Introducing The 2025 Activator Cohort: 12 Leading NZ Producers Selected For Screen Business Programme
Between July and October 2025, these mid-career and established producers will take part in an intensive programme including industry-led workshops, international market visits to Sydney, London, and Los Angeles, and expert business training.
The cohort of 12 producers represent some of the most entrepreneurial and ambitious screen talent in Aotearoa - working across film, television, documentary and factual - and are now poised to take their projects and businesses to the global stage.
Meet the 2025 Activator Participants (Pictured L-R and listed alphabetically)
Alexander Behse - Monsoon Pictures International
Documentary and feature producer known for pushing boundaries in the development, production, and financing of indigenous and factual programming. Alexander's screen production credits include the box-office hit POI-E: The Story of Our Song, New Zealand's first HBO Max Original There is No I in Threesome and the SXSW-premiering Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web (Hulu).
Alexandra Reed - Bloom Pictures
Documentary and drama producer specialising in socially engaged, character-led storytelling. Alex's credits include the Netflix docu-feature Mister Organ, the HBO Max Original There Is No I in Threesome and feature documentary The Girl on the Bridge.
Cameron 'Cam' Bakker - Kevin & Co.
Entertainment and comedy producer behind some of Australasia's most successful formats. Cam's producing credits include Taskmaster NZ, Creamerie, Double Parked and Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee (NZ & Australia).
Cass Avery - Dark Doris
Multi-platform documentary producer and writer known for purpose-driven storytelling. Cass's credits include Richie McCaw feature doc Chasing Great (New Zealand's highest grossing feature documentary), mental health advocate documentary The Girl on the Bridge and Prime Minister, the audience award winner at Sundance 2025.
Georgina Conder - Miss Conception Films
Drama and comedy producer with a focus on underrepresented voices. Georgina's credits include a string of hit feature films including The Breaker Upperers, Cousins, Red, White & Brass and the award-winning TV series Not Even.
Mario Gaoa - The Brown Factory
Writer, director, and producer of scripted and documentary projects with a Pacific lens. Mario's credits include bro'Town, We Are Still Here, Duckrockers and Kiwi box office record-breaker Tinā.
Halaifonua 'Nua' Finau - Tavake
Writer and producer developing bold, unapologetic Pacific-led content. Nua's credits include box office hit Red, White & Brass, TIFF-premiering TV drama The Panthers and award-winning Rachel Griffiths-led comedy-drama series Madam.
Nicole Horan (Ngāti Maniapoto) - Hi Mama Productions
Producer of scripted and factual content grounded in kaupapa Māori. Nicole's credits include factual series such as Toa Hunter Gatherer, documentary including Speak No Māori and scripted content like the upcoming Dead Ahead.
Nigel McCulloch (Ngāti Whakaue) - The Down Low Concept
Writer-producer specialising in comedy and music documentary. Nigel's credits include 7 Days, Hounds, Scribe: Return of the Crusader and Alien Weaponry: Kua Tupu Te Ara (Tribeca).
Paul Yates - NZDB / Kitchen Table Productions
Veteran writer and producer of comedy and drama. Paul's credits include Wellington Paranormal, Under the Vines, and the upcoming sci-fi series Warren's Vortex.
Rachale Davies (Ngāti Māhanga) - Boxed Media
Director and producer of factual and formatted content. Known for championing diverse voices, Rachale founded Boxed Media to amplify underrepresented stories. Her credits include major unscripted series, award-winning documentaries, and shows like The X Factor and Bondi Rescue.
Robyn Paterson - Sweet Productions
Award-winning documentary and unscripted producer with a focus on purpose-led content. Robyn's credits include Down for Love, Grand Designs NZ, Finding Mercy and Licence to Drive.
The 2025 Activator Screen Business Programme is made possible with the support of the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air, and Te Māngai Pāho, the Vista Foundation, Netflix, Grant Thornton and Gallagher Insurance. The programme was developed by Libertine Pictures and 113 Partners, with 113 Partners overseeing the course content and Libertine Pictures and Hinterland managing the market connections and assisted by Spada.
ABOUT LIBERTINE PICTURES
Libertine Pictures is an award-winning independent film and television production company founded in 2013 and led by accomplished producer Richard Fletcher and internationally acclaimed writer Neil Cross.
Libertine produces bold and compelling feature films, documentaries and television drama. It works with established storytellers and filmmakers and nurtures emerging talent.
The company's most recent productions include Secrets at Red Rocks for BYUtv and Sky, three series of the award-winning family mystery adventure Mystic for BBC and TVNZ and three series of Under the Vines, for AMC Networks' Acorn TV and TVNZ.
www.libertinepictures.com
ABOUT 113 PARTNERS
113 Partners is a strategic advisory firm that assists businesses in the creative industries to grow, seek investment, and realise their value. Its principals are strategic advisers to the Asia Pacific region' s most cutting edge creative businesses and bring a wealth of insights, access to strategic partnerships, and on the ground experience to their clients.
The business uses its principals' commercial experience to assist creative businesses to plan robust and achievable strategies to achieve domestic and international growth, financial stability, sustainable resourcing, and streamlined operations. They have advised many of ANZ's top television production, broadcast, music, design, advertising, media and entertainment companies and been instrumental in many of the most significant international acquisitions of content businesses in the region.
www.113partners.com
ABOUT HINTERLAND
Hinterland supports independent and creative producers, primarily in New Zealand and Australia, by providing flexible, producer-friendly financial solutions. With extensive local expertise, global industry connections, and over 25 years of experience in cashflow finance for film and television, Hinterland's leadership team possesses deep knowledge of regional screen industry incentives, complex multi-party transactions, sales agent advances, distribution advances and pre-sales within New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom. www.hinterland.nz
ABOUT SPADA
Established in 1982, Spada is the preeminent producer's organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Spada has a high profile amongst the industry, government officials, key funding agencies and associated organisations as well as wide-reaching international contacts in the US, UK and Europe.
Spada has regular and constructive dialogue with funding bodies, broadcasters, government, and with other national and international industry groups and opinion leaders. This ensures the organisation can monitor and influence the development of New Zealand's screen production policies while advocating for the production industry and fostering a vibrant and dynamic domestic screen industry. spada.co.nz
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