Abigail Greenwood Gets Second Director’s Attachment

Abigail Greenwood Gets Second Director’s Attachment With Filthy Productions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

19 January 2017

The Directors & Editors Guild of NZ, NZ On Air and Filthy Productions are thrilled to announce actor and director Abigail Greenwood as the TV Drama Director Attachment on the Filthy Rich TV series.

“Impressed by the strength of Abigail’s application, we looked at attaching two directors to Dirty Laundry last year” said Steven Zanoski from Filthy Productions.

When other commitments arose, we immediately thought of Filthy Rich, should a second season eventuate, believing Abigail a good fit with the show.”

Abigail attaches to experienced director Michael Duignan, whose past credits include Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, The Blue Rose, Agent Anna, and the first series of Filthy Rich. She has joined the production this month as they get underway in Auckland. Filthy Rich is produced by Steven Zanoski for Filthy Productions Ltd.
"I’m really excited to watch this very successful team do what they do so well, and stoked to be shadowing Michael Duignan, who I admire for his bold and inventive directing style,” said Abigail Greenwood.

It's such a privilege to be given an internship as a director, so huge thanks to DEGNZ and Filthy Productions for this amazing opportunity." 

“We are delighted to again support an up and coming woman director to develop her skills under the mentorship of an experienced director, in the hope that we can see more women directing content for our screens in future,” said NZ On Air Chief Executive Jane Wrightson.

“Abigail brings her signigicant experience as an actor and her directing success with short films including Eleven, which was selected for the Berlin International Film Festival to the attachment,” said DEGNZ Executive Director Tui Ruwhiu.

“She is one of a number of talented early-career women directors coming to the fore and we are thrilled she has this opportunity to further her directing experience.”

Filthy Rich tells the story of three illegitimate children who discover they each have a claim to the fortune of one of NZ's wealthiest men, John Truebridge. With so much money on the line, John's legitimate family will do anything to stop these new, unexpected heirs! This Filthy Productions 14 x 1-hour drama is in its second series on TV One.

The DEGNZ TV Drama Director Attachment Scheme is now in its second year and Abigail has secured the sixth director attachment through this initiative, funded by NZ On Air and the production company involved and managed by DEGNZ. It is intended to give emerging drama directors the opportunity to shadow an experienced director through the pre-production, production and post-production process as a means to improve their craft skills. There is also an opportunity to direct one or more scenes during their attachment, at the discretion of the series producer and episode director.

The scheme has seen four women and two men attach to New Zealand dramas with Matthew Saville on Screentime’s Bombshell: The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, Aidee Walker on South Pacific Pictures’ (SPP) Westside, Helena Brooks on their Brokenwood Mysteries, and Cathy MacDonald on SPP’s Shortland Street, while Jamie Lawrence attached to Filthy Production’s Dirty Laundry.

Ends

Abigail Greenwood is an award winning theatre director and filmmaker from Auckland, New Zealand. Over the last ten years she has been working as a director, actor and production and costume design assistant in New Zealand film, theatre, and television.

Abigail’s first short film received international acclaim, participating in international festivals including Berlinale 2014 and Melbourne International Film Festival 2014. The film won Best Short Film at the Rialto Channel NZ Film Awards 2014, and Abigail was awarded for Distinctive Creative Achievement as a Director in the New Zealand International Film Festival 'NZ's Best' competition 2014.
Abigail has worked as a co-ordinator and assistant to Kirsty Cameron on The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell, Lovebirds, Sione’s Wedding 2, The Weight of Elephants, Field Punishment No. 1, Slow West, and recently The Rehearsal.
Abigail’s acting credits include Brave Donkey (short film), Piece of My Heart (telefeature), and Outrageous Fortune (TV series).
Theatre directing credits include collaborative works The Height of the Eiffel Tower (New York Fringe Festival 2010, Silo Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe 2014), and Nick (Edinburgh Fringe 2013), as well as And Then You Die by Thomas Sainsbury and Cow by Jo Randerson for Auckland Theatre Company’s Young and Hungry.

Filthy Productions Ltd is a production company recently set up by Rachel Lang, Gavin Strawhan and Steven Zanoski. The company’s focus is production based, with a philosophy that the best television drama and comedy is always driven by the creatives. Productions to date are Filthy Rich and Dirty Laundry, both for Television New Zealand.

Directors & Editors Guild of NZ is a not-for-profit membership organisation that represents Directors and Editors in the New Zealand screen industry. This includes Directors and Editors of feature drama and documentary; television drama, documentary and factual programmes; short films; video art; animation; commercials and web content.

DEGNZ’s two primary roles are advocacy and professional development. We:
are dedicated to promoting excellence in the arts of directing and editing.
foster collegiality and unity within the screen industry.
promote members’ creative and economic rights.
work to improve industry working conditions and remuneration.
offer professional advice and information on contracts and industry standards and practice.
offer professional development events, networking opportunities, career advice, dispute resolution, mentoring, workshops, training, discounts and regular news bulletins for members across all levels of expertise, from novices to seasoned professionals.
are a voice for Directors and Editors in influencing policy in the interest of our members. We do this through our membership of the panindustry group SINZ (Screen Industry New Zealand), and by making submissions to government and public officials.
Internationally work co-operatively with other guilds and we belong to the International Affiliation of EnglishSpeaking Directors’ Organisations (IEASDO).
DEGNZ is Auckland-based with an office in Grey Lynn.

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