Fight Woman

Days before the biggest fight of her career, a Kiwi MMA fighter grapples with her future.

We need your help to create a knockout film about a Kiwi MMA fighter, on the brink of the biggest fight of her career. 

Māori mixed martial artist (MMA), Sarah McCann, steps out under the lights in a career-defining battle. With husband and trainer MMA legend Enson Inoue at her side, she enters the cage in Japan at a crossroads in her life. Fighting for her future, is Sarah physically and mentally prepared to prove herself against the best fighters, in this, the world’s bloodiest sport?

Sarah’s journey will move and inspire you, taking you somewhere you’ve never been before. Filmmakers Gwen Isaac (director) and Phillida Perry (producer) are the force behind Fight Woman, selected to be part of the prestigious Loading Docs series of short documentaries. So please donate to ensure Fight Woman gets a fighting chance.   

We feel this story is an incredible opportunity. Showcasing a Māori woman at the height of her powers, pushing limits, far from her whanau in Tolaga Bay, NZ.

Fight Woman will reveal both the gruelling and tender moments McCann experiences while preparing for bloody combat in the historic Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. The stakes are high, as this fight will determine if she has a future in the octagon. 

Sarah’s dream is to become the world’s top female MMA fighter and by putting her in the spotlight we hit hard with the message that with grit, anything is possible. So please, if you share our dream to deliver a film with passion, resilience and heart - give what you can to the Fight Woman campaign.

As part of the Loading Docs initiative, we need to raise a minimum of $2,500 through Boosted. But we need much more than this, as filming in Japan presents increased costs and we want to hire a killer team to reach our dream of making the best film possible.

Once we reach our minimum target, it will unlock additional funding from Loading Docs. But, this is an all or nothing campaign. If we don’t reach our target, we get nothing! That’s why we need your help. 

Loading Docs is an award-winning short documentary initiative to develop New Zealand filmmaking talent. Loading Docs is funded by NZ On Air with support from the New Zealand Film Commission and Te Māngai Pāho.

Thank you for your support.

About the Filmmakers

Gwen Isaac - Director

Gwen directed and produced shows for leading broadcasters in the UK and USA, before making her first feature-length documentary based in New Zealand, Where There is Life. The film follows the unique journey of a family under pressure and was described by the NZIFF panel as “startling in its candour”. Right now, Gwen’s film work sets out to showcase female empowerment in Japan.

Phillida Perry - Producer

Phillida is an entrepreneur with a legal background. Her career has taken in creating and running successful start-ups in construction, health and disability and the arts. She is chairperson of the Tauranga Art Gallery Foundation and has recently embarked on producing quality content promoting social justice and gender equality. Phillida is passionate about documentary film that inspires us to challenge and connect with all things human.