A Wave in the Ocean will be honoured with a tribute at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia (27 August - 6 September 2025) that will feature the screening of short films by seven of its students. Furthermore, Lion Rock by Nick Mayow and Prisca Bouchet, which was also made with A Wave in the Ocean, will be in competition in the Orizzonti Short Films section.
The film intensive is a place of learning, as well as an experience, and an experiment devoted to a deep connection to self and to material. It is based on the belief that each of us filmmakers has a sacred psyche that dreams to express itself poetically, humorously, dramatically through visual story telling. We want to create a space where risk and ambition are playmates, honoured and respected. A place where curiosity and inquiry is never ending and persistence and hard work shape intuition and outcomes. A place where the best you can do today isthe starting place for tomorrow... where there is no giving up, because improvement might be possible. A place where every student is challenged, encouraged and valued for their unique gifts. Jane Campion Artistic Director
"I am extremely proud of all our participants of A WAVE IN THE OCEAN for their tenacious commitment to film and to each making a really beautiful and intriguing short film. My gratitude goes to the extraordinary financial support given to the Pop-up school by NETFLIX without which it would not at all be possible, as well as significant and impassioned support from the NZFC. AWITO received further support from many people throughout our NZ film community and we are deeply grateful to everyone who answered our requests for help including actors, practitioners and facilities." Jane Campion
LTR: Prisca Bouchet, Hash Perambalam, Samuel Te Kani, Ana Scotney, Paloma Schneideman, Freya Finch, Eleanor Bishop, Mingjian Cui, Todd Karehana, Nick Mayow
The 15 week fulltime workshop programme for AWITO 2 wrapped July 2025. Each filmmaker will produce an original short film to be completed in 2026. Funded by the New Zealand Film Commission Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga.
AWITO 1 2022 - 2023
Based in Wellington and sponsored by Netflix,
the students embarked on a life-changing year
of artistic practice under the guidance of
Jane Campion in November 2022. AWITO then
financed them to make an original short film.
Crest 2023
A six month feature film development programme,
supported by the New Zealand Film Commission.
LTR: Awanui Simich-Pene, Yamin Tun, Hiona Henare, Martin Sagadin