Director (NZ)

Michelle Savill is an Award-winning director, writer and producer of film, based between London and Auckland. Savill will attend the opening night screening to present her feature film Millie Lies Low on 11 October with a Q&A.

Director (AU)

Nadi Sha is a Lebanese-born Australian director and screenwriter based in Sydney. Nadi's directorial debut, Everything in Between was praised for its nuanced exploration of teenage existentialism.

Nadi is underway with his second feature, Winter Rules, which follows a stateless young woman's quest for freedom, only to question its very definition. With a focus on universally reflective narratives, Nadi aims to offer audiences a fresh perspective on the journey of everyday life.

Everything in Between was released in Australia in 2022 and will celebrate its German premiere at Down Under Berlin on October 12. Nadi will attend and partake in a Q&A.

Director (NZ)

Florian Habicht was born in Berlin and immigrated with his family to New Zealand. He studied film making at the Elam School of Fine Arts Auckland and at the Binger Filmlab Amsterdam.

Florian is responsible for some of New Zealand’s most original and innovative films. His debut feature Woodenhead (2003) a Grimm inspired musical fairytale, became a cult hit in New Zealand and was distributed in the U.S.A. by Olive Films.

In 2012 when his feature Love Story screened at the London Film Festival, Jarvis Cocker and PULP invited him to make a feature documentary / concert film about the group.

Florian is the son of acclaimed sixties photographer Frank Habicht.

Florian will take part in a virtual Q&A from New Zealand after the screening of his popular documentary James & Isey on October 19, in collaboration with the Human Rights FIlm Festival.

Filmmaker (AU)

Rudolf Fitzgerald Leonard is an Australian director, screenwriter, and producer based in Berlin. His award-winning short films have screened at numerous international film festivals, including the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, Toronto International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Busan International Short Film Festival, Filmfest Dresden and Palm Springs International ShortFest. Fitzgerald Leonard is currently developing his debut feature film, ‘Replica’, which was recently selected to be presented at the 2023 editions of the TIFF Filmmaker Lab and the impACT Lab at the Cannes Film Festival.

Rudolf is a guest at the filmmaker panel talk From Down Under to Deutschland on October 14.

Screenwriter (AU)

Nicki Bloom is a multi-award winning writer. She began her career as a playwright in her native Australia and currently lives and works in Germany as a screenwriter. She has several original works in development in both Germany and Australia. Her theatre work has toured to festivals and theatres all around the world. Her television credits include A Thin Line (Paramount+). Her plays have won numerous awards, including a Helpmann Award for her stage adaptation of Erich Kästner’s Emil and the Detectives.

Nicki Bloom is a guest at the filmmaker panel talk From Down Under to Deutschland on October 14.

Filmmaker (AU)

Originally a trained actor from Sydney, Aaron Lucas is now a filmmaker based in Berlin. His animated documentary I’ll Be Frank was awarded First Prize for the Hearts, Minds Soul Award at Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival and nominated for Best Documentary/Factual Single at the Australian International Documentary Conference Awards 2023. He is currently in development for his short film Robert [the robot], with which he was selected for European Short Pitch 2023. He is also in development for his debut feature film Luna, with which he participated in the TIFF Filmmaker Lab 2022 and the TIFF Writers Studio 2023. His documentary I'll Be Frank screened at Down Under Berlin in 2022.

Aaron Lucas is a guest at the filmmaker panel talk From Down Under to Deutschland on October 14.

Actress (NZ)

Megan Gay is an actress from Aotearoa/New Zealand. Since moving to Berlin in 1993 she has been active in theatre, television and film, working in both English and German with renowned directors such as Wim Wenders, Margarethe von Trotta, Andreas Prochaska, Soeren Kragh-Jacobsen, Hal Hartley and Karen Kasuma. Megan played techno label boss Alice in the Berlin cult film Berlin Calling. She currently divides her time between Italy and the German capital.

Megan Gay is a guest at the filmmaker panel talk From Down Under to Deutschland on October 14.