Festival Office Contact Details:
*** See the team and their contact information below, otherwise fill in the Enquiry Form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Festival Phone: 020-4084-8775 – (May 19 to June 30 only)
How can we help you?
Meet our Hardworking Festival Team
Whitney Oliver
Festival Director
Whitney has worn a number of hats at the festival through the years, including volunteer, projectionist, filmmaker, trustee, programme coordinator and now Festival Director. Hailing from the USA, Whitney’s passion for film has taken her from the Hollywood production scene to documenting characters, stories, and adventures around the world, ultimately settling in Wanaka, which she considers the perfect place to marry her creative endeavors with her outdoor pursuits. A keen trail runner and cyclist, you’ll catch her outside most days trying to keep pace with her 2.5 year old.
Alex Kerr
Marketing Manager
Alex is originally from the UK but, as a keen skier, she has always been drawn to the mountains. She made the move to Wanaka in 1999 and has happily turned her loves of skiing and words into a fun and rewarding career. Alex spent eight years as the Communications Manager at Snow Sports NZ working alongside New Zealand’s top winter athletes and was privileged to travel with the NZ team to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. When she’s not skiing or reading, she’s out walking with her dog or working on her travel adventure bucket list.
Mark Sedon
Executive Director & Chief Judge
Mark is the Festival co-founder and was the Festival Director since it’s beginning in 2002 until 2024. When he’s not running the Festival he’s guiding small groups around the globe ski touring and heli-skiing, from Antarctica to India, in NZ and Europe. He’s an internationally qualified (IFMGA) climbing and ski guide and has been on over 20 Himalayan and 20 Antarctic expeditions. Mark is also the author of the popular non-fiction novel What Could Possibly Go Wrong? He’s a regular kitesurfer, ski mountaineer, biker, sailer and always keen on any sort of adventure….
Jo Sedon
Front of House Manager and Film Judge
Jo is the co-founder of the Film Festival and has been actively involved since 2002 film judging, overseeing the Cafe/Bar, Auditorium, Ticketing and Volunteers. Jo is keen snowboard tourer, kite surfer, sailer and mountain biker and enjoys visiting remote parts of the world snowboard touring.
