Julia Parnell

Julia Parnell
Julia Parnell
Born
Nairobi, Kenya
CitizenshipNew Zealand and British
Occupation(s)Director, producer, writer
Years active1999–present
Websitenotablepictures.com

Julia Parnell is a New Zealand film and television producer, and director of documentary films. She is head of the production company Notable Pictures.

Early life and education

Julia Parnell was born in Nairobi,[citation needed] Kenya, to a British father and New Zealand mother. The family moved to New Zealand when Parnell was 10.[1]

In 1997 she studied at South Seas Film and Television School in Auckland.[1]

Career

Parnell's career started in 1999.[2] After graduating from film school, she worked at several local production companies.[1] She joined ButoBase Productions (now Buto Productions), gradually working her way up to head the company. She spent six years at the company, overseeing factual series and producing documentaries. These included Ngāti NRL, which explored the "Mozzie" subculture of Māori players in the tough Australian rugby league competition. She also produced a 2009 documentary about American football star Riki Ellison, along with many other titles for Māori Television.[1]

Parnell left Butobase in early July 2010 to start her own production company, Notable Pictures.[1]

Since the opening of Notable Pictures, Parnell has produced many projects, including two series of Bring Your Boots, OZ in collaboration with Māori Television's Glen Osborne, a documentary funded by Māori Television and New Zealand On Air. The series is about Henare O'Keefe, Māori social crusader and District Councilor for Hastings, New Zealand, Both Worlds, a New Zealand On Air-funded documentary series for broadcast on TV3.[3][4][5][6] in which ten second-generation New Zealanders share their experiences of either living a cultural clash or enjoying the best of both worlds, and a one-hour documentary on Māori restorative justice.[7]

Parnell expanded into producing drama with two short films Hitch Hike and Friday Tigers, and a third film, Dive (2014, written and directed by Matthew J. Saville[8]), all three funded by the New Zealand Film Commission.[9][10][11]

Parnell produced and directed a documentary funded by Māori Television and New Zealand On Air, Rethinking Rehab, which aimed to provide an insight into the New Zealand Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court.[12] She also worked on Loading Docs, a 2013 initiative in collaboration with the New Zealand Film Commission and NZ On Air. The project provides a launchpad for New Zealand documentary shorts, starting with ten three-minute films in 2014 based on the theme of home.[13][14][15] Wilbur: The King in the Ring, is a feature documentary co-directed with Jan Oliver Lucks that premiered at Doc Edge in 2017, after starting life as a short film in 2015 for Loading Docs. It tells the story of former pro wrestler Wilbur McDougall, as he battles addiction and undergoes gastric sleeve surgery.[16]

Recognition and awards

Personal life

Parnell holds both New Zealand and British citizenship.[2]

Filmography

Title Series Funder/Broadcaster & Date Series Description
Producer Rising Dust New Zealand Film Commission 2013 Short Film
Producer/Director Rethinking Rehab Māori Television 2013–14 Documentary
Executive Producer Loading Docs New Zealand On Air 2013–14 Documentary
Producer/Director Both Worlds Series 2 TV3 (New Zealand) 2013 Ten-part documentary series
Producer Dive New Zealand Film Commission 2012 Short Film
Producer Friday Tigers New Zealand Film Commission 2012 Short Film
Producer Restoring Hope Māori Television 2012 52-minute documentary
Producer Both Worlds TV3 2012 Ten-part documentary series
Producer Hitch Hike New Zealand Film Commission 2011 Short Film
Producer Henare O’Keefe Māori Television 2011 52-minute documentary on Henare O'Keefe
Producer Bring Your Boots, Oz Series 2 Māori Television 2011 Thirteen-part factual entertainment series
Producer Bring Your Boots, Oz Series 1 Māori Television 2011 Thirteen-part factual entertainment series
Producer O Whakaaro Māori Television 2010 Twenty six-part talk show
Producer Hauora an iwi Whanganui Māori Television 2010 Thirteen part observational documentary
Producer / Director Minority Voices TVNZ TV ONE 2009 Ten-part factual documentary series
Producer Riki Ellison: The Defender Māori Television 2009 60 min documentary
Producer / Post Director Ngāti NRL Series 1 – 10 Māori Television Thirteen-part sports entertainment series 2004–09
Producer Wayne Anderson: Singer of Songs, Series 1 & 2 TVNZ TV2 & Prime (New Zealand TV channel) 2006 & 2008 Seven-part comedy series
Producer / Post Director Relocated Mountains NHK (Japan), Link TV (U.S.), Māori Television 2008 60 min documentary
Line Producer Rockin' Rowles TVNZ TV3 2008 60 min Inside the life on John Rowles New Zealand documentary
Producer / Director Kaihoe Wāhine Māori Television 2008 Seven-part documentary series
Line Producer Hauora Ngāti Porou Māori Television 2006 & 2007 Series 1 & 2 Thirteen-part observational documentary series
Producer / Director Mātātahi Māori Television 2007 Seven-part youth magazine series
Producer / Writer Hauora Hokianga, Series 1 & 2 Māori Television 2004 & 2005 Thirteen-part observational documentary
Producer / Director Te Haerenga series 1, 2 & 3 Māori Television 2004 & 2005 Thirteen part youth documentary series

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Julia Parnell". NZ On Screen. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2025. Profile originally published on 21 December 2014; updated on 17 August 2020
  2. ^ a b "About". Notable Pictures. 4 November 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  3. ^ Miss Indian NZ Retrieved 8 September 2010 [dead link‍]
  4. ^ NZ on Air Press Release 2011.10.13 Archived 15 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved June 2012
  5. ^ NZ on Air Press Release 2012.05.10 Archived 8 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved June 2012
  6. ^ HRC Newsletter 2012.06 Archived 2 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved June 2012
  7. ^ "Tell me what happened to the Exponents". nzherald.co. 25 April 2013. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Matthew J Saville". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  9. ^ Tauihu Media Projects Archived 5 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved June 2012
  10. ^ WIFT NZ – Six New Shorts Green Lit for Funding Archived 23 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved June 2012
  11. ^ NZ Film Short Film Financing Archived 15 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved June 2012
  12. ^ "A note from our CEO - July 2013". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  13. ^ "A note from our CEO - July 2013". Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  14. ^ "Announcing LoadingDocs".
  15. ^ Yates, Siena (4 August 2016). "Loading Docs provides 'small stories which pack big punch'". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
  16. ^ "Duncan Sarkies". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  17. ^ "New Zealand Women in Film & Television Awards". Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Friday Tigers Wins New Zealand's Best 2013". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.