A BSS favourite returns with exclusive previews of soon-to-be-released New Zealand films and, for the first time, series. Don't miss this year's line up, featuring: God Bless You, Mr Kopu Good Bones Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! LOMU Ms. X The Dog Show Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival Be the first to see what's hitting our screens soon, only at Big Screen Symposium 2026

As Aotearoa approaches the next General Election, the future of the screen sector will be shaped by the policy decisions, investment priorities and strategic direction of those seeking to govern. Invitations to participate were extended to all six parliamentary parties, with representatives from the Labour Party, the Green Party, New Zealand First and Te Pāti Māori joining this year's discussion. Opening statements from each representative provide the starting point for a moderated discussion exploring the opportunities, challenges and choices facing the screen sector, with audience questions helping to shape the conversation. Bringing together political leaders and screen practitioners in the same room, the session offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from those seeking to influence the future of Aotearoa's screen industry. Speakers: Reuben Davidson (New Zealand Labour Party), Kahurangi Carter (Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand), Oriini Kaipara (Te Pāti Māori), Dr David Wilson (New Zealand First) Moderator: Toby Manhire

New Zealand Film Commission speakers: Ainsley Gardiner Esther Cahill-Chiaroni Annie Murray NZ On Air speakers: Cameron Harland Amie Mills

Documentary luminary Pietra Brettkelly’s latest feature Crocodile, premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, was made over 13 years across geographies and cultures, shaped by remote collaboration and the building of relationships with those on screen. In this conversation, Brettkelly speaks to the practical and creative realities behind the film, from sustaining connection across borders to navigating the uncertainties of process, funding, authorship and shared creative work. At its core is a considered rethinking of the dynamics between author and subject, opening up new possibilities for how stories are made and shared. Speaker: Pietra Brettkelly

Ursula Grace Williams and Vea Mafile’o are two of Aotearoa’s leading filmmakers, with documentary work spanning Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao E Rua – Two Worlds, For My Father’s Kingdom and the upcoming Lomu. In this moderated conversation, they reflect on their beginnings and the trajectories that have shaped their practice, from early project discovery through to development and international recognition. Together, they explore how stories are carried forward, the realities of working across local and global contexts, and the persistence behind sustaining a creative life. The session considers how culture, values and identity might shape storytelling, offering insights relevant to any filmmaker navigating their own voice and practice. Speakers: Ursula Grace Williams, Vea Mafile'o

Tom Sainsbury and Holly Shervey are part of a growing wave of performers reshaping how screen careers are built, moving from auditioning for roles to creating work that reflects their own voice. In this conversation, they reflect on the origins of series including Crackhead and Small Town Scandal, and the creative and collaborative processes that brought them to screen. The session explores how actors can expand their craft, how producers might recognise and support emerging voices, and how building work around individual strengths can lead to more sustainable, audience-connected careers. Speakers: Tom Sainsbury, Holly Shervey

From independent features to directing Hollywood A-listers, James Ashcroft’s career has been shaped by bold choices and steady progression. With his upcoming feature The Whisper Man, starring Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Keaton, he steps into a new level of scale and expectation. In this moderated conversation, Ashcroft reflects on the craft, instincts and decisions that prepared him for this shift. Together, they explore what changes as the canvas expands, what stays constant, and how a director navigates the pressures and possibilities of working at a global level. Speaker: James Ashcroft* *James Ashcroft is also holding a masterclass session "Directing for Performance".

For many directors, the first feature is not a beginning but a reckoning: the point where years of practice, persistence and instinct are tested at scale. It demands a shift in craft, leadership and resilience, often revealing as much about the director as the film itself. In this moderated conversation, Chelsie Preston Crayford and Callum Devlin reflect on their debut features, Caterpillar and The Weed Eaters, two works that diverge boldly in tone and style. Preston Crayford’s tender, intergenerational character study stands in contrast to Devlin’s irreverent, genre-driven storytelling, revealing how distinct creative instincts, shaped under contrasting conditions, translate to the same milestone. Together, they unpack what it means to step up to long-form directing: expanding vision, navigating constraint, leading collaborators, and embracing the discoveries and compromises that shape a first feature in the realities of making work today. Speakers: Chelsie Preston Crayford, Callum Devlin* *Callum Devlin is also speaking at the "Friends and Neighbours" session, detailing his journey with The Weed Eaters and their collaboration with Australian production partner Causeway Films.

In just 13 years, Māoriland has grown from a small caravan in Ōtaki into a globally recognised movement for Māori and Indigenous screen storytelling. Now operating as an award-winning Indigenous screen ecosystem spanning exhibition, development and international creative engagement. It is a tikanga-led kaupapa, offering a compelling model for rethinking how the screen sector approaches sustainability, authorship and new audience engagement. In this moderated session, Māoriland co-founder and Kaitaki Pūrakau (Head of Content) Libby Hakaraia and Film Festival Director Madeleine Hakaraia de Young reflect on the foundations of this growth, from relationships and collective practice through to the structures that support ongoing creative and sector impact. Together, they explore what sits beneath Māoriland’s success, including initiatives across production, talent development, employment pathways and Indigenous collaboration, and what might translate across contexts. This session also examines how collective approaches can strengthen creative outcomes, deepen audience connection, and support more resilient systems, approaches that have led to the Māoriland Film Festival generating over $28 million in visitor spending and international recognition at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival with the Global Production Award for Economic Impact. Speakers: Libby Hakaraia, Madeleine Hakaraia de Young

The gothic revenge horror Mārama is an opulent experience, as much in its visual splendour as in its emotionally penetrating score, which carries and extends the film’s narrative meaning. Composers Karl Sölve Steven and Rob Thorne bring orchestral composition into conversation with Māori instrumentation and performance, shaping tone, perspective and tension within the film’s reflection on power, history and identity. This moderated session centres the score as a narrative force, breaking down the musical components that underpin the film’s emotional and thematic weight. At the core of the session is an exploration of a collaborative process across their work together, grounded in a clear partnership kaupapa, where different musical languages are held in synergy through shared intent and careful decision-making. Rooted in practice, the conversation opens out to practitioners across disciplines, offering a thoughtful lens on how creative partnerships can deepen the work and expand what is possible. Speakers: Karl Sölve Steven, Rob Thorne

From the cultural phenomenon of The Babadook to the global box-office success of Talk To Me, Causeway Films has built a reputation for championing bold creative voices and transforming distinctive local stories into international success. Their films have become fixtures of major international festivals while finding audiences around the world, demonstrating that creative ambition and commercial appeal need not be mutually exclusive. In this moderated session, Causeway Films founders Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton reflect on the origins, growth and evolution of the company. Tracing the decisions, partnerships and creative instincts that shaped its trajectory, they explore how a distinctive company identity can inform everything from talent development and project selection to long-term sustainability and growth. Offering equal measures of inspiration and practical insight, the conversation examines the leadership, innovation and strategic thinking required to build a creative organisation with lasting impact. Speakers: Causeway Films (Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton)* *Causeway Films are also speaking at the "Friends and Neighbours" session, about working with a Kiwi filmmaker team for their feature film The Weed Eaters.

Paloma Schneideman’s debut feature Big Girls Don’t Cry launched onto the international festival circuit with selections at Sundance, SXSW and BFI Flare, earning strong critical attention along the way. Joined by producers Thomas Coppell and Vicky Pope, this session looks beyond the premiere to the pathway that made it possible. Together, they trace the project’s evolution from its earliest beginnings through to festival screenings, reflecting on the years of development, collaboration and persistence that shaped the work, including the key decisions, partnerships and moments that helped move it forward. The conversation explores how talent is nurtured over time, how individual development opportunities are recognised and built upon, and how creative teams can actively support and empower one another. This session offers a candid look at what it takes to sustain momentum, navigate setbacks, and carry a project from its first spark to an internationally recognised debut. Speakers: Paloma Schneideman, Thomas Coppell, Vicky Pope

Whether between friends, creative teams or companies working across borders, collaboration remains one of the industry's most powerful tools for turning ambition into opportunity. This session brings together the talented New Zealand team behind The Weed Eaters and their Australian Executive Producers, Causeway Films, to explore the many dimensions of collaboration, from grassroots creative partnerships to the realities and possibilities of working across the Tasman. From production and financing through to distribution and discoverability, the conversation examines what each partner brought to the table and how their collaboration expanded the project's potential. Drawing on the experience of bringing The Weed Eaters to life, the discussion will consider the practical challenges, shared benefits and lessons learned from building a project across two closely connected screen industries, offering insights into how trans-Tasman partnerships can help projects expand their reach, build resilience and connect with wider audiences. Speakers: Causeway Films* (Sam Jennings and Kristina Ceyton), Alice May Connolly, Finnius Teppett, Callum Devlin**, Annabel Kean *Causeway Films are also speaking at their "Cause for Growth" session, around their production company's origin, success, and future steps. ** Callum Devlin is also speaking about his directing journey at the "Feature Firsts" session.

Not every feature begins with institutional investment. For many, the path to the screen is forged through resourcefulness, self-investment and a determination to make the work on their own terms. This session brings together independent filmmakers working outside traditional funding pathways to explore what it takes to get a feature made independently, and why independence does not have to mean working alone. From alternative financing models and crowdfunding to pooling personal resources, skills and networks, they share how constraint can become a creative driver, and how collective momentum can carry a project from idea to completion. In the tradition of Aotearoa’s No. 8 wire mentality, the conversation examines the practical and creative trade-offs of working independently, from maintaining creative control and sustaining collaborators to the challenge of getting the work seen. For storytellers ready to make the leap, this session offers a clear-eyed view of the risks and rewards, and a grounded look at what it takes to back yourself, build with others, make the thing, put it on screen and get it seen. Speakers: Daniel Betty, Matt Hicks, Tom Levesque, Eva Trebilco

Before Chief of War emerged as one of the most ambitious and acclaimed television productions of 2025, it began with a writer committed to representing his people and culture. In this one-on-one conversation, Hawaiian screenwriter Thomas Paʻa Sibbett reflects on the journey that led to Chief of War, tracing the experiences, influences and convictions that shaped his narrative practice. From an early determination to champion Kanaka Maoli perspectives to co-creating a sweeping historical epic for a global platform, Sibbett discusses the opportunities and responsibilities of bringing culturally grounded narratives and revered historical figures to the screen. Exploring authorship, adaptation, collaboration and craft, this session considers how creative purpose can endure through years of development and production. Ultimately, it is a conversation about how story gives meaning to scale, and why narrative remains at the centre of ambitious screen storytelling. Speaker: Thomas Pa'a Sibbett

In a market that releases over 150 local and nearly 400 international titles each year, writer-director Cathy Garcia-Sampana has claimed the Philippine box office crown nine times. After a worldwide release, her 2024 film, Hello, Love, Again became the highest-grossing Filipino film in history. In this conversation, Garcia-Sampana examines how an understanding of cultural values, aspirations and everyday relationships has informed her approach to filmmaking. Drawing on her experience creating some of the Philippines' most successful romantic and family dramas, she reflects on what audiences respond to, how those responses evolve over time, and how cultural insight shapes both creative and commercial decision-making. Through the success of Hello, Love, Again, the session explores the intersection of audience understanding, business realities and storytelling craft. More than a discussion of box office performance, it considers the proposition that audiences are not simply markets to be captured, but communities to be understood, and that enduring success emerges from the relationship filmmakers cultivate with the people they serve. Cathy Garcia-Sampana's appearance was made possible with the assistance of WIFT NZ. Speaker: Cathy Garcia-Sampana

Delightful creative discoveries come in moments of pure play, but this can often sit uneasily alongside the realities of funding deadlines, commissioning expectations, development structures and production deliverables. In this session, the NZ Comedy Trust presents a star-powered case study on how to take a small, funny idea and develop it into a meaningful comedy screen project without losing the sense of frivolity, experimentation and risk that made it compelling in the first place. Exploring the origins of their favourite characters and creative collaborations, a panel of performer-writer-makers will reflect on the culturally supportive conditions that help comedians feel safe enough to take big swings. They will also discuss how creatives can protect their voice as commercial pressures and expectations grow louder. The conversation will explore how live performance and social media can help refine ideas, test audience response and identify concepts with genuine screen potential. Casting a comedy lens over traditional development and production pathways, the session offers practical insights into shaping original ideas for television, digital platforms and long-form storytelling, building sustainable creative partnerships, and translating spontaneous comic energy into viable projects capable of connecting with audiences at scale. This session is made possible with the Support of Irirangi Te Motu | New Zealand On Air as part of the NZ Comedy Trust’s 2026 Comedy Sandpit. Speakers: Guy Montgomery, Bailey Poching, Jackie van Beek

No two projects demand exactly the same process. From writing rooms and commissioned work to original features and series development, professional writers are constantly required to adjust how they work. In this session, Dianne Taylor (After the Party, Dustfall) and Briar Grace-Smith (Cousins, Rūrangi) explore the relationship between craft and process. Drawing on their experience across television and feature film, they reflect on how creative methodologies evolve in response to collaborators, deadlines, formats and production realities, and what remains constant when everything else changes. Whether adapting existing material, contributing to a larger creative vision or developing original work, they discuss the practical decisions that shape a writer's approach from project to project. At its core, this is a kōrero about adaptability: not simply of stories, but of the writer's practice itself, and how flexibility around commercial demands can coexist with a strong creative voice. Speakers: Dianne Taylor, Briar Grace-Smith

A series begins as a pito mata - the raw, uncooked portion of the kūmara held back not because it is finished, but because it is full of potential. An idea, like that seed, is never fully formed until it's delivered, and the journey from first spark to screen can take years, even decades - and a great many pivots along the way. In this masterclass, writer-director and showrunner Kiel McNaughton traces the whakapapa of two of his recent series Tangata Pai and Baddies. Following each title from conception through production and release, he examines the key decisions, turning points and creative recalibrations that shaped their path to screen. Kiel shares an honest, informative, behind-the-scenes account of holding an idea across the long years of development: how a concept takes root, how it survives collaboration, compromise and the endless troubleshooting of production, and the central question we all wrestle with - how do you let the work grow and adapt while keeping it authentic? This session is for writers, directors and producers carrying ideas of their own, and wondering what it takes to sustain a story across the long years between first spark and screen. Speaker: Kiel McNaughton* *Kiel McNaughton is also speaking in the "Untranslated Selves" panel, about creating indigenous-language series.

From independent features to directing internationally recognised talent, James Ashcroft brings a performance-driven approach informed by his background as an actor. His work centres on creating the conditions for performances that feel truthful, present, and alive. In this practical masterclass, Ashcroft explores directing as a collaborative process between actor and director, where preparation and responsiveness shape the work. He will share how he builds scenes from the inside out, allowing performance to inform blocking, camera placement, and rhythm, while maintaining a clear framework that invites trust, risk, and spontaneity. This session offers valuable insight for both directors and actors seeking to deepen their shared craft and on-set language. Speaker: James Ashcroft* *James Ashcroft is also holding a session, "Going Big", about his career trajectory from indie film to Hollywood.

Innovation is often discussed in terms of technology, but some of the most significant advances may lie in how productions themselves are conceived and delivered. Drawing on the upcoming hybrid live action and animated children's series Stevie and the Sacred Animals, producer Rebecca Gibson explores how storytelling, mentorship and community participation can be woven into the fabric of a production. This moderated conversation examines how animation, industry partnerships and emerging technologies can expand creative possibilities while opening new pathways into the screen sector. As a seasoned producer embedded within one of Canada's leading Indigenous production companies, Gibson also reflects on the responsibilities and relationships required to support Indigenous authorship, uphold cultural authority and create meaningful pathways for future generations of creators. Speaker: Rebecca Gibson

Bringing together Thomas Paʻa Sibbett (Chief of War), Richard Curtis & Lea McLean (End of the Valley) and Kiel McNaughton (Tangata Pai), this conversation explores the creative possibilities and practical realities of developing television series partly or wholly in Indigenous languages. From Native Hawaiian to Te Reo Māori, the panel examines how language and culture shapes narrative, character and worldview, and what it means to create work that is accountable to community while reaching audiences beyond it. Moving beyond questions of representation, the kōrero considers Indigenous-language storytelling as both a cultural practice and a creative advantage. As platforms and audiences increasingly seek distinctive voices and perspectives, these creators reflect on how linguistic and cultural specificity can contribute to both artistic and commercial success in a global screen ecosystem. Speakers: Thomas Paʻa Sibbett*, Richard Curtis & Lea McLean, Kiel McNaughton** *Thomas Pa'a Sibbett is also holding a session, "Story Before Spectacle", about his journey in making Chief of War. **Kiel McNaughton is also holding a masterclass, "Tangata Pivot, From Seed to Screen", about his journey in creating his recent series Tangata Pai and Baddies.

AI continues to generate both excitement and concern across the industry. Rather than revisiting familiar debates about whether it is "good" or "bad", this session provides a snapshot of how AI is currently being explored, tested and discussed within Aotearoa New Zealand's screen sector. Opening with Future Frames co-founder Graeme Revell's reflections on the opportunities and challenges AI presents for creative practice, the session then turns to Future Frames:NZ AI Short Film Competition. Celebrating the winning films from the competition, established to encourage experimentation, critical thinking and informed discussion around rapidly emerging technologies in screen storytelling, the awards showcase practical examples of how AI is being incorporated into screen production. Building on these examples, filmmaker-researcher Caroline Bell-Booth presents early findings from her Master's research into classifying AI use in New Zealand screen production. Exploring evolving creative workflows, emerging approaches to transparency and the wider implications of AI adoption, her research considers how practical frameworks could support funding agencies, policymakers, practitioners and audiences to make more informed decisions about the use of AI in publicly funded screen production. Speakers: Graeme Revell, Caroline Bell-Booth Presenter: Melissa Conway

Drawing on her experience on the Original Series team at Netflix and as Vice President of Film & TV at Hello Sunshine, Penelope Essoyan unpacks the journey from identifying compelling intellectual property through development, packaging, commissioning and global launch. Beginning with how books, articles and other underlying material are assessed for adaptation, Essoyan explores what makes IP stand out, how development executives evaluate its potential, and how producers and creators can shape a distinctive vision around material they have already secured. Using Partner Track, which she shepherded from book to Netflix series, she illustrates the process in practice. The conversation then examines how creative decisions intersect with platform strategy, marketing, publicity and global rollout as series are prepared for worldwide audiences. Offering a rare inside look at how major streamers package, greenlight and position projects for global success, the session provides practical insights for writers, producers and development executives looking to build projects with international reach. Penelope Essoyan’s appearance is made possible with the support of the U.S. Mission to New Zealand and the American Film Showcase. Speaker: Penelope Essoyan

Building a resilient screen sector requires more than creative and technical excellence. Through two presentations, this session explores the production practices that create lasting environmental, commercial and cultural value that strengthen not only how productions are made, but who they reach and how they are experienced. In the first presentation, Greenlit Executive Director Rose Archer shares practical, implementable strategies for saving money on screen productions across the sector. With fuel costs rising, the practices that cut carbon often cut spending too, from reducing fuel use on set to running more efficient productions. Rose offers clear, actionable approaches that productions can apply straight away to lower their emissions while managing costs and building resilience against the environmental, economic and operational pressures the industry now faces. In the second, Able's Stella Huggins draws on her personal connection to disability, alongside her work as a Caption Producer and production professional, to demonstrate how lived experience informs production practice. Reflecting on Able's purpose in the streaming era, she explores how making content accessible connects people with vision or hearing impairments to screen stories, and how placing accessibility at the centre of production helps democracy and a vibrant cultural ecosystem flourish. Speakers: Rose Archer, Stella Huggins