Regional Filmmaking Spotlight: A Dog’s Show

Regional filmmaking plays a vital role in Aotearoa’s screen sector - creating employment, strengthening local capability, and telling stories that are deeply rooted in place.

As part of our ongoing focus on regional production, we spoke with writer and director Alex Galvin about A Dog’s Show, a feature film shot in the wider Wellington region and inspired by the much-loved New Zealand television programme of the same name. The film brings together local crews, real working dogs, farmers, and rural communities to tell a story grounded in authenticity and collaboration.

In this written Q&A, Alex reflects on adapting a cultural touchstone, working with animals on set, and what it takes to deliver a region-led production outside the studio system.

What first drew you to A Dog’s Show as a feature film, and why tell it as a narrative story?

I grew up watching A Dog’s Show with my family every Sunday night. The simple idea of one farmer and two dogs trying to manoeuvre six sheep really captivated the entire country, and the suspense of whether the sheep would cooperate - and the chaos when they didn’t - created some amazing drama. My Mum would often have to leave the room because the tension got to her!
‍
Years later I saw an old episode on Heartland TV and was reminded how compelling it was. Not just the sport, but the stoicism and dry humour of the commentators and participants that was a core part of the show’s appeal. 
‍
Those memories stayed with me and ultimately inspired me to explore that world through film - not just the sport of dog trialling, but the humour, resilience, and camaraderie at the heart of New Zealand’s farming communities.

How did you honour the legacy while making a contemporary film?

Our film is set in the 1970s and authenticity came first - real trialling, real environments, and listening to people who lived in that world. 
‍
We did extensive research into the dog trialling practices of the era and collaborated closely with trialling experts and farmers. I shaped aspects of the lead character Jack around my grandfather, who was a sheep farmer in Central Otago. I also consulted with original commentator John Gordon, whose generosity and support meant a great deal before his passing during the pandemic. Our aim was to preserve the honesty of the show people remember while telling a fictional story that stands on its own today.

Why centre the story on the grandfather and granddaughter relationship?

Jack and his granddaughter Lucy are the film’s emotional core. Jack begins closed off - cynical and shaped by past trialling failures and the responsibility of holding the farm together - while Lucy approaches it with enthusiasm and a belief in Jack that he’s lost in himself. As he teaches her to become a better triallist, she helps him reconnect with his family and his place in the community, and they gradually become a genuine team in every sense. 

What did working with sheepdogs mean practically on set?

The dogs were all owned by working farmers and top triallists and were a joy to work with. 
‍
I knew early on that it wouldn’t work to simply try to make the dogs and sheep perform to our exact expectations. Instead, we had to remain adaptable - observing how they behaved on any given day and responding to that. The interactions between dogs and sheep are inherently natural and dynamic, so our approach was to accommodate that rather than impose control. This influenced scheduling, coverage, and pacing, but it also brought an authenticity and vitality to the trialling sequences that could not have been manufactured. 

What stood out about working with Wellington crews and locations?

Kiwi crews are second to none, and our Wellington based crew were fantastic!
‍
We filmed entirely on location - the vast majority outdoors - and the crew handled everything the Welly spring weather could throw at us in their stride. We worked across Whitemans Valley, the Wairarapa, Ōhāriu Valley, Pāuatahanui and the Kāpiti Coast.  With the exception of the Wairarapa days, we remained based in Wellington, which really highlights how many great rural environments are accessible just a short drive away. That proximity allowed us to stay nimble as a production and keep the work grounded in real landscapes. 

How important was collaboration with local communities and specialists?

It was essential - this is a world you can’t fake. Farmers, trialling experts, and locals worked with us right the way through pre-production and production. 
‍
In the years leading up to filming I attended a number of trialling events around the country, which greatly helped with the story and ensuring as much authenticity as possible. One of our producers, Celia Jaspers, lives on a sheep farm in Martinborough and was instrumental in liaising with farmers there and across the greater Wellington region, helping build relationships and trust from the outset. All of that input helped the world feel genuine and lived-in, not something we were simply recreating.

What did Graham McTavish bring to the role?

Graham is a fantastic actor and was a total joy to work with. He connected with the material immediately - he remembered the UK programme One Man and His Dog and understood the world and tone we were exploring - and he has supported the project since the script stage. He was also very generous with his fellow actors, creating space for scenes and relationships to develop rather than dominating them. That generosity allowed him to show a wide range across the film, from physical performance and gentle comedy through to moments of genuine emotional weight and grief. I’m very proud of what he achieved in the role - he captured Jack with presence, warmth and humanity, and his performance anchors the emotional core of the story.

Biggest challenge and how did you work through it?

Filming the trialling scenes involved not just the interaction between dogs and sheep, but also competitors, judges, family members, spectators, and the broader atmosphere of a trial day. We also filmed both POVs from people watching live, and also other people watching on television. This meant covering the same moments from multiple perspectives and narrative points of view. As a result, even a single piece of action often needed to be filmed across several days, while maintaining visual continuity. That complexity required patience, coordination, and flexibility from everyone involved. The scale of collaboration behind those sequences was considerable, and seeing them come together on screen remains one of the aspects of the production I’m most proud of.

A moment that captures what you’re proud of?

One moment that stays with me came when we had to completely reschedule a full day at very short notice after the weather changed unexpectedly. It was a reminder of how exposed location filmmaking can be, but the cast and crew adapted with calm and focus, and we were still able to capture everything we needed. That experience reflected the spirit of the production - collaborative, solution-oriented, and grounded in mutual trust. 
‍
Another aspect I’m particularly proud of is that many of the actors have described it as the best film experience they have ever been part of. That felt like a genuine testament to the atmosphere created by the entire cast and crew, and it meant a great deal to me that people carried such positive memories from the process.

What do you hope audiences take away?

Above all, I hope audiences are drawn in and genuinely enjoy spending time with the story and its characters. At its heart, the film is about family, loyalty, and perseverance - an underdog story about confronting failure, protecting what matters, and rediscovering purpose through connection across generations.
‍
A Dog's Show is more than just a film; it is a tribute to a beloved part of New Zealand’s cultural heritage. With its blend of humour, drama, and heartfelt storytelling, our aim is to resonate with audiences both familiar and new to the world of dog trialling.

Photography credit: Chris Sibley