FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
24 September 2014
DIRECTORS AND EDITORS GUILD OF NZ APPOINTS NEW EXEC. DIRECTOR
Long time screen industry practitioner Tui Ruwhiu has been appointed Executive Director, Directors and Editors Guild of
New Zealand. He replaces film producer Fiona Copland who is moving back to independent producing to progress projects in
advanced development.
“Tui brings a wealth of knowledge and contacts from both New Zealand and overseas,” said guild chairman Peter Roberts.
“The board is pleased he has taken up the role.”
Ruwhiu spent over a decade working in Japan. In more recent times he is one of a growing number of New Zealand
filmmakers engaging with China.
“I’m excited to be working on behalf of New Zealand directors and editors at this time of massive upheaval in the screen
industry, largely due to digital technology,” said Ruwhiu. “With great change comes great opportunity. I look forward to
helping DEGNZ members pave their career pathways into the future.”
Ruwhiu started out in television in Tokyo, working on stories for US entertainment shows. He then set up a line
producing company bringing crews to New Zealand to shoot TV commercials. Two stints followed in various production
positions at one of New Zealand’s largest television production companies, interspersed with roles in Japan with a
global information news service. Ruwhiu then spent seven years with a boutique marketing communications company in
Auckland before returning to work more directly in the screen industry as a writer, director and or producer of
corporate videos and television. His attention shifted to film in 2007. Together with colleagues he operated one of the
New Zealand Film Commission’s Premiere Shorts PODs from 2010 – 2012. In the last two years he has written and directed
one short, and produced another that has had a strong showing on the film festival circuit here and offshore, while
developing feature film projects.
Ruwhiu took up his position at the guild this week and will be available to meet existing and prospective members at the
DEGNZ booth at the Big Screen Symposium in Auckland this weekend.
Ends