Shoshana McCallum (Madam, Head High, Inside) and Briar Grace-Smith (Swift Street, Waru, Cousins) will delve into the complexities of writing for screen in Aotearoa, sharing insights into their craft, creative process, and the cultural and personal forces that shape their work. From developing authentic characters to navigating the industry as women of vision, this kōrero is an examination of craft and will illuminate the power and necessity of strong female perspectives in our screen stories.
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from two of Aotearoa’s most respected writers about their craft and how they shape powerful screen stories that resonate and connect to their audiences. Shoshana and Briar will speak to the importance of voice, representation, and the courage it takes to tell the stories only you can tell. This rich conversation will be full of warmth, humour, and hard-won wisdom and is must for screenwriters.
SPEAKERS
BRIAR GRACE-SMITH
Briar is a filmmaker of Ngāti Hau and Ngāpuhi descent and a writer of plays, screenplays and short fiction. Her plays include Ngā Pou Wāhine, When Sun and Moon Collide and Purapurawhetū. Briar was one of eight Māori women filmmakers who created the acclaimed feature film omnibus Waru. She was a writer and co-director of Rūangi S2 and screenwriter, co-director and actor in the feature film, Cousins – an adaptation of the novel by Patrica Grace. She was a writer on the Australian series Grace Beside Me and Swift Street which was in competition at Canneseries 2025. In 2019 she received an ONZM for her services to theatre, television and screen. Briar is an Arts Foundation Laureate, a recipient of the Merata Mita Fellowship and was made a member of the Directors Branch of the Academy in 2022.
SHOSHANA MCCALLUM
International Emmy Award winner, Shoshana McCallum is a writer, actress and producer in Auckland. Television writing credits include Step-Dave (for which she won the 2016 SWANZ Best TV Comedy Script) West Side, Head High, Stand Up Girl, My Life is Murder and Creamerie. Her feature film script, Daisy Chain won the 2017 SWANZ Award for Best Unproduced Feature Film.
In 2020, she formed Luminous Beast, and co-created the critically acclaimed, multi award-winning INSiDE, with Dan Musgrove and Peter Salmon. Shoshana was nominated for both Best Comedy script (Creamerie) and Best Drama script (INSiDE) at the 2021 NZTV Awards. She was nominated and won the Fulcrum Media’s Woman to Watch Award at New Zealand’s WIFT Awards 2022. Her theatre credits include Looking At Stuff in Clouds, Leopard, Merely Beloved, and Erotica By The Fire.
Shoshana was co-Showrunner and Head Writer for Madam, a comedy-drama series, which has picked up numerous international awards, including Best Comedy at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2024, and Best Comedy Drama at the C21 International Drama Awards 2024. She is currently Head Writer on Luminous Beast’s newest series, Good Bones – a spooky comedy-mystery, starring Josh Thomson.
