In 2019, the Embassy was proud to support Miramar Creative’s Creative Futures conference – the two-day event offered insights into new technologies and demonstrated their application to creativity, business and our future daily lives.

One of the U.S. speakers at Creative Futures was Mark Ordesky - Partner & Producer, Court Five. Mark Ordesky is an American film and television producer and former Hollywood studio executive.

He’s probably best known for executive producing the Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy – during which Mark spent the better part of five years in New Zealand supporting his friend Peter Jackson’s historic vision. But Mark was already no stranger to championing New Zealand filmmakers, having acquired US distribution rights to Once Were Warriors at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival.

(pictured: DCM Kevin with Mark Ordesky (Partner & Producer, Court Five). Photo credit: U.S. Department of State.)

Currently, Mark co-runs his independent production company, Court Five, with fellow New Line veteran Jane Fleming – fashioning independent film and TV content for Hollywood studios and broadcasters, as well as global streamers like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon. 

Mike C from the Embassy caught up with Mark while he was in Wellington at the Creative Futures conference...

Transcript.