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Every 1's a Winner!

Three potty-mouthed “gym bros” prep for their Saturday workout while sharing their questionable wisdom on gym life. Their routines are… unconventional, and their lunch choices even more so. Once this cake-and-beer-loving trio wraps up their trash-talking fiesta, they’re ready to hit the gym where… EVERY 1’S A WINNER!

  • Jordan Hopa
    Director
  • Jordan Hopa
    Writer
  • Tyler Hopa
    Writer
  • Maia Apaapa
    Writer
  • Jordan Hopa
    Producer
  • Tyler Hopa
    Producer
  • Maia Apaapa
    Producer
  • Courtney Eastwood
    Producer
  • Tyler Hopa
    Key Cast
    "JP"
  • Jordan Hopa
    Key Cast
    "Eddie"
  • Maia Apaapa
    Key Cast
    "Gimp"
  • Jordan Hopa
    Cinematography
  • Courtney Eastwood
    Cinematography
  • Jordan Hopa
    Music
  • Jordan Hopa
    Editor
  • Clarissa Chai
    Location Sound/Sound Mixing & Editing
  • Lara Hopa
    Executive Producer
  • Gary Hopa
    Executive Producer
  • MaXi BearZi
    Animation & Drawing
  • Brooke Eastwood
    Assistant Director
  • Drish Hittoo
    Assistant Director
  • Brooke Eastwood
    Set Photographer
  • Performed by ALIEN x 7 (Jordan Hopa & Maia Apaapa)
    Original Song - "POOR THINGS"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Satire, Buddy-Comedy
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 18, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 NZD
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand
  • Country of Filming:
    New Zealand
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, iPhone 14/15 Anamorphic
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:40:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • NZ Web Fest
    Auckland
    New Zealand
    November 7, 2025
    New Zealand Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Jordan Hopa

Filmmaker Jordan Hopa grew up at the bottom of the world in Invercargill, New Zealand, before moving to Dunedin to attend Otago University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Film, Media, and Communications. During his studies, he wrote screenplays and spent his days behind a camera, shooting everything from concert videos to student films.

After graduating, Jordan relocated to Melbourne, Australia, where he signed with his first agency and appeared in a range of short films and commercials.

When COVID hit, he returned to New Zealand, settling in Auckland. There, he continued writing feature screenplays, now completing his fifth to date. One of these is "Every 1’s a Winner!." In pursuit of getting the feature version made, Jordan decided to first create a short film of the same name to generate interest and showcase its potential.

As a director, writer, producer, and actor, Jordan dreams of making and starring in his own feature films, bringing his creative visions to life on the big screen while infusing each project with his distinctive style and artistic flair.

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Director Statement

“Every 1’s a Winner!” was conceived when Tyler, Maia, Courtney, and I rang in 2024 at Taika Waititi’s New Year’s Eve party. Being surrounded by so much New Zealand film talent was incredibly inspiring so we thought, the hell with it, we have stories and ideas we want to share with the world, let’s just do it. There’s no better time than now.

I’ve written a feature-length screenplay exploring gym culture and the lives of “gym bros” because the gym is such a huge part of modern life, yet it’s almost invisible in cinema and television. I hope this short film will serve as the spark that allows me to bring that vision to life, whether on the silver screen or in living rooms at home.

This buddy comedy is an exaggerated look at how “gym bros” perceive and navigate the world. It leans heavily into satire, taking familiar gym stereotypes to absurd extremes. It also explores determination, passion for your craft, and the challenges/insecurities people face when stepping into the gym... with a dash of delusion or imagination, depending on how you see it.

Inspired by Sean Baker’s "Tangerine" and Steven Soderbergh’s "Unsane" and "High Flying Bird," we shot the film entirely on an iPhone due to our limited budget and I truly believe that only adds to its charm. With a tiny team, we pulled this project together with the bare minimum, and I’m proud of what we achieved. If you have a goal or a dream, a lack of resources should never stop you from reaching for excellence.

I hope you have as much fun watching this as we had making it, and that you can revel in its sheer absurdity and silliness. If these “three idiots” from down under can get big laughs out of you then we’ve done our job, but please don’t take these guys too seriously. And a fair warning: if you’re not a fan of f-bombs, you might want to cover your ears. We’re going for "The Wolf of Wall Street’s" record… in just fifteen minutes.