NZWG 50th Anniversary

Fifty years of stories. Millions of words. One blank page at a time.

In 2026, the New Zealand Writers Guild turns 50.

That’s half a century of screenwriters staring down the terror and promise of a blank page.

Fifty years of ideas scribbled on buses, rewritten at kitchen tables, argued over in writers’ rooms, and finally transformed into the films and television shows that have helped Aotearoa see itself.

To mark this milestone, NZWG is presenting a year-long programme of live events, online masterclasses, and international conversations that celebrate screenwriting as both craft and cultural force. This is a birthday year with substance: reflective, curious, occasionally irreverent, and deeply proud of the writers who got us here.

Every screen story starts quietly. One writer. One idea. One page.

And then something remarkable happens.

Crews are hired. Actors perform. Communities host productions. Economies move. Audiences laugh, argue, cry, recognise themselves, and sometimes see the country anew.

Screenwriting sits at the start of that chain. It is both invisible and foundational, precarious and powerful. The 50th anniversary programme asks big questions about that paradox, while also making space for practical support, professional learning, and a bit of collective joy.