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Ten screen storytellers have been matched with experienced New Zealand mentors in the 2021 round of Hunga Taunaki ā Rorohiko, the New Zealand Film Commission’s online mentorship programme. Hunga Taunaki ā Rorohiko refers to working with others and recognising that it takes more than one person to help achieve your aspirations.
95 applications were received from Aotearoa screen storytellers including, writers, writer/directors, writer/producers, documentary makers and narrative designers at emerging and mid-career levels. Applicants were matched with a pool of hugely experienced screen storytelling mentors.
All applicants presented a long-form project in development, indicating the support they were seeking from the mentorship. To ensure the best possible match was made mentors were interviewed about the kinds of projects they would be interested in and what they were looking for in a mentee.
A shortlist of applicants was put forward to each mentor who then had to make the challenging decision as to who they wished to work with.
Mentorships will take place over ten weeks between July and September 2021, with a minimum of ten conversations between the mentors and mentees scheduled. This is a creative collaboration to progress the work, the goal is like the campfire they gather round for the conversations. Along with these conversations there will also be a lot of invaluable sharing about careers and lessons learnt.
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The ten screen storytellers selected for the programme are:
- Renae Maihi, who will be mentored by writer-director Dame Gaylene Preston to further develop a feature film thriller
- Catherine Bisley, who will be mentored by writer-director Alison Maclean to further develop a feature film drama
- Hiona Henare, who will be mentored by writer-director Tusi Tamasese to further develop a feature film drama/romance
- Pennie Hunt, who will be mentored by writer-director Rob Sarkies to further develop a feature film drama
- Chelsea Preston Crayford, who will be mentored by director Christine Jeffs to further develop a feature film comedy/drama
- Pulkit Arora, who will be mentored by writer Duncan Sarkies to further develop a feature film comedy/drama
- Rosie Howells, who will be mentored by writer Nick Ward to further develop a feature film comedy/drama
- Matasila Freshwater, who will be mentored by writer Briar Grace-Smith to further develop a feature film comedy/crime
- Albert Belz, who will be mentored by writer Glenn Standring to further develop a feature film horror/thriller
- Nate Tamblyn, who will be mentored by Narrative Designer Nick Jones to further develop an interactive story for a role playing game