Gaylene Preston has been celebrated as one of New Zealand‘s leading filmmakers, having made some of the most enduring popular classics of New Zealand cinema. Gaylene is a storyteller whose work has a distinctive flavour; that entertain while presenting serious subjects with humour and warmth. Her compassion and understanding of real life, and real people, combined with her talent for portraying on film metaphoric stories, has contributed to Gaylene’s reputation as a distinct local voice.
Her career has spanned three decades, and her generosity of spirit and her powerful mentorship and advocacy skills have been central to the development of New Zealand’s filmmaking community.
Gaylene’s feature films include MR WRONG (1985), RUBY AND RATA (1990), WAR STORIES OUR MOTHER NEVER TOLD US (1995), PERFECT STRANGERS (2003), and HOME BY CHRISTMAS (2010).
Her documentaries include ALL THE WAY UP THERE (1978), LEARNING FAST (1980), MAKING UTU (1982), KERI HULME – KAI PURAKAU (1987), HONE TUWHARE – NO OTHER LIPS (1996), GETTING TO OUR PLACE (1999), PUNITIVE DAMAGE (Co-producer, 1999), TITLESS WONDERS (2001), COFFEE, TEA OR ME? (Producer, 2003), LANDS OF OUR FATHERS (Executive producer, 2004), EARTHQUAKE! (2006), TIME OF OUR LIVES (2007), LOVELY RITA (2007), STRONGMAN THE TRAGEDY (2011).
Her television series include BREAD AND ROSES (1993) and HOPE AND WIRE (2014), a three-part drama focused on the social and psychological upheaval during the Christchurch earthquakes.
Gaylene’s films have been in official selection for most major international film festivals including Venice, Sundance, Toronto, London, Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand and have won awards in the USA, Canada, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.
In 2001 she was honoured by the New Zealand Arts Foundation, becoming New Zealand’s first Filmmaker Laureate. In 2002 Gaylene was appointed an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for her services to filmmaking.
Gaylene is currently working on a feature documentary for international distribution following one of the most powerful New Zealanders in the world.
