New Feature! Up and Coming Director Showcase of the Month: Taika Waititi

Hey guys! This will be a once-a-month feature, and in it I will showcase a rising director I believe you should be on the lookout for. So here is your inaugural showcase!

Taika Waititi (also sometimes credited as Taika Cohen) is a 34 year old filmmaker from New Zealand, who also writes most of his scripts and even acts in his movies. He is also known in New Zealand for being a painter and a comedian. He burst on the scene in 2003 when he was nominated for an Oscar for his short film Two Cars, One Night. He has since directed Eagle vs. Shark, some episodes of "Flight of the Conchords", and Boy, which appeared at Sundance this year. He is also known for acting, which he played Gordon (Jarrod's older brother) in Eagle Vs. Shark, Alamein (The boy's dad) in Boy, and has been cast in the upcoming Green Lantern movie as Thomas Kalmaku.

Waititi has a style that is very similar to Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) with his sense of awkward humor and similar characters. The major difference, in my opinion, is Waititi develops his characters further and makes them people we can empathize with and root for. His films deal with deeper issues than Hess' and is successful in creating charming and heartfelt films that are a joy to watch.

Filmography

John and Pogo (2002)

Two Cars, One Night (2003)

Heinous Crime (2004)

Eagle vs. Shark (2007)

"Flight of the Conchords" (4 episodes)

Boy (2010)

Videos:

First is the trailer for his 2007 film Eagle vs. Shark:

Next is his Academy award nominated short film Two Cars, One Night:


Finally we have the trailer for his upcoming film Boy: