Stefen Harris

Stef is a Pakeha/Te Arawa novelist and writer/director who started his writing career with his first novel published in 1999. The same year he wrote the New Zealand Film Commission crime short film A Quiet Night. Stef wrote and directed The Waimate Conspiracy, a feature length Maori drama adapted from his novel. With support and encouragement from Maori film director Barry Barclay, the film won the Wairoa Maori Film Festival Best feature film, Dreamspeakers Aboriginal Film Festival - Best feature film, Australian Screen Producers Award Best Digital feature film and Air New Zealand Screen Awards Best Digital feature film. In 2009 Stef won the Air New Zealand Scholarship in film, spending a year-long mentorship with director Martin Campbell, (Goldeneye, Zorro, Casino Royale). During production of Mel Gibson thriller Edge of Darkness Stef spent time on set and during post production in Boston and Los Angeles. During the mentorship Stef developed a crime thriller feature film, Blue Moon which won Best feature iPhone film festival (Netherlands), Best feature Sydney Smartphone Flick Fest, Best feature Ravenheart Film Festival (Oslo), Best feature Cinephone Film Festival (Barcelona), Official Selection Cannes Cinephiles Antipodes. Stef's recent crime novel Double Jeopardy debuted on the New Zealand bestseller list.