Women in Film & Television New Zealand

What Women in Film & Television New Zealand does

Women in Film & Television New Zealand (WIFT NZ), legally Women in Film and Television Incorporated, is a non-profit membership organization founded in 2009 through the merger of three regional chapters (Wellington 1993, Auckland 1995, Christchurch 1996). Headquartered in Auckland at FAT Lighting, 489 Rosebank Rd, Avondale, the organization serves over 1,300 individual members working in New Zealand's film, television, and associated screen industries, with a mandate to ensure women are welcomed, supported, and thriving in an equitable screen industry. The organization is governed by a national board with Philippa Boyens as Patron and operates day-to-day through an executive director (Patricia Watson) and approximately nine part-time staff.

WIFT NZ's core products comprise a tiered membership programme (Full Member, Friend, Student, plus a dedicated Wētā FX tier), a searchable online member directory, a fortnightly newsletter, and a programme of workshops, seminars, screenings, and networking events delivered in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Its biennial WIFT NZ Awards are a flagship recognition platform. Proprietary research assets include three NZ screen-industry Gender Pay Gap Surveys (2021–2022) and a Women and Gender Diverse Camera Directory. Technology infrastructure is limited to a self-serve website membership portal (Stripe-backed payments) and a directory platform — WIFT NZ is not a technology company but a community-led membership organization.

Revenue is generated primarily through individual membership fees ($50 Student, $100 regional Full Member, $136 Friend, $160 Auckland/Wellington Full Member), grants from the NZ Film Commission, Foundation North, and Vista Foundation, and corporate sponsorships from a roster including NZ On Air, Te Māngai Pāho, Wētā FX, South Pacific Pictures, Great Southern Film & Television, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, SAE Institute, and Hudson Gavin Martin. WIFT NZ is part of the global WIFT International network (50+ chapters, 20,000+ members), giving domestic members reciprocal international festival and event access.

Name

Women in Film & Television New Zealand

Legal name

Women in Film and Television Incorporated

Website

https://wiftnz.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees are the primary revenue stream. Full Members in Auckland or Wellington pay $160/year; Full Members in North or South Island regions pay $100/year; Friends pay $136/year; and Students pay $50/year. A separate Wētā FX membership is available for employees of that company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WIFT NZ is a not-for-profit membership organisation that sells annual memberships (Full Member, Friend, Student, and a dedicated Wētā FX tier) to individuals working in the New Zealand film, television, and associated screen industries. Members receive access to an online directory, a programme of workshops, seminars, networking events, and screenings, a biennial WIFT NZ Awards programme, member discounts, a fortnightly newsletter, advocacy support, and reciprocal international benefits via WIFT International.

Product overview

WIFT NZ is a membership-based not-for-profit organization serving over 1,300 members in New Zealand's film, television, and screen industries. The organization operates as a single unified membership service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core offerings include: membership categories (Full Member, Friend, Student), the WIFT NZ Online Directory for member profiles, WIFT NZ Events & Workshops for professional development, WIFT NZ Awards for industry recognition, and WIFT NZ Resources containing industry documents and research. The organization also provides member discounts, fortnightly newsletters, and advocacy services, connected through WIFT International's global network of over 50 chapters worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WIFT NZ Membership Annual membership programme for individuals in the New Zealand film, television, and associated screen industries, offered in Full Member, Friend, and Student tiers, with pricing varying by category and region (Auckland/Wellington $160/year; Regional $100/year; Friend $136/year; Student $50/year). Includes access to workshops, networking events, the online directory, member discounts, the fortnightly newsletter, advocacy services, and WIFT International reciprocal benefits.
• WIFT NZ Online Member Directory Searchable online directory allowing WIFT NZ members to publish their profiles, contact information, and professional details for networking and business referrals. Members can search by name, occupation, and region, and can opt to hide their details from the public directory.
• WIFT NZ Events & Workshops Programme of educational workshops, seminars, networking events, competitions, and screenings delivered in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, providing professional development opportunities for WIFT NZ members with preferential member pricing.
• WIFT NZ Awards Biennial awards celebration recognising success in the New Zealand screen industries, offering WIFT NZ members preferential ticket pricing and high-profile recognition for women filmmakers and practitioners.
• WIFT NZ Resources Digital resources hub accessible to members, containing WIFT NZ documents, NZ industry guidelines, research reports (including the WIFT NZ Gender Pay Gap Survey), magazine archive, and financial statements.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, strategic and supporting.

• New Zealand Film CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe New Zealand Film Commission is a core funder of WIFT NZ. The NZFC also partners with WIFT NZ on industry development initiatives, including funding for WIFT NZ Awards programmes, the NZFC Industry Development funding round, and placement programmes for emerging filmmakers.
• Foundation NorthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation North is a core funder of WIFT NZ, providing grant funding to support the organization's operations and programmes.
• NZ On AircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNZ On Air is a principal sponsor of WIFT NZ and a key funder of the New Zealand screen industry. WIFT NZ members frequently receive NZ On Air funding for their productions, and NZ On Air and Netflix jointly fund the Kahurangi Toi Ātea national screen workforce development programme.
• NetflixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetflix partnered with NZ On Air to co-fund the Kahurangi Toi Ātea screen workforce development programme, marking Netflix's first partnership with NZ On Air. Netflix APAC Studio Policy and Production Affairs Director Debra Richards cited investment in local talent as essential to the long-term success of New Zealand's screen sector.
• Wētā FXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWētā FX is a principal sponsor of WIFT NZ. WIFT NZ offers a dedicated Wētā FX Membership tier for employees of Wētā FX across all genders, and Wētā FX supports WIFT NZ events and workshops, including the Capital Champions: Cine Queens Speak event featuring Philippa Boyens, Dame Gaylene Preston, and Dame Miranda Harcourt.
• South Pacific PicturesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Pacific Pictures is a principal sponsor of WIFT NZ, supporting the organization's events and programmes.
• Great Southern Film & TelevisionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat Southern Film & Television is a principal sponsor of WIFT NZ and received NZ On Air funding for productions such as Blue Murder Motel 2.
• Te Māngai PāhocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Māngai Pāho is a principal sponsor of WIFT NZ and a key funder of Māori and Pasifika screen content in New Zealand. WIFT NZ members frequently feature in Te Māngai Pāho funding rounds for script development and production.
• Hudson Gavin MartinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHudson Gavin Martin is a corporate partner and legal services provider to WIFT NZ, co-presenting events such as The Creator's Survival Guide: Parody Laws, Moral Rights & AI Content workshops in Wellington and Auckland.
• TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival)strategicGTM or Marketing PartnerWIFT NZ has a partnership with TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) providing WIFT NZ members with massive industry discounts on festival passes, including access to screenings, Press & Market Screenings, Market Screenings, and Public Screenings at discounted member rates.
• NYWIFT (New York Women in Film & Television)strategicGTM or Marketing PartnerWIFT NZ collaborates with NYWIFT on masterclass programming, including the virtual NYWIFT Masterclass: Finding the Soul of the Story on creating feature documentaries and premium docu-series, open to WIFT NZ members.
• FAT LightingsupportingOthersFAT Lighting is a supporting sponsor of WIFT NZ, providing discounted services to members and hosting WIFT NZ's physical headquarters at 489 Rosebank Rd, Avondale, Auckland.
• SAE InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAE Institute is a principal sponsor of WIFT NZ, supporting educational and professional development initiatives for members.
• Warner Bros. DiscoverymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWarner Bros. Discovery is a principal sponsor of WIFT NZ, supporting events and the organization's programmes.
• Professional Lighting Services LtdmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional Lighting Services Ltd is a principal sponsor of WIFT NZ and runs workshops and showcases (e.g., Luminys SoftSun and Lightning Strikes events) in collaboration with WIFT NZ.
• Greenlit (NZ Screen Industry Sustainability Body)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreenlit is the New Zealand screen industry's sustainability body and partners with WIFT NZ to deliver Sustainability Manager Training, a three-day course for experienced screen professionals (5+ years) at coordinator level or above. The programme is funded by the Vista Foundation, with pilot placements funded by the NZ Film Commission.
• Share The KnowledgestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerShare The Knowledge created the Kahurangi Toi Ātea programme, which was co-developed with Toi Mai Workforce Development Council and Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu, and is backed by NZ On Air and Netflix.
• Toi Mai Workforce Development CouncilstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerToi Mai Workforce Development Council co-developed the Kahurangi Toi Ātea national screen industry training programme alongside Share The Knowledge and Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI): WIFTI is the global umbrella network of which WIFT NZ is a member chapter, coordinating 50+ chapters and 20,000+ members worldwide. It is the direct parent governance body and the most structurally comparable peer, operating the same membership/community model at global scale.

Direct peers

• Women in Film (Los Angeles): Women in Film (LA) is the original and largest U.S. WIFT chapter and a direct sister organization; it operates the same membership, education, advocacy and awards model as WIFT NZ but at significantly larger scale, serving women in the U.S. screen industry.
• New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT): NYWIFT is a U.S. WIFT chapter that operates an essentially identical membership, networking, awards and professional-development model for women in film and television; it is also an explicit programming partner of WIFT NZ (e.g., virtual masterclass co-delivery), making it both a peer and a collaborator.

Regional players

• WIFT Australia (Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network): WIFT Australia / Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network is the closest geographic peer, providing membership, advocacy and professional development to women and gender-diverse screen practitioners across Australia with a near-identical operating model to WIFT NZ.
• Women in Film & Television UK: WIFT UK is a fellow WIFTI chapter serving women in the British screen industry with a comparable membership, training and advocacy offering; it is a relevant international peer because it operates in a larger, English-language market with similar industry structure to New Zealand.
• SPADA (Screen Production and Development Association of New Zealand): SPADA is the broader New Zealand screen-industry trade association representing independent producers and screen businesses; it overlaps WIFT NZ's advocacy and industry-development remit at the domestic level but serves the full industry rather than focusing on women and gender-diverse practitioners.

Others

• New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC): The NZFC is a core funder and partner of WIFT NZ, administering government funding for the New Zealand screen industry; while not a membership NFP itself, it is closely intertwined with WIFT NZ's mission and shares the same end-customers (NZ screen practitioners and productions).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women in Film & Television New Zealand