INTERVIEWS
Conversations with creatives.
In Conversation: ‘The Mountain’ Director Rachel House and Actor Terence Daniel
A coming-of-age adventure film, The Mountain (2024) follows a trio of Kiwi pre-teens in their journey for healing, culture, and heritage as they attempt to scale the glorious Mount Taranaki. I had the opportunity to speak with both Rachel House and Terence Daniel—a young actor making his debut through the role of Bronco, a sharp-minded Māori boy—on their personal influences, shooting experience, and thematic goals for the film.
In Conversation: 'All I've Got & Then Some' Co-directors Rasheed Stephens and Tehben Dean
All I’ve Got & Then Some (2024) is an autobiographical feature inspired by the life and events of star and co-director Rasheed Stephens. I had the opportunity to speak to Stephens and Tehben Dean—his talented co-director, co-writer, and cinematographer—about the filmmaking process, dreams, and what it means to tell a story so uncut and personal.
In Conversation: ‘Crumb Catcher’ Director Chris Skotchdopole
Crumb Catcher works with an absurd premise—what if a business pitch went really, really wrong?—and pushes it as far as it’ll go. I spoke with Chris Skotchdopole about the inspirations for his debut feature film, writing from a place of character, and what goes into a great car chase scene.
In Conversation: 'Chuck Chuck Baby' Director Janis Pugh
Chuck Chuck Baby is a musical comedy that centers on working-class women and their friendship and love. I had the chance to sit down with director and writer Janis Pugh on her first feature, set in Pugh’s hometown in Northern Wales.
In Conversation: ‘The Queen of My Dreams’ Director Fawzia Mirza
The Queen of My Dreams (2023) is the full-length directorial debut of Fawzia Mirza. The film follows the emotional journey of queer Muslim grad student Azra (Amrit Kaur) as she visits Pakistan after her father’s (Hamza Haq)’s sudden death. I had the opportunity to speak to Fawzia about her own artistic journey and filmmaking process.