If you are about to visit New Zealand and want to check out some documentaries created by its very talented filmmakers, then these 5 should be on the top of your list. They have made a name not just in New Zealand, but also all over the world.
Top 5 NZ Documentary Filmmakers
Leanne Pooley
Leanne Pooley founded her company Spacific Films, as an independent production company way back in 1997. Since then, they have gained a huge reputation for producing highly thought provoking documentaries that are well liked in the international market. Her company has won many awards and accolades.
Vincent Ward
Vincent Ward is an Academy Award winner for his movie with Robin Williams in it, by the name of What Dreams May Come. The movie had two Oscar nominations but won the Academy for best visual effects. Even though he started as a feature filmmaker, he has also produced a documentary Rain of Children.
Damon Gameau
Damon Gameau is known not simply for the extremely popular documentary he produced -That Sugar Film, but also for the book that he wrote with regards to the movie. The book became a best seller in Australia.
Julia Parnell
A New Zealand film producer, Parnell, started her career at Butobase, but left quickly to begin her own production house by the name of Notable Pictures. Even though she produced documentaries at first, she also went into TV direction and making drama films.
Justin Pemberton
Known for the adaptation of Capital in the Twenty-First Century by renowned economist Thomas Piketty, Pemberton is a name known to many. His film on rugby player Richie McCaw Chasing Great broke New Zealand box office in its opening week and is the highest grossing documentary of New Zealand.