Hightail

Hightail follows a father and a son on a road trip through rural New Zealand. We find out that this roadtrip isn't what it first seems when the pair are revealed to be outlaws living on the run, committing a string of armed robberies at rural gas stations and convenience stores as they go.

Henare, the father, is an ex-convict and struggling to fit back into regular society. He is convinced that society is against him, and holds a perpetual grudge against the law and anyone who doesn't share his views. He tries his best to raise his son, Teina, to have pure morals and become a functioning member of society, but has no idea how to do that. Instead, living life on the road and constantly on the move, the son has adopted his father's views and has become enthusiastic about the dangerous lifestyle that they lead. Karma eventually catches up to our wanted duo, and ultimately their reckless lifestyle leads to their demise. Hightail will be a homage to a lineup of classic New Zealand films, following a similar style and tone, as well as showcasing some amazing New Zealand scenery.

Right now, we are in the midst of pre-production, finding perfect locations, perfect actors, and perfect props. This is our graduate project, so we want to make it really special. We don't want this project to become 'just another student film' with no budget, and we want to raise this to a professional standard and exceed the expectations that people might have of us. Getting this film into the New Zealand film festival circuits is our goal, showcasing New Zealand scenery and young New Zealand talent.

Help us get there!

We aim to raise $4000 dollars for our project, which will primarily go towards paying our actors for their work, feeding our whole crew on set, and transportation. It will also cover some speciality equipment such as car mounted camera rigs, vehicle rentals, and props.

The Team

The team began with the two of us - Andrew and Kahu - and our common interest to create something great. We are both graduating Massey University this year and were first introduced to the film world through our acting experience, being part of some the biggest film productions in New Zealand and seeing some huge names at work. We've experienced productions on the highest end, and learned as much as we can at Massey to finally step on the other side of production in our first major project. Along for the ride are several other graduating students whose diverse interests and skill set are going to help make this vision a reality, as well as the experienced staff at Massey who can guide us.

This is a New Zealand story for the world stage and we need New Zealanders to help us get it there. Thank you for donating!