Léah McVeagh


Kia Ora, hello, my name is Léah (pronounced like the princess from Star Wars),

a New Zealand-based Film Director, Producer, Writer & Script Consultant

Photo by John Rata Photography

I’ve always loved telling stories. As a child growing up in the heat of Africa or the cold of New Zealand, I was always scribbling something on whatever paper or surface I could find. At university, I learnt how to tell stories through pictures by making my first short film. I’ve never looked back!

Since graduating, I’ve produced and/or directed award winning live action and animation projects. I love working with my friends at Angle3 Pictures, and helping people share their unique cultural and spiritual stories through narrative film. As well as this, I work for Coverfly as a Script Reader, reviewing scripts that are submitted to film festivals all over the world.

See some career highlights and list of awards below…

Brief career highlights & awards:

2012: Post Graduate of Screen Production (Directing Drama) First Class from the University of Auckland.

2013: Produced a Short Film, Coloured, which was officially selected and nominated at the Show Me Shorts Film Festival.

2013-2015: Produced numerous music videos for local artists through NZ On Air.

2015: Produced an indie, low budget feature film called Vagabond (2018) & directed a 7-part web series called Project J (2016).

2016: Worked with Greenstone Television, Zoomslide and Mad Anth’m.

  • Produced a Grand Finalist short film Finest Creation with Angle3 Pictures.

2017: Joined Huhu Studios to work on NZ’s first animated feature film, Mosley (2018), starring John Rhys Davies, Rhys Darby, Lucy Lawless & Temuera Morrison.

  • Short film, Smoke (Written & Directed by me), premieres at the Arohanui Film Festival.

2018: Nominated for Best Female Director at the 48 Hour Film Festival Grand Finals.

2019: Produced a short film, Khush, which won the runner up / judges choice award at the My Rode Reel Competition.

2020: Began working as a remote Script Consultant for Coverfly, Los Angeles.

2020 - 2023: Worked with Xero, The Storyboard, Creation Films & Angle3 Pictures as a Freelance Producer

  • 2022: Winner of Best Female Director at the 48 Hour Film Festival Grand Finals. The film, Parked, was also Runner Up in Auckland and a Grand Finalist.

2024: Worked at Cheil New Zealand, an international marketing house, as their first in-house Video Producer, creating top quality content for Samsung New Zealand’s social media, radio, events and in-house projects.

Now back to contracting, I’m available to work in New Zealand, Australia & the UK.

Get in touch if you have a story you want to tell :-)