Something looks a bit different 😲
We've given NZ On Screen a fresh new look — smarter and simpler to navigate, with thousands of free titles and curated collections right where you left them.
Fred Dagg's still here. Billy T's still here. Doctor Ropata's still here. And now, for the first time, you can rent New Zealand feature films directly from us — more than 120 titles, no subscription required 🤩
Everything you loved — and now, the films to go with it. Discover more via the link in bio.
#nzfilms #tvshows #nz
Remembering Ian Watkin, who passed away on this day in 2016.
A familiar face on Kiwi screens for decades, Watkin brought his unmistakable presence to everything from cult horror to children’s television. From ‘Braindead’ to ‘Shortland Street’, and plenty in between.
Long before that, he was part of the wonderfully chaotic world of ‘Blerta’. Ringleader one moment, taking a custard pie the next, and just as likely to pop up as a bearded evangelist, mad scientist, or overly confident film director. A little bit unhinged, and all the better for it 🤓
🎩 Watch ‘Blerta Revisited’ and more of Watkin’s standout moments via the link in bio.
#blerta #ianwatkins
Here’s a wonderful throwback to 1994, when Steve Irwin recounts the tale of how he wrestled his first croc, alongside wife Terri Irwin, on the variety show ‘The Mad Mad World of Television’ 🐊
📺️ The rest of the episode is a pure mid-90s time capsule: host Simon Barnett jokes about one-day cricket, a cordless phone is up for grabs, and a live studio audience loves every minute. Keep an eye out for early appearances from Jeremy Corbett and Paul Yates too.
🔗 Unmistakably of its time, see the full episode via the link in bio.
#steveirwin #terriirwin
Mi-Sex 'People' - 1980, From the Album Space Race (1980)
Kevin Stanton of Mi-Sex passed away on May 17, 2017.
But the surviving members of Mi-Sex are celebrating 45 years of their classic album Space Race with one Auckland show, at The Tuning Fork in Auckland on Friday 27 November, with special guests The Waterways.
(Tickets from Plus1.co.nz)
Fun fact: Mi-Sex formed from the hippie embers of Hamilton group Father Time and prog-rockers Think. They evolved into Fragments Of Time before they revamped to fit the emerging punk/new wave sound in March 1978. Taking an Ultravox song as their name, Mi-Sex would prove to be one of the great phenomenons of NZ rock.
'People' was the first single from Space Race, emerging at a time when the world was still coming to grips with cloning, genetic engineering and test tube babies.
For Gary Steel's story about the band, go to Mi-Sex #linkinbio
@nzonscreen #nzmusicmonth #mi-sex @plus1nz
They really don’t make them like this anymore 📽️
‘How to Drown’ takes a very 1950s approach to water safety, teaching you exactly what not to do with a wink, a bit of mischief, and plenty of silent film-style antics along the way 🏊️
From rescues to some surprisingly cheeky humour, it’s a reminder of a time when public safety films leaned more into charm than shock tactics.
🌊 Dive into the full short and more gems like this in the Better Safe Than Sorry collection via the link in bio.
#1950s #nzfilm
Just announced: Che Fu will be inducted into Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa | the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame at the 2026 Aotearoa Music Awards on Thursday 28 May.
Che Fu 'Fade Away' - 2002
From the Album Navigator (2002)
Post-Supergroove, when Che Fu went solo in the mid-90s, local hip hop and R&B was an underground scene, and seemed unlikely to go mainstream.
Che broke through with a run of massive hits, and effectively paved the way for the golden years of local hip hop in the mid-2000s.
For Gareth Shute's profile of Che, go to Che Fu #linkinbio
#nzmusicmonth #chefu #supergroove #AMA26
‘Caterpillar’ hits cinemas today 🐛
Set in an early-2000s Wellington household, three generations of women navigate love, ambition, and change. Single mother Maxine chases her filmmaking dreams, teenage daughter Cassie faces growing pains, and grandmother Huia quietly grapples with dementia, retreating into her fascination with monarch butterflies.
Directed by Chelsie Preston Crayford in her feature debut, ‘Caterpillar’ is a tender, female-led story about family, resilience, and transformation, brought to life by Lisa Harrow, Anais Shand, and Marta Dusseldorp.
🦋 Catch the trailer via the link in bio.
#nzfilm #caterpillarthefilm
Hari Huritau to a very dynamic duo today, the Topp Twins! 🥳
Back in this 2000 episode of ‘The Topp Twins’, the pair head to the Waipū Highland Games and Tattoo, bringing a whole line-up of characters along for the ride. There’s highland dancing, hammer throwing, haggis, and plenty of chaos as their alter egos collide.
At the centre of it all, it’s Ken vs Ken. Kiwi bloke Ken is less than impressed as his Scottish cousin Kenneth sets his sights on Camp Mother, while Camp Leader tries to keep things from completely unravelling. It goes about as well as you’d expect.
🎂 Watch the full episode and discover more in The Topp Twins Collection via the link in bio.
#topptwins
Don’t be fooled by the title, ‘Serial Killers’ isn’t that kind of drama 👀 No true crime here, just a room full of TV writers slowly losing the plot and their patience 🙄
The show stars Robyn Malcolm as a stressed scriptwriter juggling egos, deadlines, and a very demanding producer. From resurrecting dead characters to questionable product placement and cast meltdowns, it’s got all the drama... just not the kind you were expecting.
🎥 Catch the full series via the link in bio.
#nzactors #nzdrama
If you remember ‘Back of the Y Masterpiece Television’, you already know where this is going…
Matt Heath and Chris Stapp took their on-screen chaos and turned it into a real band, complete with a very committed ode to the amber liquid. The full music video is full of ‘Back of the Y’ energy: beers, dodgy stunts, and plenty of things that probably wouldn’t fly today.
Catch the full music video and watch the first series of the iconic TV show via the link in bio.
#dejavoodoo #backofthey
Before Ian Mune became a screen heavyweight, he was dodging chaos and cars on a scrappy film set 🎥
‘The Making of Sleeping Dogs’ takes you behind the scenes of Roger Donaldson’s 1977 breakthrough. Cast and crew swap stories of stunts that didn’t quite go to plan, near misses, and making cinema on sheer nerve and ingenuity 🎞️ Shot on a shoestring budget and constantly on the move, the film helped ignite a new wave of Kiwi cinema and launched the careers of Donaldson, Mune, and Sam Neill.
🔗 Watch the full documentary via The Ian Mune Collection - link in bio.
#Sleepingdogs #nzfilm #ianmune
Go behind the scenes of Gaylene Preston’s ‘Perfect Strangers’ 🎬
A wild West Coast shoot, stormy seas, and a love story with a dark twist. Sam Neill and Rachael Blake share how the landscape shaped their characters, while director Gaylene Preston reveals the spark that inspired the script.
✨️ Watch the full ‘The Making of Perfect Strangers' with The Behind the Scenes Collection via the link in bio.
#perfectstrangers #nzfilm #film #samneill #gaylenepreston #rachaelblake
