Dame Gaylene Preston is a writer, producer and director. In 2001 she was the first filmmaker to receive an Arts Foundation Laureate Award, and in 2002 she was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for her services to the film industry. In 2010 she received the inaugural lifetime achievement award for outstanding contribution to documentary from Documentary Edge, a Screenwriters Mentorship Award, and a WIFT NZ Award for outstanding contribution to the New Zealand Screen Industry. In 2016 she received the SPADA Industry Champion Award and a New Zealand Woman of Influence Award for Arts and Culture. In 2017 she was given the Premium Moa Award for services to cinema. In 2018 she was visiting scholar at the Intellectual Forum, Jesus College Cambridge. Gaylene Preston has been making films for 50 years. She has produced, directed and written many feature films, feature documentaries, television series, television documentaries, commercials and video installations. A full filmography is available at gaylenepreston.co.nz.