THE TEAM
PASC’s volunteer elected board oversees activities and engages in wider industry matters on behalf of the collective. Our general manager maintains PASC’s relationship and engagement with fellow guilds and industry organisations, with support from the staff to maintain day-to-day operations.
THE BOARD
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Ghazaleh Gol, Co-Chair
WRITER, DIRECTOR
Ghazaleh Gol is an award winning Iranian-Kiwi screenwriter, director and author who has worked across film and television. Her recent directing credits include Small Town Scandal (SKYTV/BBC); Miles from Nowhere (SKYTV), Shortland Street and feature drama Kāinga (RNZ) which premiered at MIFF where she was selected for the Accelerator Program. Ghazaleh is also a published author, releasing The Girl From Revolution Road to much acclaim and contributing to a number of anthologies since. Much of Ghazaleh’s work centres on characters from the MENA region with themes around identity and belonging. With a doctorate in Media and Commuication, she also studied screenwriting and production at the University of Southern California while on a Fulbright scholarship. During that time she also worked at the Sundance Institute.
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Kiel McNaughton, Co-Chair
WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Kiel McNaughton is a writer, director, producer, and showrunner known for bold, culturally resonant storytelling. He began his career as an actor on Shortland Street before transitioning behind the camera to direct and executive produce acclaimed series including Auckland Daze, Find Me a Māori Bride, and Good Grief (Sundance Now/AMC/IFC). Kiel’s recent directing credits include the crime drama Vegas and My Life Is Murder (Acorn TV). In 2023, he was awarded Best Director at the NZTV Awards for Princess of Chaos. He is currently showrunning Tangata Pai, an 8-part drama series and the first 30% te reo Māori-language scripted commission for Warner Bros Discovery. His next feature, the horror/thriller Whyte Xmas, is in development for 2026.
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Lynda Chanwai-Earle
WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Lynda Chanwai-Earle (She/Her, Ngāti Haina, Ngāti Pākehā) is a Eurasian New Zealander with a background in scriptwriting and public broadcasting (TVNZ, RNZ). Lynda’s award-winning plays have been published, produced, and toured here and abroad.
Lynda’s ground-breaking play Ka-Shue (Letters Home) is the first authentic Chinese New Zealand theatre production. Her screenplay Little Dragon was the first from Aotearoa to be pitched for co-production at the Shanghai Film Festival, 2009.
Lynda wrote The Owl and the Rainbow funded for production in 2024 (Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts, NZFC). Lynda directed and filmed Farewell Guangdong, a documentary web series (Tawera Productions) for upcoming broadcast on RNZ.
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Steven Chow
WRITER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
Steven is a first-generation Chinese New Zealand screenwriter, director, and editor. Born in Ōtautahi and based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Steven has over twenty years of experience working in the local industry, including a stint working in London.
His directing credits include his award-winning short film thriller Munkie, and Meng, a one hour bilingual documentary about former Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon for Whakaata Māori and Radio New Zealand.
Steven is concluded his tenure on the board of the DEGANZ as Vice President and hopes to bring his governance experience and perspective to PASC, where he aims to help foster and empower the organisation's talented members to build sustainable careers in our screen sector.
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Steven Zhou, Treasurer
With roots in a Chinese immigrant family and a childhood spent in Hamilton, Steven Zhou carries a cross-cultural lens into his work and life. He holds a Bachelors in Commerce and Law from the University of Auckland and is admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.
Steven currently works as a tax adviser at Acclime New Zealand, where he manages a portfolio of clients, including screen industry cast and crew expats working in New Zealand. He’s deeply client-focused and takes pride in being of real service—approaching each engagement with care, clarity, and a people-first mindset.
Entrepreneurial by nature, Steven has built and exited start-ups, drawing on that hands-on experience in his work today. He’s also held roles as a commercial manager and business consultant, and is passionate about helping others self-actualise and become the best version of themselves.
STAFF
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Jessie Liu, General Manager
Jessie Liu is a strategist and advocate who brings heart, heritage, and operational acumen to her role as General Manager of PASC. Born in Taiwan and based in Aotearoa, she is the daughter of a scriptwriter and the mother of two daughters of mixed Taiwanese, German, and Kiwi heritage.
With a background spanning tech, education, and social enterprise, Jessie has spent her career building platforms that amplify underrepresented voices. A quiet storyteller who writes from the kitchen table, she sees creativity as a form of reflection and connection.
She leads with empathy and a deep belief in the power of platforms to nurture emerging voices. Her vision is to grow PASC into both a home and a force — a place where Pan-Asian creatives feel seen, supported, and celebrated.
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Alyssa Medel, Programme Manager
Alyssa Medel is a director, writer, and producer in screen and theatre. A Filipino-Kiwi with a passion for telling stories that centre marginalised voices. In theatre and performing arts, she is an experienced practitioner who has produced for Proudly Asian Theatre Company, SquareSums&Co, Auckland Theatre Company, Auckland Council, and more. Alongside being PASC's new Programme Manager, she is also currently the Venue Manager for Basement Theatre.
In screen, she has garnered experience in production, unit publicity, and marketing since graduating from the University of Auckland's BA Screen Production in 2019. She made her directorial and writing debut with Three Dots, a short film commissioned by the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s In Touch Arts series, and directed Mekeni for Someday Stories in 2021. She is the producer of two NZFC Fresh Short films, Bye Mum directed by Tema Pua and Arrival directed by Ahmed Osman.
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Mia Maramara, Communications Officer
Mia Maramara is a Filipino filmmaker whose work has screened around the world. Her passion for authentic, trailblazing stories has led her to wear different hats in the industry, most notably as a writer, director, and producer.
Mia’s 2024 feature film Grafted (dir. Sasha Rainbow) was picked up by AMC’s Shudder and UK-based sales agent Mister Smith Entertainment. Mia also wrote for anthology feature film Kāinga, which won the NETPAC Best Feature Film in 2022.
Writing and directing Beyond the Veil: Albularyo for TV2 earned Mia the distinction of being the first Filipino director to helm a prime-time drama on New Zealand TV. That same year, she won the SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year.
Mia has participated in Philippine National Artist Ricky Lee's Cinemalaya Masterclass as well as the DEGANZ Female Directors Incubator. She produced Vivie, an NZFC-funded short film which premiered at SXSW Sydney and Show Me Shorts 2024.