May 2026 Bulletin
What's On May 2026
Recent news from the NZWG office:
First, and most important, it was Mirabelle's birthday In April and we had a stunning cake (thank you Alice!!)
Alice has just been interviewed by Show News where she talked about SIWA (of course) and the 50th anniversary plans. Watch that HERE!
If you're one of our lovely Christchurch members (or you can make the journey to Christchurch) we hope to see you at our live panel discussion on May 21st. If you want an idea of what it’s going to be like then have a listen to the Wellington one here!
LAST CHANCE FOR OUR CHRISTCHURCH
LIVE EVENT 21 MAY
Come along to our live panel event for a discussion exploring the history, legacy, successes, and ongoing challenges of being a screenwriter in Aotearoa New Zealand. This panel brings together practitioners, academics, and critics with panellists James Croot, Gillian Ashurst, Peter Rowley, and Andrew Gunn.
50th ANNIVERSARY MERCH
We got Shirts!! We got Pins!!
Celebrate 50 years of the NZWG by buying our beautiful new limited edition merch here.
CELEBRATING OUR MEMBERS
New procedural drama Bust Up will premiere on Sky Open on Tuesday, 27 May at 8.30pm, with new episodes dropping weekly. Starring Morgana O’Reilly and Roimata Fox, the series follows former romantic partners Deb Brighton and Mihi Renata, who are unexpectedly reunited after a decade apart and forced to work side‑by‑side as police officers in the small (fictional) town of Waitote, the garden gnome capital of Aotearoa. Bust Up was created, written and produced by NZWG members Paula Boock and Donna Malane, and directed by NZWG member Max Currie.
Congrats to NZWG member Isla Macleod for being one of 16 recipients of the 2026 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard Awards! Springboard aims to kickstart sustainable arts careers for artists at a formative stage of their practice in Aotearoa.
The New Zealand crime thriller Blind Panic has now been released globally. NZWG Member April Phillips is a co-producer, script consultant, and music supervisor on this film. See details here.
Congrats to NZWG members Lynda Chanwai-Earle (Writer and Lead Actor), Antony Gusscott (Producer), and Aaron Cowan (Executive Producer)! Their short film 'The Owl and The Rainbow – I Duok Om I Bohuntung' has been selected to premiere at the 2026 ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada. More info about the film here.
ONLINE PANEL 18 JUNE
Join us online for a live panel event exploring the nature of New Zealand comedy on screen. Is it just enough to be funny? Is there a will to fund New Zealand comedy on screen? What legacy have our emerging comedians been left with? This panel brings together some outstanding comedy screenwriters, Oscar Kightley, Alice Snedden, Pax Assadi and Janaye Henry.
WRITERS APPLY NOW!
2026 June Virtual Table Reads with NZWG & DEGANZ (NZ Event)
13 June 2026
10.00am - 2.00pm
Applications close 21 May 2026 12.00pm
NZWG AGM 2026
Our AGM will take place on May 27 2026 at 6pm NZST, please join us if you can!
WRITERS CREDIT SURVEY
We are making the longest credit reel in Aotearoa screen history. It is going to name all those who have a writer credit (or any other credit associated with the writing of a project). This is to show the work that has actually been done by screenwriters in New Zealand. We need your input.
Please head over to the survey to check your own credits, to add or amend, and just make sure we are not leaving anyone out. The results will be shared with all at the Gala dinner in October.
MORE EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Auckland Writefest 2026
This years Auckland Writefest is being held on July 4th, from 8am-5pm at Toi Tu Studio in Ponsonby!
Join for a jam-packed day of creative writing workshops and networking. 5 workshops, 2 panels, 7 tutors.
Early bird tickets available until June 7, more info and tickets here
WIFT Presents: Creative Matchmaking 2026
Creative Matchmaking is a structured day of short one-on-one meetings hosted by WIFT NZ. This event is being held in Auckland, in person only on Saturday 20th June.
Registrations close on Tuesday 2nd June
To register, please do all of the following:
- Fill out the survey HERE
- Purchase your entry HERE
Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest
Searching for extraordinary writers with feature screenplays across all genres.
Registrations are open until May 31st, more info here
Huia Publishers Archive Sale
Huia Publishers is having an archive sale this month, featuring their publications from the 2020's, 10's, and 2000's. Up to 70% off selected titles! Check it out here
What's the "Drama" with "Vertical"?
The vertical microdrama format has taken the world by storm. Join WIFT for a panel conversation to dig into the real story behind vertical content in NZ. Events in Wellington on May 27, and Christchurch on June 10, Tickets here
Big Screen Symposium 2026 - University of Auckland, 3-4 July
Script to Screen presents Big Screen Symposium (BSS), one of Aotearoa's most significant annual screen industry events.
A packed two-day symposium.
Early bird tickets and more info here
New NZ on Screen Platform Launches
A dedicated home for New Zealand screen culture — free content, feature film rental, and 18 years of curatorial expertise, all in one place. Over 120 New Zealand feature films available to rent. Check it out here.
First Films announced at the NZIFF
NZIFF is running from the 29 Jul–9 Sep this year, and they have just announced their first 12 films.
See the list here, including our very own Seed winner, Mum I'm Alien Pregnant.
Recent news from the NZWG office:
First, and most important, it was Mirabelle's birthday In April and we had a stunning cake (thank you Alice!!)
Alice has just been interviewed by Show News where she talked about SIWA (of course) and the 50th anniversary plans. Watch that HERE!
If you're one of our lovely Christchurch members (or you can make the journey to Christchurch) we hope to see you at our live panel discussion on May 21st. If you want an idea of what it’s going to be like then have a listen to the Wellington one here!
Already an NZWG member? Sign in here
What's On May 2026
Recent news from the NZWG office:
First, and most important, it was Mirabelle's birthday In April and we had a stunning cake (thank you Alice!!)
Alice has just been interviewed by Show News where she talked about SIWA (of course) and the 50th anniversary plans. Watch that HERE!
If you're one of our lovely Christchurch members (or you can make the journey to Christchurch) we hope to see you at our live panel discussion on May 21st. If you want an idea of what it’s going to be like then have a listen to the Wellington one here!
LAST CHANCE FOR OUR CHRISTCHURCH
LIVE EVENT 21 MAY
Come along to our live panel event for a discussion exploring the history, legacy, successes, and ongoing challenges of being a screenwriter in Aotearoa New Zealand. This panel brings together practitioners, academics, and critics with panellists James Croot, Gillian Ashurst, Peter Rowley, and Andrew Gunn.
50th ANNIVERSARY MERCH
We got Shirts!! We got Pins!!
Celebrate 50 years of the NZWG by buying our beautiful new limited edition merch here.
CELEBRATING OUR MEMBERS
New procedural drama Bust Up will premiere on Sky Open on Tuesday, 27 May at 8.30pm, with new episodes dropping weekly. Starring Morgana O’Reilly and Roimata Fox, the series follows former romantic partners Deb Brighton and Mihi Renata, who are unexpectedly reunited after a decade apart and forced to work side‑by‑side as police officers in the small (fictional) town of Waitote, the garden gnome capital of Aotearoa. Bust Up was created, written and produced by NZWG members Paula Boock and Donna Malane, and directed by NZWG member Max Currie.
Congrats to NZWG member Isla Macleod for being one of 16 recipients of the 2026 Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard Awards! Springboard aims to kickstart sustainable arts careers for artists at a formative stage of their practice in Aotearoa.
The New Zealand crime thriller Blind Panic has now been released globally. NZWG Member April Phillips is a co-producer, script consultant, and music supervisor on this film. See details here.
Congrats to NZWG members Lynda Chanwai-Earle (Writer and Lead Actor), Antony Gusscott (Producer), and Aaron Cowan (Executive Producer)! Their short film 'The Owl and The Rainbow – I Duok Om I Bohuntung' has been selected to premiere at the 2026 ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto, Canada. More info about the film here.
ONLINE PANEL 18 JUNE
Join us online for a live panel event exploring the nature of New Zealand comedy on screen. Is it just enough to be funny? Is there a will to fund New Zealand comedy on screen? What legacy have our emerging comedians been left with? This panel brings together some outstanding comedy screenwriters, Oscar Kightley, Alice Snedden, Pax Assadi and Janaye Henry.
WRITERS APPLY NOW!
2026 June Virtual Table Reads with NZWG & DEGANZ (NZ Event)
13 June 2026
10.00am - 2.00pm
Applications close 21 May 2026 12.00pm
NZWG AGM 2026
Our AGM will take place on May 27 2026 at 6pm NZST, please join us if you can!
WRITERS CREDIT SURVEY
We are making the longest credit reel in Aotearoa screen history. It is going to name all those who have a writer credit (or any other credit associated with the writing of a project). This is to show the work that has actually been done by screenwriters in New Zealand. We need your input.
Please head over to the survey to check your own credits, to add or amend, and just make sure we are not leaving anyone out. The results will be shared with all at the Gala dinner in October.
MORE EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Auckland Writefest 2026
This years Auckland Writefest is being held on July 4th, from 8am-5pm at Toi Tu Studio in Ponsonby!
Join for a jam-packed day of creative writing workshops and networking. 5 workshops, 2 panels, 7 tutors.
Early bird tickets available until June 7, more info and tickets here
WIFT Presents: Creative Matchmaking 2026
Creative Matchmaking is a structured day of short one-on-one meetings hosted by WIFT NZ. This event is being held in Auckland, in person only on Saturday 20th June.
Registrations close on Tuesday 2nd June
To register, please do all of the following:
- Fill out the survey HERE
- Purchase your entry HERE
Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest
Searching for extraordinary writers with feature screenplays across all genres.
Registrations are open until May 31st, more info here
Huia Publishers Archive Sale
Huia Publishers is having an archive sale this month, featuring their publications from the 2020's, 10's, and 2000's. Up to 70% off selected titles! Check it out here
What's the "Drama" with "Vertical"?
The vertical microdrama format has taken the world by storm. Join WIFT for a panel conversation to dig into the real story behind vertical content in NZ. Events in Wellington on May 27, and Christchurch on June 10, Tickets here
Big Screen Symposium 2026 - University of Auckland, 3-4 July
Script to Screen presents Big Screen Symposium (BSS), one of Aotearoa's most significant annual screen industry events.
A packed two-day symposium.
Early bird tickets and more info here
New NZ on Screen Platform Launches
A dedicated home for New Zealand screen culture — free content, feature film rental, and 18 years of curatorial expertise, all in one place. Over 120 New Zealand feature films available to rent. Check it out here.
First Films announced at the NZIFF
NZIFF is running from the 29 Jul–9 Sep this year, and they have just announced their first 12 films.
See the list here, including our very own Seed winner, Mum I'm Alien Pregnant.
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