Better Together

Representing crew and campaigning for fair and safe working conditions since 1986.

Meet our team

Many of you will know Jane (or Heeni-Jane as her Maori colleagues know her!) from her previous role as a Production Manager. She has been in the film and television industry since 1979. She had 9 years in the UK Film & Television Industry as Assistant Accountant or Tutor/Chaperone on many feature films and television dramas and on returning home in 1988 joined TVNZ working in the Entertainment Department and the Maori & Pacific Programmes (MPP) Department. Heeni-Jane was the Production Manager on about 500 Waka Huia documentaries and many other core MPP programmes, including the Maori Sports Awards (1994-2004) and Te Matatini (1996-2005). After 5 years of freelancing she returned to TVNZ’s MPP Department until 2015 when TVNZ decided to out-source their Maori & Pacific programmes and made everybody redundant. Jane decided to continue to do what she does best – Accounts! She worked as Production Accountant for Sunpix Ltd, Accounts Assistant for Attitude Pictures and of course the Accounts Officer for the Techo Guild. Now she has one job only and that is the Accounts Officer for the Screen Industry Guild. Heeni-Jane lives at Muriwai Beach and she absolutely loves working from home, with her view of stunning Muriwai Beach, looking after all the Techies and their accounts!

Annette Harris
Accounts Officer

Kellys’ career started in publishing in the early 90s and in television in London from 1995. On returning to New Zealand in the 2000’s, Kelly worked on Onfilm magazine (New Zealand’s only Screen Industry magazine) for 13 years. Over this time, Kelly connected with all sides of the sector on and off set, from funders to crew to Screen Sector businesses, and solidified relationships sector-wide. Kelly has worked in NZ as BDM/Producer in the Television commercial market and the Event Manager for the NZ Cinematographer Society annual awards from 2016 to 2019. In April 2019, Kelly joined the Screen Industry Guild and ScreenSafe as their Executive Officer. Kelly has a lot of passion for Health, Safety, and well-being for all members of the Screen Sector and is working on a review of the ScreenSafe organisation looking at the future of Health, Safety, and well-being in the Screen Sector while supporting all crew daily in her role as EO for the Screen Industry Guild.

Kelly Lucas
Executive Officer

For over twenty years, Brendon Durey has been working the screen industry. Brendon joined The Screen Guild during the late 1990’s and was elected to the Auckland Branch committee and then the National Executive around 2007. Brendon has a degree in business management and is the current president.

Brendon Durey
President

Sioux Macdonald (Ferguson) has been the Vice President of the Screen Industry Guild for over 15 years, working alongside 5 Presidents during that time. She was on the 2017-2022 Screen Industry Working Group reviewing the Employment Act based on the previously known ‘Hobbit Law’, along with being one of the founding members of the 2030 Screen Strategy Group, as well as representing the Screen Industry Guild as a long time board member of Film Auckland, who consult to Screen Auckland and Council about various issues and solutions concerning filming in the Auckland region. She has owned and operated Film Crew Services since 1997 and has looked after the work diaries of over 8,000 crew in New Zealand during this time. She continues to run her business in Auckland and has seen many changes in the industry in particular over the last three years.

Sioux Macdonald
Vice President

Christian has been a member of the Screen Guild for more than 10 years, and the Auckland Chair of the Guild since 2020. From 2012 through to 2021 Christian was a Digital Imaging Technician on local and international projects, working on everything from low-budget short films right up to high-end series and features. He is now the General Manager of Crewlist, New Zealand's largest filmmaking network and screen jobs platform.

Christian Gower
Auckland Branch Chair

Sally hails from the small town of Roxburgh in Central Otago. She attended the then NZ Film and Television School in Wellington. Now, with 18 years’ experience in the industry, the majority of which being in Wellington, it is well and truly home. She works as a Production Coordinator and has recently been making forays into Production Managing small projects. Her goals for the industry are ending stereotypes, especially those in historically gendered departments, achieving a more sustainable, industry wide work/life balance and making Health and Safety priority one on any job, including mental health. She firmly believes that the practice of Crew, Cast and Film Companies essentially subsidising projects because the funding doesn’t match the actual cost, needs to end. With the recent passing of the Screen Workers Bill and the planned implementation of a standard crew contract, she looks forward to a more sustainable industry.

Sally Cunningham
Wellington Branch Chair

Having been in the industry for 10 years now in both camera and lighting departments, Zac is wholly entrenched in the small film renaissance that Christchurch is seeing at the moment. The role of Branch Chair in the Canterbury region is an important one at this stage, the crew base expanding and up-skilling and the resources and infrastructure growing with each production, crew and industry support at this time of expansion is crucial. Zac is pleased to be involved in setting the tone, ethos and level of professionalism of the Canterbury region for incoming productions.

Zac Beckett-Knight
Christchurch Branch Chair

I started in the world of Film Safety in 2002, after working for 20 years in Outdoor Tourism Industry in Queenstown as a Mountain Guide, Ski Patroller, Avalanche Forecaster, Rafting Guide, and Adventure racing Safety Coordinator on the Southern Traverse and Godzone. I love the variety of work and places that the film lifestyle gives you in the South Island albeit sometimes with long breaks and sometime massive double ups of jobs.... The role of Queenstown Chair is one of mediation between all sorts of personalities within our film community. Dealing with small issues and sometimes rather sensitive ones. Luckily like all communities, there is plenty of experience and support to draw on from a very established and active film community in Queenstown and a proactive Executive Committee within The Screen Guild.

Wayne Allen
Queenstown Branch Chair

Many of you will know Jane (or Heeni-Jane as her Maori colleagues know her!) from her previous role as a Production Manager. She has been in the film and television industry since 1979. She had 9 years in the UK Film & Television Industry as Assistant Accountant or Tutor/Chaperone on many feature films and television dramas and on returning home in 1988 joined TVNZ working in the Entertainment Department and the Maori & Pacific Programmes (MPP) Department. Heeni-Jane was the Production Manager on about 500 Waka Huia documentaries and many other core MPP programmes, including the Maori Sports Awards (1994-2004) and Te Matatini (1996-2005). After 5 years of freelancing she returned to TVNZ’s MPP Department until 2015 when TVNZ decided to out-source their Maori & Pacific programmes and made everybody redundant. Jane decided to continue to do what she does best – Accounts! She worked as Production Accountant for Sunpix Ltd, Accounts Assistant for Attitude Pictures and of course the Accounts Officer for the Techo Guild. Now she has one job only and that is the Accounts Officer for the Screen Industry Guild. Heeni-Jane lives at Muriwai Beach and she absolutely loves working from home, with her view of stunning Muriwai Beach, looking after all the Techies and their accounts!

Annette Harris
Accounts Officer