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PEST FREE?

New Zealand's unique wildlife is silently disappearing. The culprits: a rogue's gallery of introduced mammals eating their way through our back-country. But in the most remote and inhospitable corner of the nation, the Department of Conservation is fighting back. This documentary follows a trio of Fiordland rangers into the fray. Their ambitious and heartfelt battle to save our natives provides a lens with which to examine pest eradication on a landscape level - and ultimately, at a national level.

This film was made by Braydon Moloney as part of his Masters in Science Communications. From meddling birds to a high-stake deer hunt, "Pest Free?" uniquely captures the behind-the-scenes at DOC, and reveals moments that even the rangers never see. It recently won the Best Environmental Film category at the 2015 New Zealand Mountain Film Festival (the first time a NZ film has won this category). It's also in the official selection for the Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival and Depth of Field festival.

  • Braydon Moloney
    Director
  • Braydon Moloney
    Writer
  • Braydon Moloney
    Producer
  • Kyle Murdoch
    Producer
  • Pete McMurtrie
    Key Cast
  • Hannah Edmonds
    Key Cast
  • Norm MacDonald
    Key Cast
  • Darren Peters
    Key Cast
  • Gareth Morgan
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Environment, Conservation, Wildlife, New Zealand, Science, Invasive Species, Student, Newcomer
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 26, 2014
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 NZD
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand
  • Country of Filming:
    New Zealand
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • 2014 Science Communication Student Films Premiere
    Dunedin, New Zealand
    November 1, 2014
  • Cast & Crew Screening
    Te Anau, New Zealand
    November 8, 2014
  • New Zealand Mountain Film Festival
    Wanaka, New Zealand
    July 5, 2015
    Best Environmental Film
  • Orokonui Film Festival
    Dunedin, New Zealand
    August 16, 2015
Director Biography - Braydon Moloney

Braydon never imagined he'd be making wildlife documentaries rather than just watching them.

But whilst working as a ranger on Christmas Island, a chance conversation with a tourist set him on a journey to New Zealand's deep south, in pursuit of a tertiary qualification in Natural History & Science Filmmaking. As part of his Masters thesis film, he partnered with the Department of Conservation to produce a 25 minute documentary examining one of the country's greatest environmental problems. Along the way, Moloney got to meet scientists, celebrities and some of New Zealand's most endangered species.

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