Roseanne Liang
{{Short description|New Zealand film director}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Roseanne Liang
| birth_place = New Zealand
| alma_mater = University of Auckland
| occupation = Filmmaker
| yearsactive = 2003–present
| spouse = Stephen Harris
| children = 2
}}
Roseanne Liang is a New Zealand film director.{{Cite web|last=Debruge|first=Peter|date=2021-02-25|title=10 Directors to Watch: Roseanne Liang Launches Action Ambitions With 'Shadow in the Cloud'|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/features/10-directors-to-watch-roseanne-liang-shadow-in-the-cloud-1234914996/|access-date=2021-03-07|website=Variety|language=en-US}} Her first feature film, My Wedding and Other Secrets, was the first theatrically released feature film made by a Chinese New Zealander and became 2011's highest grossing local feature film.{{Cite web|title=Roseanne Liang, Writer/Director|url=https://www.wiftnz.org.nz/membership/wift-member-profiles/roseanne-liang.aspx|access-date=2018-05-06|website=WIFT New Zealand|language=en}} She also co-created, directed, and co-wrote the 2021 TV series Creamerie.
Early life
Liang was born in New Zealand to Hong Kong emigrants. Her parents were doctors, one was a doctor and the other a nurse.{{Cite web|title=Roseanne Liang|url=https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/set/item/583|access-date=2021-03-07|website=ngataonga.org.nz|language=en}} She has two sisters. Liang attended St Cuthbert's College, Auckland, and was dux of the school in 1995.{{Cite web|title=Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards {{!}} Old Girls' Association|url=http://www.stcuthberts.school.nz/oga/awards/sir-peter-blake-awards/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727154331/http://www.stcuthberts.school.nz/oga/awards/sir-peter-blake-awards/|archive-date=July 27, 2014|access-date=2018-05-06|website=St Cuthbert's College}}
She went on to study computer science at the University of Auckland. She graduated with a Masters in Creative and Performing Arts in 2003.{{Cite magazine|last=Wilford|first=Judy|date=Spring 2006|title=Filmmaker in a nutshell|url=https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/alumni/publications/ingenio/ingenio_spring06_web.pdf|magazine=Ingenio|publisher=University of Auckland|pages=30–31}}
Career
Liang made her directorial debut with the autobiographical documentary film Banana in a Nutshell (2005), which was about her own cross-cultural romance with a Pākehā.{{Cite podcast|url=https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/the-sunday-session/audio/roseanne-liang-hits-hollywood-big-leagues-with-shadow-in-the-cloud/|title=Roseanne Liang hits Hollywood big leagues with Shadow in the Cloud|website=The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin|publisher=Newstalk ZB|last=Francesca|first=Rudkin|date=February 7, 2021|access-date=March 7, 2021}} The film won Best Documentary at DOCNZ International Documentary Film Festival.{{Cite web|last=Barclay|first=Keith|date=2014-03-03|title=Roseanne Liang honoured by University of Auckland|url=http://www.screenz.co.nz/roseanne-liang-honoured-university-auckland/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=SCREENZ|language=en-GB}} Liang won Best Director of Documentary Films at Asian Festival of First Films. The film was screened at New Zealand International Film Festival 2005,{{Citation|title=New Zealand International Film Festival: Banana in a Nutshell|url=https://www.nziff.co.nz/2005/archive-4/banana-in-a-nutshell/|language=en-GB|access-date=2021-03-07}} where she met John Barnett, a producer from South Pacific Pictures, who requested a feature length adaptation of the documentary.
That project later became the romantic comedy My Wedding and Other Secrets (2011). The film won Best Actress and Best Screenplay Award for a feature film at the Aotearoa Film & Television Awards.
Liang also directed the short film Take 3, which won awards in 2007 at the Berlin and Valladolid Film Festivals, and the hit web series Flat3 and Friday Night Bites.{{Cite web|others=NZ On Screen|title=Roseanne Liang {{!}} NZ On Screen|url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/person/roseanne-liang|access-date=2018-05-06|website=www.nzonscreen.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/100696616/roseanne-liang-tipped-by-hollywood-reporter-as-director-to-watch|title=Roseanne Liang tipped by Hollywood Reporter as director to watch|website=Stuff|language=en|access-date=2018-05-06}} In 2008, she was awarded Women in Film and Television International's Woman to Watch Award for Women in Film and Television.
Liang is a part of the Thousand Apologies Collective, a creative cohort of seven writers and filmmakers based in Auckland, New Zealand, which includes Shuchi Kothari and Serina Pearson. They made their television debut with their pan-Asian sketch comedy series A Thousand Apologies on TV3, New Zealand's first prime time Asian program.{{Cite web|date=2008-10-21|title=The Asian inversion|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/asian-inversion|access-date=2021-03-07|website=Otago Daily Times|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Screen|first=NZ On|title=A Thousand Apologies {{!}} Series {{!}} Television {{!}} NZ On Screen|url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/a-thousand-apologies-2008/series|access-date=2021-03-07|website=www.nzonscreen.com|language=en}} Kothari and Liang later cofounded the Pan-Asian Screen Collective with others in August 2018 to support Asian filmmakers in New Zealand.{{Cite web|last=Medel|first=Mariah Alyssa|date=2018-09-04|title=New collective fights for Asians on NZ screens|url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/page/new-collective-fights-for-asians-on-nz-screens|access-date=2021-03-08|website=Newsroom|language=en-AU}}
In 2017, she directed a short film Do No Harm, which was selected to be shown at the Manhattan Short film festival{{Cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/96815524/kiwi-short-film-do-no-harm-earns-oscars-nod-at-manhattan-short|title=Kiwi short film Do No Harm earns Oscars nod at Manhattan Short|website=Stuff|language=en|access-date=2018-05-06}} and the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.{{Cite web|date=2018-03-25|title=Gunning for Hollywood and #TimesUp for NZ|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/voices/audio/2018637725/gunning-for-hollywood-and-timesup-for-nz|access-date=2021-03-07|website=RNZ |language=en-nz}}
In 2020, Liang directed and co-wrote Shadow in the Cloud, a WWII action-horror film, starring Chloë Grace Moretz from a story treatment by Max Landis. It debuted at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People's Choice Award.{{Cite web|date=3 February 2021|title=Roseanne Liang on Shadow In The Cloud|url=https://www.wiftnz.org.nz/news/2021/2/3/roseanne-liang-on-shadow-in-the-cloud.aspx?filterby=WIFT%20NZ%20News&page=2|access-date=2021-03-08|website=www.wiftnz.org.nz}} In the same year, Liang also contributed to The Women Writers' Handbook.2020. Aurora Metro Books.
Filmography
Short film
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director ! Writer |
|---|
| 2005
| Rest Stop | {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| 2008
| Take 3 | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2015
| Sugar Hit | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2017
| Do No Harm | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
Feature film
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director ! Writer ! Notes |
|---|
| 2005
| Banana in a Nutshell | {{yes}} | {{no}} | Documentary |
| 2011
| My Wedding and Other Secrets | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2020
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
Television
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director ! Writer |
|---|
| 2008
| A Thousand Apologies | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2021
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2024
| {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| 2025
| {{yes}} | {{no}} |
Web series
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director ! Writer ! Notes |
|---|
| 2013
| Flat3 | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | 12 episodes |
| 2016–2018
| Friday Night Bites | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | |
| 2017
| Unboxed | {{yes}} | {{no}} | 6 episodes |
Personal life
Liang is married to Stephen Harris, the subject of Banana in a Nutshell.{{Cite web|last=Morgan|first=Scott|date=2011-03-10|title=Casting a light on culture clash|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/4753963/Casting-a-light-on-culture-clash|access-date=2021-03-07|website=Stuff|language=en}} They have two children.
Accolades
- SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year (2005){{Cite web|last=|date=2005-11-25|title=SPADA celebrates film industry achievements|url=https://www.thebigidea.nz/node/172154|access-date=2021-03-08|website=The Big Idea Editor|language=en}}{{Importance inline|date=March 2021}}
- Best Director of Documentary Films — Asian Festival of First Films
- Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award (2012){{Importance inline|date=March 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1755396}}
- [https://wellywoodwoman.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-wedding-and-other-secrets.html Interview about My Wedding and Other Secrets]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liang, Roseanne}}
Category:New Zealand film directors
Category:New Zealand people of Hong Kong descent