Georgie Girl

In 1999, the largely conservative Wairarapa district in New Zealand elected a former cabaret performer/actress named Georgina Beyer to the country's House of Parliament -- a seemingly unremarkable event in that country's history except for the fact that Beyer is a transsexual and may very well be the first transsexual in the world to be elected to a national office. In their 2002 biographical documentary Georgie Girl, co-directors Peter Wells and Annie Goldson highlight the popular Member of Parliament's rapid rise through local government to prominence in the New Zealand national government.

Spellbound

Wingsuit BASE jumping is often presented as a thrill seeking adrenaline rush. Spellbound takes us deeper into the more contemplative aspects of jumping, as David Walden and friends venture into the mountains around his home in New Zealand. Beautiful scenery and hypnotic cinematography eject us from our daily lives into a world of air, earth and flight.

Le Mythe de la 5e île

This documentary explores the emigration myth. The main character’s curiosity takes him to London, a cosmopolitan city where one must fight to survive, before he joins other communities with different horizons. Why do people from so many nationalities end up on that piece of land? Were they looking for something better? A fifth island?

Le peuple du requin et moi

Trailblazers: The New Zealand Story

New Zealand is a place of great natural beauty and resources, of pioneering immigrants from the Maori to the more recent settlers. They’re fierce, hardy, and strong, able to withstand challenges like the massive economic challenge they faced in the mid 1980’s. With their economy unraveling, they made huge, controversial changes, including doing away with farm subsidies and protectionist import controls. At first, it hurt. A lot. But now, the farmers and the fishers, the people and the economy, are prospering. And they wouldn’t go back to subsidies, special interests, or support for manufacturers. Travel to New Zealand with scholar Johan Norberg to meet some amazing Kiwis and see how they blazed a trail to economic prosperity.

Islands of Creation

In the jungles of the Solomon Islands, a remote archipelago in the South Pacific, a biologist is attempting to do something Charles Darwin and Ernst Mayr never accomplished: catch evolution in the act of creating new species. Albert Uy is on the verge of an amazing discovery in the Solomon Islands, but there's a threat looming on the horizon. The islands' resources are being exploited, putting all local wildlife at risk. It's a race against time to gather the evidence necessary to prove the existence of a new species before it's lost forever.

Lost Dinosaurs of New Zealand

The discovery of dinosaurs by retired housewife turned scientist Joan Wiffen has cast a new light on the behaviour of dinosaurs during the late cretaceous period, and the puzzle of why dinosaurs, in general, became extinct. This programme tells the remarkable story of Joan Wiffen, who at age 68, went fossil hunting and found New Zealand's first dinosaur bones.

The KFC

Five Kiwis take on a paragliding adventure in Tanzania, with the ultimate aim to fly from the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro.

Elementa

A black-and-white visual meditation of wilderness and the elements. Wildlife filmmaker Richard Sidey returns to the triptych format for a cinematic experience like no other.

Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill

Actor Sam Neill discusses New Zealand film and his own experiences within and without.

Offerings to the God of Speed

Short subject documentary about land speed record holder Burt Munro. Produced for NZBC.

Walking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand by Me

A unique look at the making of Stand by Me including interviews from Stephen King, Rob Reiner, Kiefer Sutherland, Richard Dreyfuss, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell.

Tackling the All Blacks

Before the summer of 2022, Ireland had never beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand. Using behind the scenes footage and interviews with players and coaches this documentary reflects on the experience of triumphing in New Zealand for the first time.

Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen

This film is an intimate portrayal of pioneering filmmaker Merata Mita told through the eyes of her children. Using hours of archive footage, some never before seen, her youngest child and director Hepi Mita discovers the filmmaker he never knew and shares the mother he lost, with the world.

The Art of Recovery

Downtown has become a frontier of creativity where new ideas flourish. From raw and tragic beginnings, it has grown from a groundswell of spontaneous gap filling into a force that could redefine the shape of the future city. Projects like Gap Filler’s Dance-O-mat and Pallet Pavilion, the profusion of street art and Peter Majendie’s 185 Empty Chairs Memorial have become iconic symbols of the grassroots urban movement and provide sharp contrast to central Government’s big business, corporate driven approach to the rebuild of the city. Soon, a new city will arise, but whose city will it be, and will the creative energy that brought life to the rubble be a part of its future? The Art of Recovery documents one of the most dynamic, creative and contentious times in the history of Christchurch. It tells an uplifting story of resilience and community spirit that informs a greater conversation about how we live together, and how our we build our cities.

Total Steam

Great New Zealand Railway Journeys

Rails in the Wilderness

Indigenous Logging and Bush Tramways in New Zealand.

Reunion Island: An Overview

Réunion Island: An Overview is documentary short film created by Brian Iannone. It is a documentary-style video that features the island of Réunion located in the Indian Ocean. The video shows scenes of the most known natural and tourist attractions in Réunion including its beaches, volcanoes (Piton de la Fournaise) and wildlife such as the "Endormi" chameleon.

Mionga ki Ôbo: Mar e Selva

Angolares are the oldest inhabitants of the island of São Tomé. Control of the island was wrested from them in the late 19th century, and their descendents have been reduced to a small fishing community. This fascinating film explores the tangled history of the Angolares and their beautiful island.

Aotearoa: A Mosaic of Moments

A brief experimental montage documentary short films of the wonders of New Zealand.