Christchurch based Frank Film is owned by award winning film-maker Gerard Smyth.
Gerard has produced and/or directed over 60 documentaries, both in and outside of New Zealand. He has extensive experience producing, directing, filming, and writing documentary films. His early training, at firstly the NZBC and then TVNZ, was as a cameraman. (1969-1981.)
In 2012 Gerard was awarded ‘Best Director Documentary’ at the New Zealand Television Awards for his feature ‘When a City Falls’. This grass-roots tale of the Christchurch Earthquakes also won the TV Guide’s ‘Best on the Box’ People’s Choice award for best documentary.
In 2014 he was a finalist in the New Zealand Film Awards in two categories, (Best Director and best Cinematography,) for his documentary ‘Aunty and the Star People. In 2008 he was a finalist "Best Director Documentary" in the NZ Qantas Film and Television Awards for his biography ‘Barefoot Cinema –the life and art of cinematographer Alun Bollinger’. He has been highly commended in the New Zealand Media Peace Awards (2004-Out on a Limb), a finalist in the 2004 Qantas Awards (Out of Sight, Out of Mind, editing) and winner of the English based 'CEVMA' awards for best documentary for 'Sonya Talking.'