Principal photography has wrapped on Jump, the next feature from acclaimed Aotearoa New Zealand filmmaker Tearepa Kahi.
This will be the director’s fourth film, following three of the best local films of the last 15 years: Mt. Zion (2013), Muru(2022), and Sgt. Haane (2026).
Jump follows young traveller Emma, whose search for escape and adventure in Southeast Asia becomes a brutal fight for survival. Pythons, tigers, giant centipedes, and drug runners stand between her and any hope of returning home to her friends and family.
The film stars Bella Shepard (Star Trek: Starfleet Academy) and Luciane Buchanan (The Night Agent, Chief of War, Evil Dead Rise) in leading roles. It’s written by Glenn Standring (6 Days, The Dead Lands) from an original story by Matthew Metcalfe and Standring, with Metcalfe producing for GFC Films New Zealand alongside Tom Blackwell (Never Look Away, Stylebender) for Fightertown Australia.
Jump is an official New Zealand-Australia co-production, bringing together creative and production talent from both sides of the Tasman.
The film is supported by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Screen Finance Fund, with additional support from the Gold Coast Film Commission, Invest Gold Coast, and investment group Align Media Capital. US domestic sales are being handled by WME Independent.
“‘Jump’ is a survival thriller in every sense, dangerous, physical and relentless – what excites me most is the emotional journey at the heart of it. Emma is thrown into a world where every choice matters, with the film asking just how far someone will push themselves to survive,” Kahi says.
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“‘Jump’ is all about taking the audience on a wild ride with our lead character, Emma, as she digs deep to survive everything thrown at her,” adds Metcalfe.
More information, including release dates for the film, will be revealed soon.
