Max Currie is an award-winning writer, director and Berlinale Talent from Auckland, New Zealand, who most recently directed and co-produced 2020's groundbreaking new transgender drama series,RŪRANGI.
Max is responsible for putting more hours of LGBTQ characters and stories on screen then any other writer/director working in New Zealand today.
After hosting and directing NZ’s weekly LGBTQ television show Queernation for two years, Max cut his teeth on drama writing full-time for over five years on prime-time serial Shortland Street (TV 2).In 2011, Max stepped up to write on both seasons of the 1-hour comedy drama series Step Dave (TV 2).
TOM HERN - PRODUCER
Tom is a passionate, creative-producer who loves cinema.
Since moving behind the camera in 2008, Hern has produced five feature films and has another in post-production.
One, the micro-budget, privately-funded, whodunit-thriller, I'm Not Harry Jenson, which was released theatrically in New Zealand to critical acclaim in 2009.
Two, the eerily-provocative, festival-darling, Everything We Loved (Dir. Max Currie)
Three, The Dark Horse, the gritty-based-on-a-true-story-drama which launched at Toronto International Film Festival, to glowing reviews, sales to all major territories and, eventually, Oscar-buzz for Cliff Curtis’s transformative performance in the film. The Dark Horse won a number of awards at top film festivals (including Audience Award wins at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and the San Francisco, Seattle and Palm Springs Film Festivals) and was a Box Office smash in its home territory.
Four, Pork Pie, a modern, rollicking length-of-New Zealand-road-movie reimagining of the 1980's kiwi hit, Goodbye Pork Pie.
And, Five, the high-octane action-comedy, Guns Akimbo, which is set to launch at the Toronto International Film Festival 2019 (starring Daniel Radcliffe and Samara Weaving).
As lead producer of The Dark Horse, Hern won the Moa-award for "Best Film" at the 2014 New Zealand Film Awards. In 2015, he was recognised as a Future Leader of the industry by Screen International (in their special Cannes Edition) and sat on the international jury for the Berlin Film Festival (Generation Section). In 2016, Hern won the pitching prize at the MIFF 37 Degrees South market in Melbourne.
Hern is currenly in post-production on Shadow in the Cloud (a film which stars Chloë Grace Moretz and is directed by Roseanne Liang) and is co-writing and producing a new based-on-a-true-story-drama series entitled, The Panthers.
LUKE ROBINSON - PRODUCER
Born into a theatrical family, Luke spent his early years touring New Zealand with the father of New Zealand theatre, Bruce Mason (who was also Luke's grandfather). Luke started working in film and television at the age of seven as a child actor. In the thirty-one years that have followed Luke has worked as an assistant director, director, producer, editor and camera operator on everything from high budget American television series (Legend of the Seeker, Spartacus) to low-mid budget New Zealand features (I'm Not Harry Jenson, Genesis) and no budget docos and music clips. In 2012 Luke was 1st Assistant Director on the much anticipated feature film horror remake Evil Dead, that went on to be a number one box office smash in America. He is passionate about telling good stories and creating winning collaborative combinations.
