ABOUT

Born in Sussex, England, Chaz declared to his parents his desire to be a filmmaker at 9 after seeing Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. He got his start on Alan Rickman film The Search for John Gissing in 2000, before working for Oscar-nominated producer Alison Owen (Elizabeth). A role in the development team at Miramax Films followed, working under execs Colin Vaines (Gangs of New York/Cold Mountain) and Ollie Madden.

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Chaz moved to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2006 and has since written, directed and produced two award-winning web series: 101 Dates and End of Term featuring Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit/Last Night in Soho), along with acclaimed short films The Shoe Box and Broken Glass. In 2012 he wrote and directed box office hit stage romcom Someone Like You, followed by a second queer-centred comedy in 2016, The Next Best Thing.

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Also in 2016, Chaz co-founded Promised Land Tales with Adam Reynolds which led to the internationally acclaimed LGBTQ children's book trilogy Promised Land, Maiden Voyage and Raven Wild. Their work attracted global media coverage and support from the likes of George Takei and Sir Ian McKellen.

 

In 2019, Chaz released his middle-grade fantasy novel Soulfire, and was the lead Producer and a collaborating filmmaker on the multi-genre anthology feature film Encounters released in early 2021.

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Chaz's screenplay The Glassmaker was a Finalist in the 2021 ScreenCraft Family Screenplay Competition and a Quarterfinalist in the 2022 Final Draft Big Break Screenplay Contest. His sci-fi/thriller Endurance also placed as a Quarterfinalist in the 2021 BlueCat Screenplay Competition, as a Semifinalist in the 2021 ScreenCraft Sci-Fi/Fantasy Screenplay Competition, and as a Quarterfinalist in the 2022 Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest. His horror-comedy screenplay Not Dead Yet was a Quarterfinalist in both the 2022 ScreenCraft Horror Screenplay, and 2022 ScreenCraft Comedy Screenplay Competitions.

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In 2022, Chaz wrote, directed, and produced the queer psychological thriller short film You're Out, which screened at NZ's leading genre film festival TERROR-FI, Canada's Image+Nation LGBTQ film festival, and the UK's biggest genre film festival FRIGHTFEST. Most recently, Chaz's screenplay Previous Occupants was announced as a 2023 Slamdance Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalist.

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A member of the Directors & Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand, he is represented by John E. Ferraro of Valleywood Entertainment.