Award-winning film and television director Yvonne Mackay began directing television drama in 1974.
She emerged as one of Television New Zealand’s most prolific directors, with over one hundred hours of programming. This included fifty episodes of the local soap opera CLOSE TO HOME, numerous episodes of COUNTRY CALENDAR and the four part documentary series NOT SO LONG AGO with Les Cleveland.
She left Television New Zealand in 1976 to co-found Gibson Film Productions (now the Gibson Group) with Dave Gibson. Recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading independent film and television production companies, the Gibson Group built an international reputation for projects that span range of genres, including primetime drama, children’s drama, comedy, documentaries, arts magazine and information programmes. From 1994 they have worked with international co-production partners from Australia, Canada, Britain and Sweden. The Group’s programmes have won numerous awards, both in New Zealand and around the world.
While with the Gibson Group Yvonne directed numerous documentaries, adult drama series and telefeatures such as CLARE. She directed the award-winning feature film THE SILENT ONE,, the first New Zealand feature film directed by a woman. Amongst the children’s series she has directed is Margaret Mahy’s CUCKOO LAND which won a gold medal in the 1986 New York Festival.
Her recent credits include THE INSIDERS GUIDE TO LOVE and THE INSIDERS GUIDE TO HAPPINESS and the documentaries, ASPIRING, LEO’S PRIDE and PAINTING WITH LIGHT: BRIAN BRAKE REDISCOVERED.
In early 2006 Yvonne formed a production company of her own, ProductionShed.TV, bringing with her all the expertise gained from many years in the film and TV industry. Her first production was TE KOHA O WHAEA IRIHAPETI, a documentary for Maori Television in 2006. She has since filmed a 70 minute documentary on Margaret Mahy, A TALL LONG FACED TALE. Yvonne also directed and produced the author reading her own work in MARGARET MAHY’S RUMBUSTIFICATIONS. Continuing with her love of high quality family and children’s drama ProductionShed. TV has gone on to create the multi-award winning series KAITANGITA TWITCH for Maori Television and STORYTREE for KidZone24 on SKY Television.
Panel: Where are Kids in the Big Picture?
