Troy Blackman (@BrerBlackman) is an Afro-Caribbean/NZ European storyteller and filmmaker based in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). Blending his unique ethnic background and lived experience as a cultural other, Troy explores the themes and relationships between race, identity, and society.

Through his film "Coloured," which screened at Show Me Shorts, Troy dismantled the racial politics of the exclusionary "skin-coloured" plaster within an imaginative world filled with people of every colour and creed, quite literally. With the support of Creative New Zealand’s Creative Communities Scheme, "Coloured" involved over 30 kids from Te Atatū Peninsula Primary School in a production that celebrated diversity and inclusivity.

With a passion for amplifying black and minority stories in Aotearoa, Troy aspires to bridge the gap between the diversity in our communities and who we see in mainstream media. Troy has returned to the University of Auckland to complete his Masters in Screen Production and film "Zebra," a story he workshopped during Script to Screen’s South Shorts Mentorship Programme. Although he is a minority voice, Troy has a major message not yet seen in New Zealand Films.

Photo by Abhi Chinniah