Curtis Vowell is a Cook Island Maori director who has worked in the New Zealand film industry for the last 15 years. His debut feature film Fantail won over crowds both at home and overseas screening at a number of international film festivals.
Fantail was nominated for 8 New Zealand Film Awards including Best Director and Best Film and was invited to have its international premiere at Rotterdam International Film Festival. The film was also selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival, winning a People’s Choice award.
His second feature film Baby Done with Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal’s Piki Films was released theatrically in the US and UK and stars Rose Matafeo and Matthew Lewis.
In 2023 Curtis directed 3 episodes of Stephen Merchant’s UK television comedy The Outlaws (Amazon/BBC). Between films and UK Television, Curtis has also directed
multiple blocks of New Zealand’s favourite hospital drama Shortland Street. In 2024 he released Seize Them! a UK medieval comedy starring Aimee Lou Wood and Nick Frost. Workmates is his 4th feature film funded by the NZFC, written by and starring Sophie Henderson.
