Our Team
The members of The Short Film Otago Trust are:John Crawford (Chair)
John is the General Manager of Natural History New Zealand and has worked in general management of media companies for more than 20 years. Prior to joining NHNZ, he spent four years as Southern Regional Manager for Radio NZ Ltd, where he was responsible for 11 commercial radio stations. In his role of General Manager at NHNZ, John oversees the operations of all departments apart from production.
Diane Brown
Diane is a writer whose publications include two collections of poetry, Before The Divorce We Go To Disneyland, winner of the NZSA Best First Book of Poetry Montana Book Awards 1997; Learning to Lie Together; two novels If The Tongue Fits and Eight Stages of Grace - a verse novel which was a finalist in the Montana Book Awards 2003; a travel memoir Liars and Lovers and a prose/poetic work Here Comes Another Vital Moment. She is the Creative Writing Co-ordinator and tutor for Aoraki Polytechnic in Dunedin.
Judith Curran
Judith is an Executive Producer at Natural History New Zealand in Dunedin. Judith has produced many hours of award winning documentary films over the past twenty years. Judith's career in television production was launched in Australia where she produced and directed a wide range of highly acclaimed documentaries. Since joining NHNZ in 2001, Judith has been the driving force behind an equally diverse range of programs. Most recently, Judith has series-produced top rating docu-drama Orangutan Island, two 13 part series credited with raising awareness about the plight of this endangered species with audiences around the world.
Lloyd Davis
Lloyd is an Associate Professor at Otago University. Lloyd is an internationally recognized scientist, as well as an award-winning author and filmmaker. He is Director of the Postgraduate Diploma in Natural History Filmmaking and Communication.Stephen Downes
Stephen along with Robert Sarkies made short film happen in Dunedin when they formed Nightmare Productions together in the late 1980's. Over the course of 10 years a large group of diverse talents evolved around Stephen and Robert producing a string of highly successful short films. Those 10 years culminated in the realization of both their dreams - the opportunity to make a feature in Dunedin. That feature was Scarfies which went on to become one of New Zealand's most successful recent feature films. Stephen has continued to shoot many short dramas for others and to direct and shoot his own projects as well.
Zoe Hobson
Zoe grew up surrounded by film and drama, first as an actor and later as a director, production co-ordinator and producer. Her experience ranges from field and studio directing for Maori Television, to assistant directing for South Pacific Pictures (Shortland Street) and producing music videos and short films (The Peter Jackson Project). Zoe produced three 3D film productions in 2009, along with the interactive series, Casebook.
Lorraine Isaacs
Lorraine has been involved in television, education and women’s organisations for more than 30 years. Her career at Television New Zealand, included being the executive producer of Play School, Beauty and the Beast and University Challenge. During this time, she produced the Otago/Southland Telethon and was the first woman television manager in Dunedin. She has been a member of the Television, Theatre, and Radio Advisory Committee at Aoraki Polytechnic for 15 years, and involved with the New Zealand Federation of Graduate Women for 30 years. She wrote Crack in a Glass Ceiling: New Zealand Women 1975-2004. She is a Trustee of the University of Otago Foundation, the Chair of the University’s Human Ethics Committee and a Member of the Board of the Fortune Theatre
Katie Brockie (Trust Secretary)
Katie works as a Researcher at Natural History New Zealand. She has directed a number of short films and worked in film and television for 30 years.