Wairarapa Film Festival proudly presents A SENSE OF PLACE: MASTERCLASS WITH ROB SARKIES

A Sense of Place explores how landscape and community shape narrative, turning location into a dynamic character. Rob Sarkies will trace this approach from his cult debut Scarfies (set in university‑town Dunedin) through Out of the Blue (Aramoana/Dunedin) to Pike River (Greymouth).

Key Concepts:

Location as Character: Techniques for making setting influence mood, theme, and character arcs.
Community Collaboration: Building trust with local participants.
Visual Storytelling: Crafting shots that evoke a sense of place.

Who Should Attend:

This Masterclass is ideal for early to mid-career directors, cinematographers, writers, and producers who want to deepen the organic link between story and setting.

Rob Sarkies Bio:

Rob Sarkies is a multi-award-winning filmmaker whose work spans feature films, series television, shorts, and commercials. He made his feature debut with the black comedy Scarfies (1999), which premiered at Sundance, became an instant cult hit in New Zealand, and won seven New Zealand Film Awards. He followed with Out of the Blue (2006), a critically acclaimed dramatisation of the Aramoana massacre that grossed over NZ$1 million domestically and earned six Qantas Film & Television Awards.

On television, his credits include the Louise Nicholas drama Consent (2014), the Jean Batten biopic Jean (2016), the Emmy‑nominated crime thriller Wanted (NBC/Matchbox), and the German–NZ co‑production The Gulf—all of which have sold internationally and won multiple awards. His projects consistently attract critical acclaim, draw substantial domestic audiences, and secure global distribution. Sarkies is currently preparing Pike River, based on the 2010 West Coast mining disaster, due for release in New Zealand in 2025.

Rob Sarkies continues to celebrate community‑rooted storytelling, using place to connect audiences to the people and history that shape Aotearoa’s cinematic landscape.