Phillipe Witana

I was born in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of Raureti Witana (Ngapuhi) and Jan Silver. My background is Māori and German/Jewish. I attended secondary schooling at Selwyn College in Auckland and studied drama at The Hub Studio and NIDA in Sydney, then moved to Shanghai to kickstart my film career. I worked in the Chinese film industry directing small-budget commercials and music videos. Since 2020 I focus my directing on narrative film and have also been injecting my efforts into screenwriting. My current slate involves a feature film screenplay, numerous short films in development and a comic based on Polynesian mythology. Typically my screenplays are developed to a certain draft where I require a second writer to provide coverage and assist the screenplay getting pitch ready. A collaborative approach if always preferred on every project and I like to welcome thoughts, questions and challenges around any of my ideals toward a story to establish the best outcome that serves the narrative.