Kenta: from school projects to the big screen

Young filmmaker Kenta Lord on award-winning short films, screen careers and opportunities in Christchurch

Riccarton High School student Kenta Lord made headlines after his short film Zippo dominated the national OnScreen 2025 competition, taking home five awards, including First Place Narrative, Best Director and Best Cinematography.

The achievement built on the success of his debut short film, Simulacrum, which earned Best Director and Best Cinematography honours the previous year.

When did your interest in filmmaking begin?

I lived in Japan for the first five years of my life before moving to New Zealand. The contrast between Tokyo and New Zealand is huge, and growing up surrounded by New Zealand's incredible landscapes has been a big source of inspiration for me.

When I was young, I started making little skits on my mum's iPad with my classmates. They were simple projects, but they helped me realise that filmmaking could be more than just a hobby.

I started entering film competitions at high school, and my Media Studies teacher, Patty Scott, has played a huge role in encouraging me.

After the success of Simulacrum and Zippo, you’re now working on a bigger project – what can you tell us?

The film I’m currently working on has been a massive step up from Zippo – which was more of a solo project. I brought my friends from school in as cast to be the soldiers and things like that, but now I’m working with adult actors and a full crew.

At first, I thought, ‘No, I’m only 17 years old.’ I was scared they weren’t going to take me seriously because I was the youngest person on set. But everyone was super welcoming.

What’s been the biggest learning curve?

One of the biggest learning curves was being able to communicate my vision to everyone. On Zippo, the only people who needed to understand my vision for the story were me and the cast.

But when you have a director of photography, a producer, a camera operator and all those other people, they all have to understand what it is you’re trying to achieve.

What sort of role would you like in the screen sector?

I’d love to be a cinematographer, a director or even an editor. I really love editing. It’s a massive part of filmmaking and it’s where you see everything come together. I love that part of the process.

What’s your advice for young people wanting a career in film?

The best thing to do is just capture stuff. Whether it’s on a phone or your dad’s old camera, the best thing to do is go out there, be hands-on, and film whatever you can.

If you think a tree looks nice, or you like the way the light is hitting the trees, just shoot that. Over time, you’ll gain a lot of experience, whether it’s lighting, composition, or something else.

Are there opportunities in Canterbury for aspiring filmmakers?

Absolutely. I feel like there are a lot of opportunities here, especially with Kōawa Studios and the Digital Screen Campus at University of Canterbury – we’ve got a growing screen sector.

The people I’ve met, whether they’re my age or a bit older, are all keen to work on projects and be part of creating something. Whether it’s a major role or a minor role, people are excited to contribute.