Sophie Henderson & Morgan Waru | Phoenix Encore 2020
Hear the creators of hit Kiwi film BABY DONE speak about their journey.
Sophie Henderson
Screenwriter, theatre-maker, actor
Sophie Henderson is a New Zealand screenwriter, theatre-maker and actor. Her film BABY DONE with Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal’s Piki Films was released this year, winning over audiences at home and set for international release next year.
Her first screenplay, FANTAIL, in which she also starred premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2014 and picked up a People’s Choice Award at Melbourne International Film Festival that year. Sophie wrote the screenplay for THE JUSTICE OF BUNNY KING which stars Thomasin McKenzie and Essie Davis and is released in 2021.
A co-general manager of Auckland’s Basement Theatre until 2014, Sophie programmed the theatre for 4 years, developing emerging artists and new work. In 2015 Sophie was mentored by Australian screenwriter and showrunner, Alice Bell and worked in the script department for her mini-series THE BEAUTIFUL LIE. Sophie has worked extensively for Silo Theatre as an actor and deviser and was named Metro’s Best Actress in both 2009 and 2014, for her work with the company in THE SCENE and BELLEVILLE. She can be seen in a number of film and television productions including HUMAN TRACES and OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE. Sophie is a member of the Script to Screen board.
Morgan Waru
Producer - Piki Films
Morgan Waru is of Ngāti Porou descent and hails from Ōtautahi (Christchurch), but has lived and worked in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) for nearly a decade.
Fresh from producing her first feature film BABY DONE she has extensive production experience across both local and international productions, having worked on industry staples like Hasbro’s POWER RANGERS and Starzs’ ASH VS EVIL DEAD, to features like ADRIFT and GUNS AKIMBO. She produced Jessica Hansell’s AROHA BRIDGE, which found success locally and internationally at ImagineNative festival in Toronto. She also produced Tanu Gago's renown interactive documentary FAFSWAGVOGUE.COM alongside Carthew Neal for Piki Films.
Morgan works as a producer for Piki Films across their development and production slate and is passionate about producing heartfelt yet challenging stories.
