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Diverse Voices

Wellington UNESCO City of Film developed a project to uncover some of the region’s diverse storytelling talent

Diverse Voices: Making Screen Work Different is a series of short documentaries that uncover the innovation and creativity that exists but isn’t always widely recognised in our under-represented and diverse local filmmakers.

Featuring local talent from different backgrounds, Laura Yilmaz, Oriwa Hakaraia, Casey Zilbert, Kathleen Winter, Jade Jackson and Aditya B. Parige were all interviewed about diversity, innovation and sustainability in Wellington's film industry.

Produced and directed by Pachali Brewster, with help from facilitators and Victoria University of Wellington’s Missy Molloy and Raqi Syed, projects like this will help to elevate the visual storytellers of Wellington and bring an array of cultural experiences to the people of Wellington.

It’s all part of the Wellington UNESCO City of Film strategy to come together to develop programmes and opportunities that inspire our filmmakers and screen creatives of tomorrow.

And that comes off the back of earning the prestigious title as a UNESCO City of Film in 2019, when Wellington joined 245 other cities around the globe in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, all of which are recognised for excellence in their fields for nurturing creativity and fostering international collaboration.

Our diverse talent

Learn more from the filmmakers as they share their experiences of diversity, innovation, and sustainability in Wellington’s film industry

Aditya B. Parige

Aditya’s experiences abroad have become central to his voice as a storyteller

Oriwa Hakaraia

The inspiration to become a film-maker stems from Oriwa’s upbringing in the small town of Ōtaki just north of Wellington

Kathleen Winter

The work of independent film-maker Kathleen has centred on politically challenging stories that reflect real lives and uplift communities

Casey Zilbert

Screen writer Casey is shifting her focus to help Wellington-based creators build financially viable and creatively satisfying careers

Laura Yilmaz

Laura is using her first-generation background to bring an outsider’s perspective to narratives in the games space

Jade Jackson

Jade turned to film-making after taking time out to rediscover herself and embrace her Samoan heritage

Meet the Diverse Voices crew

A talented crew of Wellingtonians have joined forces to produce a documentary about our under-represented and diverse local filmmakers

Filmmaker Pachali Brewster

Read about Pachali's filmmaking journey, who is a producer for Diverse Voices.

Read Pachali's story