NZ On Air Round Rua Highlights
NZ On Air has released the results of Round Rua, the second funding round of the financial year, with a number of significant investments that will directly shape Aotearoa’s film and screen-production landscape. The round included Scripted and Non-fiction projects, as well as a strong slate of Māori-led and reo Māori content co-funded with Te Māngai Pāho. In total, NZ On Air received 166 applications seeking $70.9 million.
Scripted: new comedies & feature projects
Round Rua committed $7 million to Scripted (drama, comedy, and partial financing for feature films). Key highlights include:
- Chan 6 × 44’ - a new comedy series for Three and ThreeNow, produced by Kevin & Co.
- Dead Losi 6 × 44’ - a new scripted comedy for TVNZ+, produced by Sweetshop Entertainment.
- Inky Pinky Ponky 2 1 × 75’ - a follow-up feature inspired by the breakout Pasifika drama hit from Tikilounge Productions for The Coconet TV.
These projects reflect ongoing confidence in locally developed scripted content and will generate production and post-production work across the motu.
Non-fiction: documentary & factual storytelling
Non-fiction funding continues to support crews working in documentary, factual series, and feature documentary production.
Standouts for this round include:
- Diary Of A Junior Doctor 2 5 × 44’ - Storymaker returns with a second season exploring the realities of life inside Middlemore Hospital.
- DNZ: The Preppers Next Door 1 × 44’ - an Our Story Ltd documentary for TVNZ 1.
- Desert Pirates – A Forgotten History 5 × 25’ - a new factual series for NZ Herald.
A broad mix of documentary projects, short-run series, and returners were supported - keeping factual production active and employing a wide range of crew.
Te Māngai Pāho x NZ On Air Co-Fund: major investment in reo Māori screen stories
Round Rua’s standout commitment is the joint investment by Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air, funding up to $8 million in Scripted and Non-fiction content containing 30%+ te reo Māori.
Three major productions received co-funding:
- Dead Ahead 2 6 × 22.5’ - a returning comedy series for TVNZ+ produced by Hi Mama.
- End of the Valley 2 – The Price of Tomorrow 6 × 26’ - a returning drama for Whakaata Māori, produced by Miro Productions.
- The Casketeers: Life And Death Around The Globe 2 5 × 44’ - the globally loved factual series returns, produced by Great Southern Television for TVNZ 1.
These projects reinforce the strength of Māori storytelling, Māori-led production, and continuing demand for reo Māori content across mainstream and Māori platforms.
Round Rua shows that core areas of screen production - Scripted drama and comedy, feature work, and documentary - continue to receive meaningful backing. The strong support for Māori content also signals continued growth in reo Māori production capacity and opportunities for Māori creatives, crew, and companies.
For the full list of funded film and screen projects, visit NZ On Air’s Funding Decisions page
