Chelsea Winstanley named as finalist in the Women in Film and Television New Zealand Award

The Women in Film and Television New Zealand Awards has announced their finalists for this year’s ceremony.

Set to take place on Thursday, February 29 at Auckland’s St Matthew-in-the-City, the award show has honoured women in the industry since 2004 including the likes of Robyn Malcom, Rose Matafeo and Stacey Morrison, now they’re ready to celebrate and encourage even more women in the industry with this year’s award show.

With 10 award categories, including the South Pacific Pictures Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film, SAE Award for Outstanding Newcomer and the Hinterland Woman to Watch Award, there is an array of talented Kiwi wāhine who have been named as finalists including Chelsea Winstanley.

Winstanley is a New Zealand film producer who has produced many short films and documentaries throughout her career celebrating Indigenous peoples. She has worked on many popular titles including Jojo Rabbit and What We Do in the Shadows with her ex-husband and famed Hollywood director Taika Waititi.

Award-winning Kiwi journalist, television presenter and radio broadcaster Mihingarangi Forbes has also been named as a finalist in the Te Māngai Pāho Te Reo Māori Champion Award for her work in the te reo Māori space.

Forbes has worked as a journalist for over 20 years reporting in both te reo and English. She told the Herald in 2017, “Without te reo, God knows if I’d ever have been in journalism. It has opened so many doors for me and given me an understanding of the people whose stories I was doing.”

As for who is deciding on the winners, the judging panel includes Jill Macnab (chairwoman), Alyx Duncan, Nicole Horan, Amanda Davison, Kathleen Anderson, Jasmin McSweeney, Vea Mafile’o and Kath Graham, with input from Sally Campbell and the various category sponsors.

Also known as the WIFT NZ Awards, the Women in Film and Television NZ Awards were established in 2004 to recognise, celebrate and encourage the achievements of women in film, television and digital media.

The awards are a part of the WIFT group which was founded in Wellington in 1993, followed by WIFT Auckland in 1995 and WIFT Christchurch in 1996 before the regional chapters fully merged in 2009.

WIFT was created to ensure women are welcomed, supported and thriving in an equitable screen industry, WIFT NZ is a not-for-profit organisation that combined with their more than 50 WIFT and WIFT-partners worldwide, represents more than 20,000 members.

Here is the full list of finalists:

South Pacific Pictures Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film

Alex Reed for Mister Organ

Desray Armstrong for Juniper

Paula Whetu Jones for Whina

Imagezone Entrepreneurship Award

Chelsea Winstanley – Matewa Media, Ahi Collective, This Too Shall Pass

Nanette Miles – Toybox

Sharlene George – The Sweetshop

Images & Sound Award for Outstanding Achievement in Television and Digital

Bronwynn Bakker – producer – for her body of work, first broadcast between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023

Carly Turner – editor – for her body of work first broadcast between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023

Fiona Copland – producer – for Kiri and Lou

Professional Lighting Services Award for Unsung Heroine of the NZ Screen Industry

Alice Shearman

Billie Lusk

Jane Anderson

SAE Award for Outstanding Newcomer

Luana Barnes

Marianne Infante

Stephanie Damm-Logan

Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne

Hinterland Woman to Watch Award

Abba-Rose Vaiaoga-Ioasa

Angela Cudd

Mia-Marama Henry-Teirney

Morgan Leigh Stewart

Queenstown Camera Company Craft Award

Ashlee Fidow – stunt performer

Kirsty Griffin – stills photographer

Maria Ines Manchego NZCS – director of photography

Wētā FX Creative Technology Award

Beck Veitch – compositing supervisor

Cushla Dillon – editor

Kara Vandeleur – vfx producer

Te Māngai Pāho Te Reo Māori Champion Award

Libby Hakaraia

Mihingarangi Forbes

Miriama Kamo

Warner Bros. Discovery Award for Moana Excellence in the Screen Industry

Karin Williams

Lisa Taouma

Ngaire Fuata

The judges determined that there should be only one finalist and winner to be announced at the Awards ceremony for the following category:

Great Southern Film & Television Award for Outstanding Contribution to the NZ Screen Industry