Vanessa Wells is a filmmaker and theatre practitioner whose debut feature documentary EAST TO EAST screened to sell-out houses at NZIFF 2018. In 2018/19 Vanessa visited Antarctica twice, producing a children’s play, content for Sesame Street, and a short documentary TE WHAKAIRO. Recently returned from the Antarctic again, her production company, Elanti Media, is currently working on her second feature documentary, The Climate Canary.

Vanessa is co-vice President of WIFTNZ, having been on the board since 2015.