Darren Simmonds is a seasoned director and producer of film, television and music videos, who runs the busy production studio, White Horse Productions, based in the South Island.
Darren’s commercial projects are numerous and he has worked with reputable New Zealand, and international brands, that include Google, Yellow, World Vision, Salvation Army, The Leprosy Mission, PGG Wrightson, Quick Clips, 1791 Diamonds, Silver Fern Farms, Dream Doors and Sony.
Darren and his team at White Horse Productions have been the key video content creators for Victoria University’s ‘Know Your Mind Campaign’ since 2015. In 2018 the campaign won a Gold Quill award from the International Association of Business Communication (IABC).
Darren moved into Drama with a number of award-winning short films, and a feature, UMBRELLA MAN (2015) which he co-produced and co-directed. UMBRELLA MAN was written by Tanya Wheeler, and Darren and Tanya have since forged a great working partnership and that was cemented with the collaboration on the children’s Sci-Fi web series, RESET (2016), funded by NZ On Air.
For RESET, Darren directed and co-produced, while Tanya wrote and produced. RESET was picked up by online platforms, Cyber Smarties in Ireland, and Toon Goggles in the USA. RESET was also selected for the TVNZ Hei Hei platform, for TVNZ On Demand, Maori Television On Demand, was a finalist at the NZ Web Fest 2016, and screened on Air New Zealand in 2017.
Darren is currently working on a slate of Feature Film projects and Television Drama Series, that includes ARROWTOWN, and MATUKITUKI, a dramatic comedy about depression, infertility and euthanasia framed by the inspirational landscape of Mt. Aspiring National Park.
Film Credits
MY STORY (2010) (Short/Doco) – Director/Producer
Darren produced and directed the short documentary, MY STORY, a snow sports documentary featuring Kelly Clark, the Winter Olympic gold medalist.
MINE (2012) (Short) – Director / Producer
MINE was selected as a finalist in the Berlin and Seoul Underground Film Festivals, with MINE being played on over forty thousand Underground screens across the two cities. MINE also scooped up numerous awards including Best Film at the Wanaka Gone in 60seconds Film Festival 2012.
INK’D (2014) (Short)
Director/Producer – In 2014, Darren produced and directed award-winning INK’D (2014), funded by Short Film Otago. The film won multiple awards and was screened as part of The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF). INK’D has screened at festivals in Sydney, Honolulu, Rarotonga, Paris, Tahiti, and New York.
STUD TOUR (2015) (TV SERIES/Doco)
Director/Producer – In the television arena, Darren has produced and directed six episodes of the STUD TOUR on Sky Country Channel 99, a weekly half-hour show documenting Stud farms around New Zealand.
Film Credits
MUSIC VIDEOS
Darren has also produced and directed music videos for Bex Murray, Sony artist Anna Mac, and 2015 Female Artist of the Year (CMANZ), Jody Direen.
UMBRELLA MAN (2015) (Feature)
Co-Producer/Co-Director – Darren co-produced and directed his first feature film, UMBRELLA MAN (2015), written by Tanya Wheeler. UMBRELLA MAN is a drama about a runaway teen that finds hope when he is rescued by an older homeless man who knows about the hardships of living on the streets of Auckland. UMBRELLA MAN was endorsed and broadcast by Maori TV and Tahiti Nui Television.
RESET (2016) (Web Series)
Director/Co0Producer – Children’s Sci-Fi Web Series funded by NZ On Air for $100,000.
Awards
RESET (2016) (Web Series)
Best Web Series in the Web Series Global Festival 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Winner of the Digital Short Form Content for Children’s Competition at MipTV 2017 in Cannes, France. Finalist at NZ Web Fest 2016.
INK’D (2014) (Short)
Top Te Ngati Festival Award, Best Actor, and Best Short Film Award at Wairoa Ma?ori Film Festival (2014). It also won Best Film at T-Tahiti Film Festival in Tahiti, and was finalist for Best Short Drama at the ImagineNATIVE Film Festival, Toronto.
MINE (2012)(Short)
Best Film at Wanaka Gone in Sixty Seconds 2012. Finalist in Berlin Underground Film Festival 2012 and Seoul Underground Film Festival 2012.
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY CAMPAIGN
Winner of Gold Quill Award 2018.