immigrant community. In trying to preserve Melvis’ legacy, Richie uncovers a broader reflection of a city’s fading spirit, identity, and hope.
Through this journey, The Heartbreaker becomes more than a portrait of a quirky performer—it’s a poignant exploration of belonging, loss, and cultural memory at a time of historic transition.
BUDGET (NZD): $457,144
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): N/A
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $400,000
NICOLA FAN nicola@nicola-fan.net | Co-director
Nicola Fan is a Hong Kong-based graphic designer and award-winning filmmaker. She directs commercials, documentaries, narratives, and motion graphics for clients like M+ Museum, Ralph Lauren, and The Women’s Foundation. Nicola participated in Werner Herzog’s 2021 Film Accelerator Lab and had her short The Island Lives selected at Cannes Court Métrage 2022. Her narrative film Daffodil is on Amazon Prime Video, and her debut feature
doc She Objects was selected for Sundance Film Festival Hong Kong. Her work has been featured in SCMP, Asia Tatler, TimeOut HK, and TVB, and she’s been a speaker at TEDx, RTHK, and more. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Rhode Island School of Design.
JONATHAN DUNCAN
Producer
Jonathan Duncan oversees the originals slate at Common People Films, a collective producing commercials, music videos, documentaries, and scripted content. He developed Once in a Lifetime Sessions for Netflix and Universal. He formerly led The Precinct Studios and co-founded Rogue Star Productions, producing New Skin, Ten Empty, and Gold. His executive credits include Monday Bites (ABC) and Ruben Guthrie (Madman), which opened the Sydney Film Festival. Recently, he produced Plum (Lionsgate/ABC).
RICHARD FOWLER
Co-director
Richie Fowler (方禮志) is a self-taught filmmaker from Hong Kong. He has worked across news, documentary, and commercial sectors for over eight years, contributing to award-winning campaigns and doc projects. His films explore identity, heritage, and underdog stories, combining observational depth with visual integrity. Recent credits include Bridge of Signs (2024), Eh You! (2023), and The Tradition Continues (2019).
PETER YAM
Producer
Peter Yam is a Hong Kong producer and AMPAS Documentary Branch member. His documentary Lost Course won the Golden Horse for Best Documentary. His film Blue Island won Best International Documentary at Hot Docs. The Sunny Side of the Street won multiple Golden Horse awards including Best New Director. Room 404 was selected for Berlinale Forum Expanded. His recent doc Another Home won the Mecenat Award at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkjn1Imd9Mw
THE MOONWALKERS
SHORT SYNOPSIS: The Moonwalkers follows a group of young men from the Solomon Islands as they train to qualify for the 2026 Floorball World Championships, a global stage no one expected them to reach. Coached by a Swede who introduced the sport to the country, they push past limited resources and low expectations in a quietly radical act of participation: daring to show up in a world that never saw them coming.
SYNOPSIS: In Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands, a group of young men set their sights on something that once seemed impossible: representing their country at the 2026 Floorball World Championships. With limited resources, borrowed equipment, and no tradition in the sport, their odds are slim.
Coached by Adam Olofsson, a Swede who introduced floorball to the country, the team navigates internal doubts, logistical hurdles, and the long shadow of being overlooked on the international stage. What starts as a sports story becomes something more: a film about the courage to show up, to step onto a global playing field that never expected you to arrive.
Shot over two years across the Solomon Islands, New Zealand, and Sweden, The Moonwalkers is a vérité documentary about ambition, visibility, and the quiet radical act of saying, we belong here too.
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Production
LOGLINE: In the Pacific nation of the Solomon Islands, an underdog team is on a remarkable quest to compete on floorball’s biggest stage.
Haig Balian is a Canadian documentary filmmaker and journalist based in Manila. His vérité-driven work explores stories at the edges of power, identity, and global systems. He produced and wrote The Man Who Built Cambodia, a film about forgotten architect Vann Molyvann, which was widely screened across Southeast Asia. His current feature (producer) There Was and There Wasn’t — a personal investigation into his father’s role in a 1982 act of political violence — is in postproduction. Haig is the founder of Ripley Point Pictures and has produced field-based video work for ADB, UNICEF, and other international organizations across Asia and the Pacific.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://vimeo.com/1094777465?share=copy
VIDEO PASSWORD: honiara_floorball
THE MYTH OF MONSTERS
SHORT SYNOPSIS: I was misunderstood all my life, handed one psychiatric label after another. With nowhere else to turn and fearful for me, my mother admitted me into a psychiatric ward. I was restrained, medicated, and coerced into electroconvulsive therapy. Our lives fractured. She became my monster, and I became hers. It was easier to erase her than believe she might never love me as I am. And if she couldn’t, who would?
Years later, the word autism entered my life. It gave me language. I rose quickly into a powerful advocate but it felt hollow. Justice never came for me. So I had to redefine it for myself. I picked up my camera to tell my story and to return to my mother.
The Myth of Monsters is an intimate documentary about psychiatric harm, silence, and survival. We may never reconcile, but maybe we can carry what cannot be undone and name the silence for what it is, the real monster all along
SYNOPSIS: All my life, I was misunderstood. One psychiatric label after another tried to explain me. I tried to fit the version of a girl
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature Documentary
DURATION: 85+ mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Pre-Production
LOGLINE: How far will you fight to belong or be understood? I was put away—coerced into electroshock— while my mother stood by, silent. I believed then that she, and the world, could never love me as I am. Years later, a late autism diagnosis gave me language. I turned to my camera to tell my side of the story, to cross the ocean of silence between us, and to ask: were we the monsters, or was it the silence and shame?
the world wanted, and I spent years trying to be anyone else but me, until I no longer could. In fear, and with nowhere else to turn, my mother admitted me into a psychiatric ward. I stayed there for a long time, being restrained, medicated, and coerced into electroconvulsive therapy. Our lives fell apart, and an ocean divided us the day I was strapped into that bed. She became my monster, and I became hers.
I turned away from her because it was easier to pretend she didn’t exist than to believe she might never love me as I am. And if she couldn’t, what about the rest of the world?
It took more than twelve years before the word autism was whispered into my life. That diagnosis gave me language to understand myself. It brought me back to me, although it did not bring peace. I was broken from the inside out and didn’t know where to begin to mend the silence, the injustice, and the unseen violence I had lived through on my own.
I turned to activism because I had finally found a voice, and I poured all my rage and sadness into it. But the higher I rose, the lonelier it became, because I came to realise that the justice I was seeking would not be mine—and I would have to reimagine my own justice.
I can’t change what happened to me, but I can rewrite the one story I keep running away from: the pain and silence of my mother, and the truth that the silence that kept us apart was built on shame and guilt. The cost of that silence was everything. Shame and guilt took my mother from me and along with her, a lifetime of knowing what it means to belong. But will I now also deny my mother the chance of having her daughter back? Can we, as two women, rewrite our story to make good of our pain and loss? My mother and I were not villains or victims. We were both failed by a system that fears difference, medicalises it, and isolates those it refuses to understand.
The Myth of Monsters is a deeply personal and intimate documentary about psychiatric
misdiagnosis, survival, and a silence between mother and daughter that stretched across fifteen years, shaped by fear, distance, and the ache of what was never said. Through phone footage, video diaries, old family archives, and unsent voice notes, I return to the spaces and memories that shaped me. I return to my mother not to resolve the past, but to name what was never spoken. We are no longer who we were, but the silence between us remains. What will unfold may not be a reconciliation, but a recognition of a mother and a daughter learning how to carry what cannot be undone and choosing to disinherit this painful silence not only for ourselves, but for others, and to finally give ourselves a chance to ask: were we ever truly the monsters we imagined, or was it the silence and shame all along?
BUDGET (NZD): $627,897
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): $ 73,135
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $583,587
BEATRICE LEONG bea@gather-together.co | Director
Beatrice Leong is a Malaysian documentary filmmaker and gender-disability activist who believes in the power of stories to name what others silence. When she was finally diagnosed with autism in adulthood, after a lifetime of psychiatric and medical injustice, she began using storytelling to reclaim what was lost and connect with others who’ve been left out.
Alongside filmmaking, she works across national, regional, and global spaces to advance disability inclusion, policy change, and narrative justice. Beatrice also serves on the advisory board of the Disability Justice Project, a media platform that supports disabled human rights defenders in the Global South through storytelling and advocacy.
The Myth of Monsters will be her first feature documentary exploring her personal story about mothers, silence, and what it means to belong.
Panuksmi Hardjowirogo is a Singaporebased producer whose work spans fiction, documentary, and multimedia installations. Born in Jakarta and raised in New York City, she later moved to Montreal to study film, where she began shaping her distinctive approach to storytelling.
She is the co-founder of M’GO FILMS, an independent production company committed to cross-cultural narratives and collaborations. Her producing work often explores the interwoven histories of Southeast Asia, and she is particularly drawn to projects that foreground cultural complexity and diverse perspectives.
Her producer film credits include HERE, 2009, Southeast Asian Cinema: When the Rooster Crows, 2015, MALAM, 2020, SCENE UnSEEN, 2021, and Anatomy of Time, 2021.
INEZA ROUSILLE
i.rousille@gmail.com | Impact Producer
Ineza Roussille is a Malaysian filmmaker and co-founder of Srikandi Seni, a creative collective dedicated to amplifying marginalised voices through storytelling, events, and media. Her work centres on justice, identity, and representation, particularly for LGBTQ communities, women, and children in Malaysia.
She also co-founded Songsang Studios, a participatory filmmaking programme supporting LGBTQ Malaysians to tell their own stories. In 2019, she co-directed M for Malaysia, which screened globally and was Malaysia’s official submission to the 2020 Academy Awards.
As Impact Producer for The Myth of Monsters, Ineza leads the film’s Southeast Asian rollout— grounding its campaign in regional realities while building cross-border solidarity to confront silence and systemic harm.
Ineza believes in storytelling as resistance, and as a way for communities to imagine and build the futures they deserve.
SEAN MCALLISTER mcallister.sean@sky.com
Executive Producer
Sean McAllister is a British documentary filmmaker known for his intimate and politically charged portraits of people living through conflict, upheaval, and change. His raw, vérité approach has since become his signature, blending personal storytelling with urgent social realities.
Sean’s films have captured the resilience of ordinary people navigating extraordinary times. His award-winning work includes The Liberace of Baghdad, and A Syrian Love Story, a BAFTA-nominated chronicle of love and resistance under dictatorship. Whether working in war zones or post-industrial Britain, Sean embeds himself deeply into his subjects’ lives, crafting films that are both tender and politically unflinching.
Sean brings decades of experience in telling raw, human stories on the edge of survival— and a deep belief in the power of personal narrative to shift public truths.
Rebecca Aaberg is an international expert in disability rights, advocacy, and civic engagement, based in Alexandria, Virginia. With experience across more than 20 countries, she has worked alongside women with disabilities to shape inclusive policies, lead advocacy campaigns, and centre lived experience in systems change.
For The Myth of Monsters, Rebecca leads the film’s global impact strategy, developed through her shared advocacy and activism with director Beatrice Leong. She brings a justice-oriented approach to narrative change, using the film to challenge silence, institutional harm, and the politics of belonging.
She also serves as Access Coordinator, supporting an inclusive and care-driven filmmaking process.
A former Inclusion Advisor with IFES and Penn Kemble Democracy Fellow, Rebecca works at the intersection of grassroots movements and global policy. She believes in justice built from the margins—and in storytelling as both resistance and repair.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://vimeo.com/makinglily/themythofmonstersfeb2025
A JOURNEY NEVER TOLD
SHORT SYNOPSIS: A Journey Never Told follows the life of Dr. A. S. M. Badruddoza, a retired dental surgeon whose gradual hearing loss led to early retirement and emotional isolation. Once deeply engaged in his passions—gardening and raising pigeons—his world changed drastically during the COVID-19 pandemic when his wife removed these to protect him. Struggling with loneliness and disconnection, his story reflects the silent battles of aging, loss, and resilience. Through intimate storytelling, the film sheds light on the emotional struggles of elderly individuals and the hearingimpaired community, fostering empathy and awareness.
SYNOPSIS: A Journey Never Told is an intimate exploration of silence, memory, and resilience. Dr. A. S. M. Badruddoza, a retired dental surgeon, once thrived in his profession until gradual hearing loss forced him into early retirement. Seeking solace, he found comfort in the quiet rhythms of nature—nurturing his garden, tending to his pigeons, and embracing a world of unspoken connections. But when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, his carefully built sanctuary was dismantled. In an effort to protect him, his wife removed the pigeons and cleared the garden, leaving him adrift in a world that had already begun to fade away.
With no outlet for engagement, he withdrew further—his isolation becoming not just physical but deeply emotional. Told through
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature length or TV one-off (41 mins or longer)
DURATION: 70 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Post
LOGLINE: An intimate portrayal of an elderly, hearing-impaired man navigating the quiet complexities of his world, uncovering the resilience, grace, and untold stories of a life shaped by silence.
poetic visuals and immersive sound design, the film captures the unspoken weight of losing one’s voice, one’s space, and ultimately, one’s place in the world. It is a meditation on aging, the silent struggles of those with hearing impairment, and the delicate balance between love and control in caregiving.
A Journey Never Told is more than a documentary—it is an attempt to listen to the unheard, to bridge the growing silence, and to offer a space where unspoken stories can finally be told.
BUDGET (NZD): $400,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): Currently, we have not secured any confirmed financial support. However, we are actively exploring funding opportunities to bring this project to life.
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $400,000
SHARMIN DOZA st.doza@gmail.com | Director/Editor
Sharmin Doza is an accomplished filmmaker and media professional based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She holds a Master’s in Mass Communication from University of Liberal Arts and has excelled in various roles including filmmaker, video editor, and script supervisor. Her directorial work includes the documentary Architecture and Environment in Dhaka City and short films like Noishobdo and Kaler Kheya. Her editing credits encompass impactful documentaries such as WB We Care and Shrinking Civic Space in Bangladesh, as well as various short fiction films. Currently, she contributes to Cine Craft’s creative team as a video editor.
Masrur Rahman Masud is a prominent contributor to Bangladeshi cinema, known for his work as a production sound Mixer, sound designer, educator, and producer. With three decades of experience, he served as Executive Producer of the acclaimed film Ontorjatra (Homeland), directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Tareque Masud, and is currently producing the feature-length documentary A Journey Never Told.
A member of the Appeal Committee of the Bangladesh Film Certification Board, he teaches film sound at Dhaka University, Jagannath University, South Asian Media Institute, and the Bangladesh Cinema and Television Institute. He is the founder of the Bangladesh Production Sound Recordist Association and leads Cine Craft, a firm dedicated to high-quality audiovisual storytelling. Nahid has also served as a jury member at the Chittagong Short International Film Festival and the Bogura International Film Festival in Bangladesh.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER - URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N9jXHfvWAM-orJuHnn0ZnbAJNEXmtLXl/view?usp=sharing
Until 24 August Free entry
Strategic partner
SHIGA Lieko When that Night Leads (still) 2023–25. Single-channel video. Courtesy of the artist
CUTTING THE CURVE
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Striking and unflinching, this documentary series reveals the backlash against body diversity, diving beneath the industry’s glossy surface to reveal the damage beneath fashion’s return to the thin ideal. In an era of Ozempic bodies and curated tokenism, curve and plus-size models speak with fierce honesty about visibility, rejection, and the resilience it takes to keep showing up when your body is no longer trending.
SYNOPSIS: In recent years, the fashion industry made visible strides toward size inclusivity and representation. For many plus-size models—particularly Māori, Pasifika, and women of colour—it felt like real change had finally arrived. But even as those gains were being celebrated, something quieter and more insidious was already taking shape beneath the surface: the return of the narrow ideal.
In a fashion world built on the myth of the perfect body, Isabella Moore refuses to shrink to fit. A Samoan New Zealand opera singerturned-model, Isabella’s career rose with the body positivity movement, only to stall as the trend began to reverse. Through intimate, first-person storytelling, Cutting the Curve follows Isabella and other women navigating fashion careers in New Zealand, London, and New York. They lay bare the emotional and professional cost of being visible only when it’s profitable.
TYPE OF PROJECT: Documentary Series (with short film potential)
DURATION: 6 x 10-minute episodes (Also exploring: 1 x 40 minute standalone short film)
STAGE OF PROJECT: In Post (Picture lock on Eps One - Three; remainder near-final)
LOGLINE: In a fashion world obsessed with change, one model refuses to shrink herself to fit the trend; this is her fight to be seen, heard, and truly represented.
In an era of Ozempic bodies and performative progress, these women, as curve models, creatives, and cultural disruptors, challenge the system, the silence, and themselves. They question the messages they’ve internalised since girlhood and explore what it means to feel worthy in a body the industry still refuses to fully embrace. Unfolding across stories of rejection, reclamation, and radical selfacceptance, Cutting the Curve isn’t about fitting in. It’s about standing your ground.
BUDGET (NZD): Fully funded for domestic release.
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): Commissioned and funded by RNZ for domestic release.
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): We are not seeking additional funding at this stage.
Our goal at Doc Edge Forum is to gain international insight and feedback:
• Should this series be repackaged as a standalone short film?
• Is there potential for further international distribution or platform partnership?
• What version of this story would resonate most globally?
JULIA PARNELL
julia@notablepictures.com Director/Producer
Julia Parnell is a documentary director and producer with a distinctive voice in crafting emotionally powerful, socially resonant films. She is the founder of Loading Docs, New Zealand’s premier short documentary initiative, and has directed a wide range of acclaimed work across music, culture, and identity, including The Chills: The Triumph and Tragedy of Martin Phillipps, Six60: Till the Lights Go Out and Waiata Anthems. Her current projects explore themes of cultural reclamation, beauty standards, and belonging, both in Aotearoa and on the global stage. Julia’s work has screened at festivals including SXSW, Cannes Docs, Doc Edge, and more, and have reached local and global audiences through platforms such as TVNZ, The New Zealand Herald, Stuff, NHK, Al Jazeera, Guardian Australia, The New Yorker, NITV, TVB Hong Kong, and the Swedish Broadcasting Company. She brings to every project a passion for representing underheard voices and connecting audiences through emotionally honest and visually striking storytelling.
Evelyn Ebrey is a respected fashion journalist, producer and emerging director. Evelyn graduated from South Sea Film and Television School and spent eight years in film and television in production roles before moving into journalism and the fashion industry in 2008. Her storytelling skills were further honed on publications in the UK and Australia before becoming editor of Aotearoa’s longest-running online fashion magazine FashioNZ in 2015, which she led until mid-2022. Evelyn’s career has now come full circle, creating fashionrelated stories for the screen using her inside knowledge of the fashion industry. Evelyn is excited to follow in the footsteps of a number of Kiwi journalists who have successfully transitioned into being documentary storytellers.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER:
Contact Julia for link.
SWEET AS
SHORT SYNOPSIS: Sweet As follows a retired beekeeper who teaches beekeeping skills to some of the countries hardest prisoners. On the outside he uses the therapeutic power of bees to help his former students, recovering drug addicts, go straight. But the road to rehabilitation is full of twists and turns…
SYNOPSIS: Retired apiarist Brian has been a beekeeper for 50 years and Lester and Nalene have been on drugs most of theirs. Brian volunteers at prisons teaching beekeeping skills where he met Lester and Nalene. At their request Brian sets up hives at the rehab clinic where they are both on remand. They know the bees have a therapeutic quality. Bees relieve stress which can help them, and other recovering addicts. Lester and Nalene discover their ancestors knew this too. Initially, though, they both hope that working with the bees will reduce their sentences. They dream of using bees to provide therapy to people who have suffered intergenerational trauma
But Brian and the bees can’t keep them out of prison. We follow Brian as he tries to get Lester and Nalene out, from beehives to courts, gang pads to parole board hearings, only to discover the sting in this tale; there is more than just honey sticking them together.
TYPE OF PROJECT: Feature Length Documentary
DURATION: 90 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: Advanced Production
LOGLINE: Things get sticky when a retired beekeeper uses the healing power of honey to keep a gangster and a meth cook out of jail, transforming all their lives.
PETER DAY peter@factionfilms.co.uk | Director/Producer
Peter has produced and directed awardwinning documentaries for UK and international broadcasters since 1991. He’s made European co-productions for HBO, ARTE, TV2 Denmark, YLE Finland, WDR Germany, and more.
His feature doc Off the Rails won a number of international awards including Best NZ Feature at Doc Edge Festival 2022.
SHARLENE GEORGE
sharlene@thesweetshop.tv
Executive Producer
Sharlene George is the Co-CEO and Founding Partner of international contemporary production company The Sweet Shop, which was established in 2001. She is also Producer / co CEO of film and television company Sweetshop Entertainment established in 2019.
SYLVIA STEVENS
sylvia@factionfilms.co.uk
Executive Producer
Sylvia is a co-founder of Faction Media (FKA Faction Films) and has over 25 years’ experience as an award-winning producer and director. She has been the EAVE Documentary Expert since 2005 and has run workshops in Colombia, South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey and Cuba.
ricky@thesweetshop.tv | Producer
Rickylee holds all First Nations projects close to her chest and works to ensure that the appropriate voices are at the table when it comes to safeguarding culture. Her compassion and ability to connect with people is a tribute to her character as she traverses complicated subjects, ensuring that all parties involved are correctly represented, and creating content for future generations to be proud of. Rickylee is a force of nature. Starting her career young, she discovered her love for this industry playing the ever-memorable Chardonnay in Boy, directed by Taika Waiti as well as roles in Waka Warriors, This Is Piki, Vegas, I Am Paradise and Taumanu. With an established background in theatre, she has performed and toured extensively with Hawaiki Tū Haka Theatre Company, and throughout Canada facilitating and performing haka workshops at Sākihiwē Festival and Edge of the World Festival amongst others. In late 2019, Rickylee began channelling her experience to the other side of the camera. Since signing on to Sweetshop & Green/ Sweetshop Entertainment, Rickylee acted as the Associate Producer on Taumanu and Untold Tales of Tūteremoana funded by NZOA and TMP from development through to delivery. She oversaw cultural aspects for Bird’s Eye View, TVNZ’s best children’s program. Rickylee has been working closely with Taratoa Stappard to develop his feature script Mārama which was selected for the Black List New Zealand Project. Rickylee is also working with Cian White to develop her feature film script Te Puhi, which was granted Early Development Funding from NZFC. Rickylee will be continuing to develop multiple historical Māori feature film projects with the likes of Paula Whetu-Jones, Cliff Curtis, Peter Burger, Robin Scholes and Witi Ihimaera.
THE SCREAM TEST
SHORT SYNOPSIS: A grieving family, an investigative journalist, and a health system in crisis. New Zealand had a plan to end nicotine addiction—until it went up in smoke. Now, all eyes are on the government: who let Big Tobacco back in?
SYNOPSIS: People tend to think that lobbying is something that happens in Washington, not Wellington. But The Scream Test exposes New Zealand as a paradise for lobbyists, where corporate influence is shaping life-and-death decisions, far from public view.
In 2021, New Zealand passed groundbreaking legislation to become the first smoke-free country in the world. Then, just months before it was due to take effect, the new coalition government scrapped it without consultation, and with fatal consequences.
This 40-minute documentary follows two parallel narratives: one personal, one political. At the centre is Lucas, a 14-year-old who began vaping at age ten, after holding his father’s hand as he died from smokingrelated illness. Now facing serious physical and mental health challenges, Lucas just wants his freedom, but fears he’s trapped in the same cycle that killed his dad.
TYPE OF PROJECT: Short Documentary
40 mins
STAGE OF PROJECT: Docs In
New Zealand was winning the war against Big Tobacco. Then the rules changed.
In parallel, investigative journalist Guyon Espiner uncovers how global tobacco companies—now heavily invested in vaping and alternative nicotine products—use political access and behind-the-scenes influence to shape political decisions and keep a new generation addicted to their products.
Shot by award-winning cinematographer Peter Simpson, The Scream Test is a chilling portrait of public betrayal and private grief. Echoing The Corporation, Food, Inc., and Inside Job, it’s both a warning and a call to action, demanding that Big Tobacco butt out of our politics.
BUDGET (NZD): $30,000
CONFIRMED SUPPORT (NZD): $20,000
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SEEKING? (NZD): $15,000
PETER SIMPSON
pj.simpson@auckland.ac.nz
Creative Producer
Peter is an award-winning cinematographer and creative producer with over 17 years’ experience in documentary film and digital storytelling. Currently a Professional Teaching Fellow in Screen Production at the University of Auckland, he has worked as a director, cinematographer, and VFX artist across a range of acclaimed projects. His cinematography on Rann (2020) earned him the prestigious Gold Award from the NZ Cinematography Society. Other key credits include Young and on the Paepae (2021), Night Ride (2021), Red Mole (2023), and Refuge (2024). His films have screened at Doc Edge, NZIFF, Venice Film Festival, and internationally in India, Boston, and Germany. Peter’s creative practice explores how filmmaking can foster social connection and public engagement with complex issues. With a strong track record in research-led collaborations, including Marsden and HRCfunded projects, he brings both technical mastery and a deep commitment to authentic, socially engaged storytelling.
CHERIE LACEY
cherie.lacey@auckland.ac.nz | Director
Cherie is a filmmaker, researcher, and educator whose work explores the sociotechnical dimensions of health, wellbeing, and addiction. She holds a PhD in Film from the University of Auckland, where her thesis received the ViceChancellor’s Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis, and a Master’s in Creative Writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in Landfall, Pantograph Punch, and Turbine, and she co-edited the award-winning essay collection Extraordinary Anywhere (2016). Since 2022, Cherie has expanded her filmmaking practice, directing short research-focused films for the University of Auckland and currently working on her debut feature documentary, The Scream Test, which investigates Big Tobacco’s influence on nicotine policy in Aotearoa. With dual roles as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Addiction Research and a Teaching Fellow in Documentary and Social Change, Cherie brings an interdisciplinary lens and a passion for authentic, impact-driven storytelling to her work.
HEE-SEUNG IRENE LEE irene.lee@auckland.ac.nz | Producer
Born and raised in South Korea, Irene holds a BSc in Statistics and began her career in the IT industry as an app business planner and user space designer. While working in tech, she nurtured her passion for cinema, contributing to three feature scripts in an incubating filmmaker community and serving as assistant director on a short film. After relocating to New Zealand in 2002, Irene earned a PhD in Film from the University of Auckland, where she has since taught and conducted research on film adaptation, contemporary Asian cinemas, and critical theory with a specialisation in psychoanalysis.
VIDEO TEASER / TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/1093924259?share=copy
