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"MAKO" selected for Maoriland Film Festival March 2024

February 2024

Fa'afetai tele lava Māoriland for selecting Mako - Short Film into the Māoriland Film Festival 2024. We are incredibly humbled to have been selected. April was co-writer on this beautiful short film directed by Mark Papalii about a Samoan father struggling to accept his autistic son.

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"MAKO" selected for Show Me Shorts Oct 2023

6 October 2023

The Samoan language short film "Mako" that April worked on as co-writer and acting coach has been selected for Show Me Shorts. Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading international short film festival. It's a competitive Academy Awards-accredited festival that screens in more than 35 cinemas nationwide.

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"MAKO" wins at New Zealand International Film Festival 2023

August 2023

The Samoan language short film "Mako" that April worked on as co-writer and acting coach has won the Letterboxd Audience Award in the Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts selection of the New Zealand International Film Festival (July-August 2023)

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"MAKO" short film at New Zealand International Film Festival 2023

12 June 2023

The Samoan language short film "Mako" that April worked on as co-writer and acting coach has been selected for the Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts selection of the New Zealand International Film Festival (July-August 2023)

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"FEMME NATALE" at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023

1 June 2023

The sketch comedy stage about parenting Femme Natale is heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival August 2023.  We will be performing at Just The Tonic.  Tickets on sale - see below.

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"Let's Talk About Me!" Whanganui

29 April 2023

April's hit musical comedy stage show "Let's Talk About Me!" is heading to the Royal Whanganui Opera House. Bookings at Ticketek.  Starring April, Andrew London, and a fabulous cast and crew!

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That's a wrap!
1978 Feature Film

February 2023

A year after we started, photography is complete for our "1978" feature film.  Now we head into post production.  In cinemas later in 2023.

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Femme Natale heads to Summer at Q

February 2023

"Femme Natale" heads to Auckland's Q Theatre for Summer at Q.

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World Premiere of "LET'S TALK ABOUT ME!"

The world premiere of April's new musical comedy stage show takes place at Te Raukura Ki Kapiti Coastlands Theatre in September 2022.  Featuring the original music of Andrew London and with both April and Andrew in lead roles.

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"The Haka" wins at Top of the South

"The Haka", the short film written by Isaac Lee and April Phillips, directed by Isaac Lee and produced by Clarative Media, has won Best Film Aotearoa at the Top of the South film festival, New Zealand.  May 2022.

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"1978" the feature film

April is co-writer and co-director on the new Isaac Lee feature film "1978", currently in production, 2022.  

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"The Odds" film & Salem Horror Film Fest

We're excited to announce that our horror short "The Odds" has been selected to screen at the Salem Horror Fest as part of their virtual ALTER screening. October 2021.

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"The Odds" film heading to Sydney

We're excited to announce that our horror short "The Odds" has been selected to screen at A Night Of Horror International Film Festival in Sydney, Australia.  April has attended in the past with her film "R.E.M." and it's a fabulous festival.

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"The Haka" film heading to Cannes

Having reached nearly 1 million views across YouTube and Facebook, WWI set short film "The Haka" (co-written by April and director Isaac Lee) has been selected for the highly regarded Cinema des Antipodes Cannes Cinephiles which runs from 6-17 July, and the 23rd Festival des Antipodes, Saint-Tropez 13-17 October 2021.

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HUMANITARIAN AWARD - OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

April is humbled and incredibly grateful to be the winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award in the annual BEST SHORTS COMPETITION HUMANITARIAN AWARDS 2020.  The award is for her film "The Last Man on Earth" which focuses on the value of people with disabilities in a sci-fi setting.  The goal of the Humanitarian Award is to honor filmmakers who are bringing awareness to issues of Ecological, Political, Social Justice, Health and Wellness, Animals, Wildlife, Conservation and Spiritual importance.  Each year Best Shorts bestows a Humanitarian Award to a deserving filmmaker who is committed to making a difference in the world and tells the story with outstanding filmmaking craft.

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HUMANITARIAN AWARD NOMINATION

April is humbled and incredibly grateful to be a nominee for the Best Shorts Film Competition Annual Humanitarian Awards for her film "The Last Man on Earth" which focuses on the value of people with disabilities in a sci-fi setting.  The goal of the Humanitarian Award is to honor filmmakers who are bringing awareness to issues of Ecological, Political, Social Justice, Health and Wellness, Animals, Wildlife, Conservation and Spiritual importance.  Each year Best Shorts bestows a Humanitarian Award to a deserving filmmaker who is committed to making a difference in the world and tells the story with outstanding filmmaking craft.

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AWARD NOMINATION

April is thrilled that FilmQuest has nominated her for the Minerva Award 2020.  This award is made to a female filmmaker/duo/group whose work embodies the advancement of the voice and empowerment of the female filmmaker in genre cinema today. Must have been a film directed, written, and/or produced by the same female filmmaker.

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THE ODDS FILM

"The Odds" horror short film has been completed.  Written by April and co-produced with Matthew Mawkes ("Blind Panic", "Burst"), this thrilling film was directed by Matt Sharp.  We're now submitting to film festivals so watch this space!

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AWARDS FINALIST

April's film "The Last Man on Earth" has been nominated as a finalist in the Annual Independent Shorts Awards 2020.  Out of a pool of 5000 amazing films, this is a huge honour.

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THE HAKA film

Principal photography has been completed on the WW1 short film "The Haka" co-written by April and directed and produced by Isaac Lee.  

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LET'S TALK ABOUT ME

January 2021

April has completed the script for the new stage musical show "Let's Talk About Me" featuring the original songs of hugely popular singer/songwriter Andrew London.  Watch this space for news about the premiere production!

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