Course Leaders

 
 

Emma Slade - Producer/Line Producer

Emma Slade’s feature THE JUSTICE OF BUNNY KING starring Essie Davis (The Babadook) and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit) had its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival to raving reviews. She is currently delivering the absurd comedy NUDE TUESDAY, a feature starring Jackie van Beek (The Breaker Upperers), Damon Herriman (Mindhunter, Judy&Punch) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords), as well as David Farrier’s (Dark Tourist, Tickled) latest feature documentary. Recently, Slade produced COME TO DADDY, an NZ/Irish/Canadian official co-production, which premiered at Tribeca 2019 and after premiering at numerous festivals was released world-wide in 2020. The project won best director (Ant Timpson) and actor (Elijah Wood) at the Toronto After Dark Festival 2019. In 2017, her young adult thriller THE CHANGEOVER starring Timothy Spall (Mr Turner) and Melanie Lynskey (The Intervention), was in competition at the Alice Nella Citta, Venice Film Festival. Earlier that year, Slade produced INTO THE RAINBOW, which was the first Chinese/NZ co-production, starring Willow Shields (Hunger Games) and the Brazilian/NZ feature LITTLE SECRET, which was nominated as Brazil’s Oscar entry for Best Foreign Film 2017.

In 2018, Emma co-founded SWAG (Screen Women's Action Group) which in consultation with all screen sector bodies, relevant government departments, and sexual violence organisations is committed to tackling sexual harassment in the New Zealand screen industry.

In 2019, Emma co-founded SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE, a training/mentorship programme that supports the growth and sustainability of New Zealand’s Screen Industry by creating meaningful pathways to employment with a focus on being industry led and industry focused.

Emma is a producer and the founder of production company Firefly Films.

In 2020, Emma along with four other New Zealand producers – Desray Armstrong, Leela Menon, Fraser Brown and Victoria Dabbs set up the TAHI PRODUCTION SERVICES company to service international projects coming into the country.

Emma is also a founding member of the Screen Women’s Action Group (SWAG), which began in January 2018 as a local response to the international movements #metoo and TimesUp.  SWAG was driven by their belief that more could be done to address sexual harassment, discrimination and power imbalances in New Zealand’s own screen culture.

Victoria Dabbs - Line Producer/Production Accountant/Producer

Victoria’s career started in 2003 in the production office of a BBC children’s TV series. She has since worked her way up the career ladder and is now an international Producer, Line Producer and Production Accountant who has worked in films and television series in Europe, Asia and Australasia. Since 2012, Victoria line produced primarily independent feature films, which included Dexter Fletcher’s SUNSHINE ON LEITH, Terence Davies’ SUNSET SONG and Michael Caton-Jones’ OUR LADIES. Victoria has also production managed Nicolas Winding Refn’s VALHALLA RISING, Peter Mullan’s NED’S and most recently the BBC’s ABC MURDERS and THE SINGAPORE GRIP, both for Mammoth Screen.

In 2016 Victoria moved to New Zealand with a view of spending six months in each country in the search of eternal summer, or at least a kiwi summer followed by a Scottish summer!

It was at this time Victoria first met Emma Slade, who brought her onto Stuart McKenzie and Miranda Harcourt’s THE CHANGEOVER as Line Producer, which was the start of a continuing successful professional relationship that has developed over the last 6 years.

During this time Victoria also line produced David Stubbs’ DAFFODILS and developed NZ/Scottish co-production THE UNLOVING with Bob Last from Sellout Pictures which has now gone back into development.

In 2019, Victoria moved to the Production Accountant role, working remotely, in a Covid world from her home in Picton, on UK productions including Australian/Scottish co-production FALLING FOR FIGARO, UK TV series ANNIKA, UK BFI funded independent feature GIRL and WORMEATER for Disney as well as New Zealand productions such as independent feature WHINA, TV Series SIS THE SHOW and documentary STYLEBENDER.  She has worked with various tax credit schemes and is a Screen Production Grant consultant for the New Zealand Film Commission.

Victoria is now part of the producing team at FIREFLY FILMS Ltd and is currently attached to THE RAPTURE, HOLY DAYS, PHOENIX, THE SALAMANDER LIVES TWICE, ROSA, TRANSMISSION, NZ/Scottish co-production television series, NIGHT VISION, UK/Chinese Taipei/NZ co-production WITH LOVE and associate producer on the biopic of Charles Upham, MARK OF THE LION.

Victoria is also a co-founder, with Emma Slade, of SHARE THE KNOWELDGE, a below-the line training initiative for the NZ screen industry.