The landmark New Zealand animated film Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! premiered at Christchurch’s The Piano on 7 August before opening in cinemas across New Zealand the following day.
Described as New Zealand’s first stop-motion animated feature film, it was produced by Christchurch animation studio Stretchy, which established its production base in 2024 at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC)’s https://koawa.co.nz/Kōawa Studios – UC’s screen and creative technology hub.
Kōawa’s facilities support stop-motion animation, virtual production, motion capture, sound recording, editing, green-screen filming and other forms of digital production.
Producer Fiona Copland says Kōawa Studios provided the production team with a supportive and creative environment.
“We were thrilled for our animators to be based at Kōawa Studios, where they enjoyed the goodwill and ‘can-do’ approach of the Kōawa team,” she says.
Before its Christchurch premiere, the film had its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France in June, presenting a production made in Ōtautahi Christchurch to audiences at one of the world’s leading animation festivals.
The film builds on the internationally successful and BAFTA-nominated children’s series Kiri and Lou, exploring the beginning of the friendship between spirited young dinosaur Kiri and gentle purple creature Lou.
Making the film at Kōawa Studios brought experienced local and international animation practitioners onto the UC campus and gave Bachelor of Digital Screen with Honours students the opportunity to experience a professional stop-motion production in action.
UC students Li Holling and Bayedan Hales interned with the Stretchy team, supported by Kōawa Studios and UC’s Digital Screen Work-Integrated Learning programme.
The experience gave them practical insight into animation, set construction, model making and professional production workflows.
Hales says working within the studio helped make a career in animation feel achievable.
“It’s been eye-opening to realise this is something I can actually pursue thanks to university support,” he says.
Copland says the production team also valued the opportunity to share its knowledge with emerging creatives, saying it was great having Li and Bayedan in the studio.
“They did good work, and our team enjoyed passing on knowledge to young people who are passionate about their craft.”
UC has since expanded the production capability available at Kōawa Studios, opening a new Production and Post-Production Building earlier this year. The facility includes a large sound stage, secure backlot, production offices, editing and colour-grading suites, advanced sound-mixing facilities and a theatrette.
Kōawa Studios Director Sam Witters says hosting Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! reflects what the studios were created to achieve.
“Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! embodies exactly what Kōawa Studios was built for - bringing storytellers, technologists and emerging talent together to make world‑class creative work here in Ōtautahi.
“Hosting Stretchy and their team of exceptional animators on campus created a living, breathing learning environment where professional production and student development happened side by side,” Witters adds.
The production has also contributed to the growth of Christchurch’s screen sector by bringing specialist animators to the city and creating connections between experienced practitioners and emerging filmmakers and creative technologists.
The film’s nationwide release marks a major milestone for Stretchy and brings a production made in Ōtautahi Christchurch to audiences across New Zealand.
