Hamish Bennett

Hamish Bennett is a New Zealand filmmaker born in 1978. He is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed film Bellbird. His second film Uproar was released in 2023.

Early life and education

Bennett is of Māori descent, of the Ngāti Whakaue, Patuharakeke and Kati Waewae peoples. He grew up in a small rural town in Northland.

He earned a BA at Massey University in 1998, majoring in English and Media Studies at the Manawatū, and played rugby for Manawatū in 1998 and 1999. His elder brother, Simon, is a psychology lecturer at the university. , Hamish was working full-time as a school teacher. won Best Short Script at the NZ Writers Guild Awards in 2012.

He co-directed his second film Uproar with Paul Middleditch. Uproar was released in October 2023, to glowing reviews.

He also served as a writer for the 2025 Three TV series Tangata Pai.