we tell stories
When I moved to New Zealand at 11 years old, I made a friend in Liam McEwan, who showed me the basics of recording and editing - that was in 2006.
Till this day I still find a great passion in writing and directing stories for film. Connecting with peoples experiences through film making is one of the most spiritual and emotional practices we get to partake in. Unique to the modern age, visual storytelling is an art that brings music.
Please enjoy our award winning short films and get in touch if you have an idea for a feature film, short film, or documentary.
- Connor Curlewis
Help Yourself (Short Coming Soon)
Written by Rama Buisson
Produced, Directed + Edited by Connor Curlewis
Director of Photography Matias Fabro
Written and performed by Rama Buisson
Sound Recording by Robert Pendergrast
Shelly + Production Manager - Lucy Parsonson
Flatmate + Production Assist - Adam Curlewis
Art Director - Roy Blackmore
Camera Operator - Bradley Holdaway
Colourist - Matias Fabro
Foley by Joseph Ianni
Assistant Director - Olivia van Kerckhof
Hair & Makeup + Clapper Loader by Ella Williams
Gaffer by Finn Leney
Voice overs by Joseph Iaanni + Connor Curlewis
The most attentive and disciplined of us can’t resist a nice, creamy, donut.
The Waiting Game - Short Coming Soon
With Marijuana being illegal we had to meet up with strangers in the places where we used to walk to school, meeting these dealers was scary and uncomfortable and usually resulted in low quality and low quantity weed. However the nature of the beast meant that the story was worth it and the high was usually hilarious and profound.
The Waiting Game follows a pair of friends tirelessly waiting for their dealer to meet them in a rural carpark,
passing the time as time passers do.
The film was Written by Finn Leney
It was Directed by Finn Leney and Connor Curlewis
The Assistant Director, Assistant Edit and Produced was Marrissa Cloutier
It was Produced, Edited, DOP by Connor Curlewis
The Colourist and 1st AC was Bradley Holdaway
The Sound was recorded by Robert Pendergrast
The Music was by Skin of Trees
The Gaffer was Lucy Parsonson
Sound Mix by Matt Neale
Ethan was played by Daniel Rundle
Henry was Played by Johnson Manukau
Toby was played by Ivan Arnerich
After work
In hospitality we face the back splitting strain of beer kegs, the opioid ring of DJ sets and the confused pandemonium of 17 hour ‘shifts’ all the while mustering a constant smile to the endless ranks of thirsty suits. After Work takes place in the hours between these low pay slots, where our unnamed hero happens across a couple out on the town, he’s clocked off and should be savouring sleep but by chance, out there on the wet paved planet he saves a life.
I wanted to tell this story after it happened to me two years ago, I want people to know how crazy it is to be behind the bar, how violent, disturbing and bipolar the hours on and off the clock are for the people who serve you drinks and smile diligently as they walk through crowds of slurs, cat calls and the occasional decent smile. After Work showcases the way that customers treat these stalwart folks as well as the way we all treat our selves under the influence of the accidentally legal class A - alcohol.
Awards:
Winner - Best Narrative Short Film - Boston Independent Film Festival.
Finalist - Best Short Film - New York International Film Festival.
Match Made
Is it a match made in heaven? A first date is initiated because of a strange shared interest in their online dating profiles.
This film came together in the most spontaneous way. Having met Ben at a going away party for our mutual friend Justin, who was becoming a monk at the time. We had a very short chat about making films, luckily the conversation continued over email and the weekend following I was cycling to Connecticut from Amherst Massachusetts, with a little help from Amtrak.
I hadn’t really spent any time with Ben, or our collaborator John. But the three of us became so very close in that weekend, with only three hours sleep over three days it was sure to be bonding.
The idea for Match Made came about simply by riffing the conversation that you see in the film, we ad libbed the entire video out of the blue and then we refined it. What you see in the final film is basically what we improvised soon after learning of the 48 hour film themes.
Awards:
Winner - Best Casting - New Haven Film Festival
Winner - Best Editing - New Haven Film Festival
Runner Up - Best Film - New Haven Film Festival
Official Selection - Auckland Independent Film Festival
Cinematography + Audio by John Schroft
Simian by Benjamin Martin
Ken by Connor Curlewis
Edited by Connor Curlewis
Colour by John Schroft
Music by Peter Van Siclen
Featuring
Kelsey Lopata
Carrye Burr
Lexi McGuigan
Special Thanks to John Wheeler + Epoch Arts
