Kawerau’s Haydn Butler, now working in Sydney’s television industry, is thrilled to see his dark comedy, Home Kills, screening in theatres across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

The film will have its local premiere at Whakamax on Tuesday, September 3, where Butler will attend a Q&A session organised by Film Bay of Plenty.

Home Kills marks Butler’s directorial debut, and premiered at the New Zealand International Film Festival last year. “I'm super-stoked to bring Home Kills to play in an actual cinema,” Butler said.

The 104-minute black comedy tells the story of two Kiwi brothers who reluctantly inherit their family’s home-kill butchery business. Facing tough times, the brothers devise a desperate plan to save their struggling enterprise – by swapping livestock for human lives.

The film features a talented cast, including Josh McKenzie, Cameron Jones, Mavournee Hazel, Stefan Dennis, Dahnu Graham, Calvin Tueto, Donogh Rees, and Xavier Horan.

Now based in Sydney, Butler has worked in the television industry across Auckland, London, and Australia. He returned to the Bay of Plenty, including Matata, to direct Home Kills.

“I'm still in Sydney working on TV, advertising, and shows while trying to write more films in the evenings. I’ve also been editing a TV show called Suddenly Royal that will air in Europe,” Butler told the Beacon this week.

“Although I currently live in Australia, I was born and raised in New Zealand, attending Kawerau College and Whakatāne High before studying film at Waikato University.

“When I was developing Home Kills, my first feature after a career in TV in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, a lot of people told me it would be easier to shoot it around Auckland but I felt strongly about bringing the project back to the Waikato and I have so many stories of how the community embraced and supported the project throughout and one of the reasons we secured funding from the NZFC was because of the way we portrayed the region on screen.”

The film recently had its Australian premier and was loved by audiences there.

“We have streaming releases rolling out around the world in the coming months.”

Butler’s passion for filmmaking ignited in his youth, sparked by frequent trips to the cinema. “Back in my Kawerau College days, my friends and I would catch the bus to Whakatāne on weekends to watch movies. Later, at Whakatāne High, I remember skipping class to go to the movies ... don’t tell Mum," he joked.

Grateful for the support from Film Bay of Plenty in organising the local screening, Butler looks forward to the Q&A session.

“The Q&A screenings are always fun, where I get to answer questions about how I got the film made. Some of the movie was shot in and around Whakatāne. In fact, the idea for the film came while I was driving through Thornton. I saw the words ‘Home Kills’ painted on a sign on the side of a hill, and my teenage brain ran wild. Now, here we are.”

See the trailer and reviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@HomeKillsFilm

Ticket giveaway

The Beacon is giving away two double passes to the screening of Home Kills at Whakamax, on Tuesday, September 3. Email [email protected]with Home Kills in the message field. The winners will be notified by email. Get entries in by noon, Monday, August 26.

What: Home Kills

Where: Whakamax

When: 7.30pm, Tuesday, September 3