THE TEAM

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.

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.

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 concluded his tenure on the board of 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. 

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.

PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR

Rajeev Mishra (he/him) was born in Suva, Fiji and migrated to New Zealand after the 1987 military coup. He has worked in film and TV since 2006, starting as a production assistant on Gaylene Preston's Earthquake and then building a career in post-production. His latest film work has been at Park Road Post where he gained credits on Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back and James Cameron's Avatar: The Way Of Water. He has been the recipient of the NZ Writers Guild Asian Ink development initiative, with his film scripts, Ovisa and Two Brown Dudes. More ecently, NZ on Air funded his film In Search of Tūrangawaewae, which chronicles the life of his father, Prabodh Mishra.

PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, ACTOR

Despite starting as an unknown newcomer in New Zealand, Malaysian Chinese born Hweiling quickly made a name for herself through her compelling content creation. Her online horror shorts, including T is for Talk, The Tattooist, and The Claw, amassed over 20 million views and garnered widespread acclaim.

Hweiling's talents did not go unnoticed, as she secured funding as a writer/director from the New Zealand Film Commission for her genre-based short films Vivie, Vaspy, and ChengBeng. She has received two rounds of writer’s grants from the New Zealand Writer’s Guild for Grafted and Pohpoh Wants to Die. She also received support from New Zealand On Air for several public broadcast projects as a producer, writer and director, including the acclaimed series AFK, The Basement, Albularyo, and directed two seasons of the hit television series Homebound 3.0.

Her dedication to her craft earned her numerous accolades, including the prestigious Women to Watch award at the 2020 New Zealand Women in Film and TV (WIFTNZ) ceremony.  Hweiling looks forward to serving as a board member. 

Amita Gejji is an experienced professional in Aotearoa’s tertiary education sector. In her role as International Manager at the University of Auckland, she drives international strategy, developing and sustaining professional relationships with global partners institutions, agents, and sector stakeholders. A first-generation immigrant, Amita has two decades of prior experience working in the corporate sector in Dubai and the Middle East. 

Outside of her professional work, Amita has a longstanding interest in the arts, particularly theatre and cinema. She has always championed the power of storytelling, creative expression, and representation. Her advocacy for cross-cultural perspectives within the education sector informs her engagement with the broader creative community. In her free time, she dabbles in acrylic painting.

PRODUCER

Sums Selvarajan is an Auckland-based Creative Producer and arts manager working across diverse creative arts and commercial organisations specialising in cross-genre and cross-cultural works across music, theatre, dance, festivals and events. 

Currently serving as Senior Producer at Auckland Theatre Company, she helps deliver contemporary productions that reflect Tāmaki Makaurau while contributing to the revitalisation of one of the city's iconic theatrical companies. She leads Asian Diaspora Dialogues and serves as Executive Director & Trustee of ORYZA, working to amplify diverse voices within Aotearoa's creative ecology.

Sums has held leadership roles including Managing Director of the award-winning Modern Māori Quartet and Festival Producer for Short+Sweet Festival New Zealand, Chromacon + Chroma Connect and was Principal Partner at SquareSums&Co. Drawing on extensive international networks across the performing arts sector, she combines strategic thinking with cultural competency to deliver work that bridges communities and art forms, operating effectively across different scales of resources and organisational contexts.

For over 25 years, Tanya Horo—of Māori (Taranaki iwi), Lebanese, and European descent,  is the founder and director of TMH Management (established in 2015), a global creative talent agency based in Aotearoa, representing exceptional actors across New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the USA. Her leadership is defined by a core focus on unearthing and nurturing emerging talent

Tanya is also the owner of the Bay of Plenty Actors Studio, Tauranga’s leading screen acting school, offering direct access to real auditions and providing students with practical, industry-aligned training—and a clear pathway into film and television

Grounded in a kaupapa of inclusivity, Tanya’s approach is firmly rooted in a whānau-style ethos, prioritizing self-belief, empowerment, and authentic representation for creatives in Aotearoa.

Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Anna has 20 years' experience in the screen industry and a decade in corporate marketing & brand management. She is a Creative Producer with an affinity for genre film and storytelling that highlights diverse and underrepresented voices on screen. As a Producer, her recent short film ‘Homecoming’, from PASC transgender Writer/Director Grae Meek will premiere at the British Urban Film Festival in London in October 2025. She is currently in development on a feature film ‘The Pissy Tits Street Gang’ alongside Nadia Maxwell, and is Senior Producer on the Episode One Redux series ‘Dead Strangers’ for PASC & RNZ.

Anna is passionate about screen advocacy, training and visibility for Te Waipounamu filmmakers. She is also the Co-Chair of The Canterbury Screen Industry Association (Te Puna Matarau), and a member of WIFT. With a deep commitment to the regional screen sector, Anna has facilitated and spoken on panels & strategic roundtables; sought investment from local governments for screen infrastructure; and co-designed screen development programmes in the region. Anna is a speaker of Te Reo Māori and is committed to better integrating this into PASC’s practice locally.

Jessica George is a Kiwi-Indian filmmaker based in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai (Lower Hutt). Notably, she produced the award-winning Tokelauan documentary VAKA, which premiered at the United Nations’ COP25, and the historical drama THE LASCAR (NZIFF 2024). Jessica holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Practice (Film) from Victoria University of Wellington. And currently working in production at Wētā Workshop’s Design Studio, where she supports a diverse slate of film/TV, game, and immersive experience projects. Jessica is passionate about producing, and her kaupapa is rooted in storytelling that celebrates cultural nuance and the power of underrepresented voices. 

Jessica is excited about the PASCies in Te Whanganui-A-Tara and wants to bring more energy into our local community. Let’s kōrero, build whanaungatanga, and auahatia!