Pitch perfect: Wellington’s screen accelerator is taking talent global

The Screen Accelerator Project helps develop local talent under the guidance of Emmy-award-winning producer Jon Kroll. The programme includes intensive development, mentorship, and practical industry insight. It concludes with a high-stakes pitch event to international buyers. 

Jon likes to joke that he moved to Wellington for the weather. “When people ask me why I did that, since the weather is notoriously horrific here, I say I was misinformed.” He and his partner decided to move to New Zealand “because it’s awesome.” They looked at different places that could offer a combination of lifestyle and business. They concluded Wellington was “paradise.” 

“When I got [to Wellington], I realised that a lot of people were well-schooled to develop for the local marketplace, which can be limiting in terms of budget and opportunity. I like to focus on teaching people how to develop for global audiences with universal themes,” Jon says. He found that many local filmmakers were worried about losing their unique Kiwi point of view when positioning for the global market. For Jon, there doesn’t have to be a compromise between authenticity and mass appeal. “People just have to find universal connecting points like love and success and personal challenges and transformation, and tap into those. What we try and do for the programme is to develop shows that would ideally film locally, but would be appealing to a global streamer as well.” 

Melissa Conway, of Tall Poppy Films, runs the programme along with Sean O’Donnell. It’s supported by WellingtonNZ and the Wellington City Council, along with Yoobee College of Creative Innovation. 

“The project helps develop our talent,” Melissa says. “It drives work into Wellington and Aotearoa. It builds our international connections. It upskills our local producers on how to pitch, about how markets work, dealing with international productions, and it provides an amazing opportunity. So it provides something that no one else can offer and all done under Jon’s masterful leadership. He is so generous with his time and works hard with all of these people.”   The programme started in 2022 and is achieving great results, with multiple productions having been confirmed for development. 

Programme described as life-changing

Ollie Skilton participated in the programme in 2025 after finishing his film degree. He says the world has opened up for him in film and television. 

“Jon is somebody that wants stuff to be made, which is really valuable nowadays. He’s a ‘do-er’. The programme changed my life. Someone like me with virtually no experience can rock up with a good idea and pitch it well. Because of Jon’s connections and pull in the industry, you get a real shot. There’s a steep learning curve, but it’s well-designed and you learn as much as you can in two days.”   

The screen industry is vital to Wellington’s economy and New Zealand as a whole. A 2025 study by Toi Mai revealed that the creative sector is one of New Zealand’s core economic pillars. Creative industries are bigger than fruit, wine, and seafood, sitting fourth behind only dairy, meat, and forestry. 

The programme accepts around 15 people each year, and it’s an intense but supportive environment. Jon says that “tough love” is also an important part of the programme.

“If someone is developing something that we don’t feel has an audience or sales potential, we’ll encourage them to change gears. We give genuine feedback to help them.” 

“The streaming platforms are global, and we need to be positioning ourselves there,” says Melissa. “So we’re leaping ahead in that way. No one else in New Zealand is doing this, and on such a scale.”