Creative Producer Alex Reed
Bloom Pictures' owner and lead producer, Alex Reed, is a highly experienced creative screen producer, in love with both documentary and drama.
She got her start in production on not one but five Ken Loach films. This stellar launch left her fascinated by the intersection of fact and fiction. Her project choices have reflected this ever since.
Alex has worked in film and television for more than twenty years. Her highly effective collaborative working style has given her an excellent reputation with talent, colleagues, broadcasters and funding bodies.
Alex is particularly well-regarded for her story development work with screenwriters and directors. This comes from her specific interest and experience in research, writing and development. In fact, Alex is one of New Zealand’s most experienced documentary developers. She's been instrumental in writing and successfully pitching numerous shows to broadcasters and film and television funding bodies including TVOne, TV2, PRIME, NZME, NZonAir and the New Zealand Film Commission.
A firm believer in playing to your strengths, Alex enjoys collaborating with other producers in strategic partnerships, when it’s best for the project. Alongside her lead producer role at Bloom Pictures, she continues to produce for a variety of independent production houses.
Below is some of Alex's work as an independent screen producer.
She got her start in production on not one but five Ken Loach films. This stellar launch left her fascinated by the intersection of fact and fiction. Her project choices have reflected this ever since.
Alex has worked in film and television for more than twenty years. Her highly effective collaborative working style has given her an excellent reputation with talent, colleagues, broadcasters and funding bodies.
Alex is particularly well-regarded for her story development work with screenwriters and directors. This comes from her specific interest and experience in research, writing and development. In fact, Alex is one of New Zealand’s most experienced documentary developers. She's been instrumental in writing and successfully pitching numerous shows to broadcasters and film and television funding bodies including TVOne, TV2, PRIME, NZME, NZonAir and the New Zealand Film Commission.
A firm believer in playing to your strengths, Alex enjoys collaborating with other producers in strategic partnerships, when it’s best for the project. Alongside her lead producer role at Bloom Pictures, she continues to produce for a variety of independent production houses.
Below is some of Alex's work as an independent screen producer.
Independent Projects
Pacific Mother
Feature documentary Director | Katherine McRae Producers | Migiwa Ozawa, Shin Yamaguchi, Karin Williams Executive Producer | Alex Reed Production Company | Umi Films Status | Released in 2023 "Why do mothers have to fight so hard for what feels so right?" The documentary Pacific Mother began with this simple question from Sachiko Fukumoto. Japanese actress and freediver Sachiko Fukumoto and her partner William Trubridge (New Zealand’s world champion freediving legend) fought hard for a birth that felt right to them. In Pacific Mother, Sachiko travels from Japan to Hawai’i, Tahiti, the Cook Islands and Aotearoa New Zealand to connect with strong ocean women, whose stories about birth and parenthood inspire a more traditional, connected way of life. All mothers, these women had diverse birth experiences. Some birthed in hospital, some at home, some by the sea, some with medical assistance and some without. Buoyed by the support of their community and circle of midwives and carers, they went into birth without fear, and gained confidence from it. As they prepare for the birth of their second child, Sachiko and William want to draw on what they have learned since Water Baby, and show their daughter that protecting our environment and supporting families grows healthier communities. Through their interwoven stories, the film explores the importance of community, reclaiming traditional birthing knowledge and the connection between caring for the planet and nurturing both parents and their children. Since its release, Pacific Mother has won multiple awards, including Best New Zealand Feature. See full list. See website. |
There's No I in Threesome
Feature documentary Director | Ollie Lucks Producers | Alex Reed & Alex Behse Production Company | Monsoon Pictures Status | Released in 2021 Zoe and Ollie are in love, freshly engaged, and long distance. A couple of goofy creatives doing things their way. With two cold beds to fill and vows of undying commitment looming, both agree to cheat on the other, a risqué experiment in love and a heady leap of faith. Filming as they go, There’s no I in Threesome cracks open an open relationship tested to its limits. |
Jessica's Tree
5 x 10 mins web series Director | Jazz Thornton Producer | Alex Reed Executive Producer | Cass Avery Production Company | Augusto Ltd Status | Released 2019 Director Jazz Thornton lost her friend Jess to suicide. In Jessica’s Tree, Jazz revisits the last 24 hours of Jess’s life, talking to those closest to her at that time to find answers. As she discovers the truth of Jess’s life and death she also confronts why, after they had almost identical lives, she is still here when Jess isn’t. Jessica’s Tree is a heart-wrenchingly honest account of two girls battling for life. It’s told from the powerful perspective of someone who knows the pain of suicide. As Jazz faces the camera and talks directly to us, she provides a tool kit to help us understand - and also issues a challenge, pushing us to do more to tackle the spectre of suicide. “There is hope. I am proof.” Since its release Jessica's Tree has won multiple prizes, including a Gold Award at New York International Film Festival, and Best Web Series at NZ Web Fest, A Show for Change Film Festival and the NZTV Awards. See the full awards list here. See more on web and Facebook. Stream series Poster art: Kristina Webb |
The Cul de Sac
6 x 30 mins - TV2 Director | Stephen J Campbell Producer | Alex Reed Production Company | Greenstone TV Executive Producer | Harriet Crampton Status | Released 2018 Rose wakes in her warm bed, in her lovely house, in her perfect cul-de-sac, on what she thinks is a normal day. Her annoying younger brother Tom, wants her to make him breakfast and her even more annoying sister Eliza, wants her to fix the internet. Already late for her weekend job at the local Aquatic centre, Rose rushes out of the house only to discover the world has turned on its head… all the technology has stopped working and the adults have mysteriously vanished. As The Cul de Sac progresses, Rose continues to unravel the mystery of what has happened to her world. |
Decades in Colour
6 x 1 hour – PRIME Producer | Alex Reed Production Company | Greenstone TV Status | Released An iconic New Zealand documentary series, presented by the most iconic of New Zealanders, Judy Bailey, Decades In Colour is a vibrant and evocative journey through three colourful decades of change, telling our stories from the inside out. |
The Women of Pike River
1 x 52 mins for TV1 Producers | Alex Reed & Tash Christie Director | Mary Durham Production Company | Greenstone TV The Women of Pike River spends four years following six women who lost family members in New Zealand's most infamous mining disaster. Fighting for justice, transparency and accountability, their ultimate goal is re-entry into the mine’s drift to retrieve evidence and the bodies of their loved ones. This is the Pike River story that hasn’t been told. It’s a journey of courage, fortitude and determination. A documentary that reveals the unrelenting, cruel rollercoaster ride experienced by mothers, sisters and wives - women given hope and then kicked in the guts at every turn. This is the exceptional story of six exceptional women – Nan Dixon, Kath & Olivia Monk, Anna Osborne, Brenda Rackley and Sonya Rockhouse. |
Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web
Feature Documentary Director | Annie Goldson Producer | Alex Behse Associate Producer | Alex Reed Production Company | Monsoon Pictures Caught in the Web traces the ‘larger–than–life’ story of German tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom, from his origins as a young hacker in Kiel, Germany, through to his high-profile battles with the US Government and entertainment industry, fought in the courts of New Zealand. As it reveals the intricacies of Dotcom's MegaUpLoad case, Caught in the Web digs into deeper questions about how we access and consume information, entertainment and culture in a globalised age, how countries balance a need for security with the human right of privacy and how the US “copyfight” impacts the sovereignty other nations, like New Zealand. |
Paddle for the North
Feature Documentary Director | Simon Lucas Producer | Alex Reed Executive Producer | Alex Behse Production company | Monsoon Pictures On July 3rd 2013, six mates begin an epic journey through Northern Canada and Alaska, determined to show the world the true value of the North. Paddling three canoes more than 1500km, the team carries 200+ pounds of camera gear through six rivers, across mosquito infested swamps, then over the continental divide, creating a documentary that will inspire people to protect some of the last truly wild areas remaining in the world. Paddle for the North highlights the threats faced by the amazing Northern wilderness but also its stunning beauty - and enormous intrinsic value. Purchase or rent |