I went a bit overboard for this new key-themed loop-de-loop animated piece and now it’s turned into a kind of short film / my first stop-mo narrative. I blame The Brothers Quay. You’ll see what I mean. Probably just put it up on YouTube in a month? #animation #nzanimation #stopmotion

Even a breezy road movie takes a Mad Max-level of effort to get made. www.flicks.co.nz//features/th...

Is… is this Grafted? youtu.be/FRYAuKuzmn0?...

Wasn’t able to add Taratoa’s lovely and detailed notes of how his mum’s stories of the travelling wāhine in his family inspired the film’s story but very happy to share what’s remained in my piece on his ambitious debut.

Our short film's swooping into this year’s Māoriland! My brother and I are gonna road trip it down to Ōtaki for this Indigenous film rave. The Charm of the Magpies is playing in the late Friday night section Ti Whatiwha te Pō, which is such a great placement. #mff2026

Kinda dug Iron Lung, first-timer flaws n all. www.flicks.co.nz//features/th...

Candle Relay—my latest moving scribble for Loop de Loop. #animation #nzanimation #clipstudiopaint

$5,446

I wrote about the new Silent Hill movie. Not good, but gosh, it tries. It really tries. Give the Skinamarink guy a shot at adapting Silent Hill: The Room.

I'm on the Coromandel Peninsula, and what else is there to do when unable to leave but write about the weather and climate change: drbex.substack.com/p/climate-ch...

Didn’t really have a #1 film of the year but here are a bunch I loved.

Fun little holiday project. Got a build-your-own arcade cabinet for Xmas. Made this foolproof tutorial video.

💪

Most of the things I make with Jess Johnson could be called music videos but this is the first actual, for real, music video we've made together. It's for Moritz Simon Geist's dreamy new single, from his upcoming album that Jess provided the cover art for. ⚱️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZU2...

Woah, Maaori Plus has Merata Mita's PATU if interested!

Watch this in the dark with headphones by yourself.

Had to be said.

.@NZonAir Talking BLOKE OF THE APOCALYPSE with its creator Charlie Faulks, including the moments he's proudest of, what his family thinks and who his dream collaborators are. #BlokeOfTheApocalypse darrens-world-of-entertainment.blogspot.com/2025/11/blok... @liammaguren.bsky.social you'd be keen :)

With the passing of Costa Botes, I'm sharing this fascinating and insightful chat I had with him about Forgotten Silver back in 2018. I think it really shows how much he valued authenticity in his life and work. www.flicks.co.nz/features/rem...

Top five film genres: - Animated low-on-story drama that takes place over decades - Thrillers that sacrifice logic for absolute obedience to one gimmick - I'm not obsessed! Everyone else is un-obsessed! - Political talking animal films dunked in misery - Let's hang out in Iran

The latest donor request, for @dillamonster.bsky.social, covering his own 2024 feature GUT INSTINCT and its playful formal experimentation into the "facts" behind conspiracy theories. (As disclosed in the review, he and I go back a ways to the old Usenet newsgroups.) letterboxd.com/scottrenshaw...

This film’s doing the rounds in select cinemas and galleries with discount tickets. Really good showcase of the art from Toi Tū Toi Ora for those like me who missed it. But also a quietly incredible story of resilience from both subject and filmmaker. www.flicks.co.nz/features/toi...

You can now watch black comedy Kiwi gem Millie Lies Low for free on Whakaata Māori. And I implore you do. It's so damn good and we, as a nation, should be talking about it more. www.flicks.co.nz/movie/millie...

CHARM OF THE MAGPIES, the short I wrote and directed, is available watch online! This weekend only. For $12. Via Show Me Shorts On Demand. Our film's part of the My Kind section which includes the wickedly good The Sentry & My Kind of People. ondemand.showmeshorts.co.nz/film/my-kind/

It’s been on my mind for a while. Now it’s a piece for Flicks.

Did a lovely Q&A with Darren Bevan about our short film The Charm of the Magpies, kicking off this week as part of Show Me Shorts' My Kind collection. The last Q's a deep-cut reference to this orange guy. darrens-world-of-entertainment.blogspot.com/2025/10/show...

Unbelievably, I've been nominated for Best Director for our short film The Charm of the Magpies.

This is my masterwork.

Toitū te reo ✊

Big and true.

I’ve been waiting for a good time to revive my piece from 2019 about the first three Toy Story movies.

New from me about small release Sketch, which we should all be thankful it’s found its way into NZ cinemas. www.flicks.co.nz//features/th...

If you're in my neck of the woods, here's your chance to see Doug's wildly original GUT INSTINCT at Takapuna Beachside Cinemas + a couple of my animated short films.

I wrote this piece all fingers crossed that no other outlet realised it's been 28 years since Princess Mononoke.

And it's the filthiest goddamn thing I've written in quite some time.

Never a better time to celebrate one of the all-time greats. Some people’s contributions to institutions fade over time - Bill’s absence from NZIFF and Aotearoa just becomes clearer and clearer.

So proud to have my name fused to this very cool, esoteric feature.

Made mini pencil posters of all my #nziff films. Fun way to reflect on what I saw + fill the voids of time in between screenings. Resurrection, Twinless & Sorry, Baby were three of my biggest highlights.