Paloma Schneideman

Paloma Schneideman is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter, musician, and music producer. As a musician, she performs under the name PollyHill, releasing electronic and hip hop-influenced music as both a solo artist and collaborator.[1] As a filmmaker, she is best known for writing and directing the coming-of-age drama Big Girls Don't Cry (2026), which premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival.[2]

Early life and education

Schneideman was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and spent her formative years in Matakana and Wellington.[3] She attended Mahurangi College for secondary school[4] and spent one year at Victoria University of Wellington before transferring to Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland to study screen arts.[5] She graduated from Unitec in 2014.[6]

Career

Music

Schneideman first gained recognition in the music industry as a filmmaker, directing the music videos for JessB’s "Set It Off" (2018) and "Bullseye" (2020) in collaboration with filmmaker and musician Shaquille Wasasala.[7][1]

In 2019, Schneideman founded the music project PollyHill with Olli Jones, and the duo released the EP Greatest Hits in May 2020.[3] Following its release, PollyHill became a solo project and released a second EP, Post Humorous, in May 2021.[8] In 2023, PollyHill collaborated with musician Samara Alofa on the album AQUARIES. Produced by Schneideman, the album features her vocals on two of its eight tracks.[9][10]

In 2023, PollyHill opened for Kae Tempest on their North Island tour[11] and was named one of Rolling Stone AU/NZ's "Eight Kiwi Artists Tipped to Take Over."[12] The following year, Schneideman received an APRA Professional Development Award, which supports the career development of songwriters and composers.[13]

Schneideman is a self-taught producer and has described herself as "a lyricist first and foremost" before increasingly focusing on production.[3][14] She has said that her background in filmmaking influences her songwriting, viewing both disciplines as "storytelling through different forms."[15]

Critics have described her vocal delivery as calm and restrained, contrasting it with the emotional intensity of her lyrics.[1] Schneideman has cited MF DOOM, Earl Sweatshirt, Björk, Arca, and James Blake as influences.[16][10][14]

Film

Schneideman's film career began while she was a student at Unitec Institute of Technology. Her first short film, Mine (2015), was produced as her graduation project and nominated for Best International Short Film at the Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival.[17] Her later shorts include Memory Foam (2019), which screened as part of the New Zealand International Film Festival’s Short Connections programme,[18] and Gate Crash (2023), which was a project in partnership with Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and selected for the New Zealand’s Best short film competition.[19][20]

In 2022, Schneideman was selected to participate in A Wave in the Ocean, a filmmaking intensive led by Jane Campion and Philippa Campbell.[21] Although she initially developed Big Girls Don't Cry as a short film, Campion and Campbell encouraged her to expand the project into a feature.[15][22] The film became the first feature to emerge from the programme, with Campion serving as executive producer.[2][23]

Drawing on her own experiences, Schneideman wrote Big Girls Don't Cry as a coming-of-age story exploring themes of identity, female sexuality, and queerness. She has said she made the film for her 14-year-old self and returned to the region where she grew up to film it.[24][4]

Schneideman has said that coming-of-age films helped her understand herself growing up in rural New Zealand. She has cited Little Miss Sunshine as an early influence that inspired her to pursue filmmaking after seeing it at a local arthouse cinema.[25][26] She has additionally cited Portrait of a Lady on Fire as an influence on her filmmaking, particularly its restrained portrayal of desire and use of silence. She has said she seeks to portray queer adolescence without reducing it to either tragedy or triumph, instead embracing its ambiguity.[27]

Personal life

Schneideman currently resides in Auckland, New Zealand.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Sampler: Japanese Breakfast, PollyHill, Signer". RNZ (Radio New Zealand). 12 June 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 McNamara, Laura (11 December 2025). "New Zealand Film Commission-Supported Films to Premiere at Sundance Film Festival". Variety. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 "NewTracks New Artist: PollyHill". NZ Musician. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Local director sets coming-of-age film in Omaha". Local Matters. 14 April 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Dickey, Delwyn (14 January 2013). "Young film-makers seek funding". Stuff. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Alumna's award-winning debut inspires the next generation of filmmakers". Unitec. 7 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "JessB Drops Slick Video For 'Set It Off'". UnderTheRadar. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  8. ↑ McInnes, Laura (28 May 2021). "PollyHill shares her abstract sophomore EP, Post Humorous". Sniffers. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Lochrie, Conor. "Meet PollyHill & Samara Alofa's Queer Music Community". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Review: Aquaries by PollyHill & Samara Alofa". RNZ (Radio New Zealand). 2 December 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  11. ↑ Kean, Annabel (2 February 2023). "PollyHill Announced As Kae Tempest Tour Support". UnderTheRadar. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  12. ↑ Lochrie, Conor (14 April 2023). "RS Recommends: Eight Kiwi Artists Tipped to Take Over". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Announcing the 2024 APRA Professional Development Award recipients". APRA AMCOS. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  14. 1 2 "PollyHill & Samara Alofa: The Divine Duality and Queercore of AQUARIES (Interview)". Sniffers. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Big Girls Don't Cry, Paloma Schneideman Interview". DailyBloid. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  16. ↑ Powell, Hannah (26 July 2021). "PollyHill on 'Post Humorous'". Yo, Vocal. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "Unitec student film up for international award". Scoop. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "NZIFF 2019 Short Connections". NZIFF. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Paloma Schneideman on Gate Crash". NZIFF. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Belsito-Riera, Alessia (24 October 2023). "Wellington Silver Screeners". Regional News - Eyes on Wellington. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  21. ↑ Gessler, Julia (30 November 2022). "Paloma Schneideman, Where'd You Get That Corset?". Viva NZ Herald. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  22. ↑ Resnick, Eliana (9 March 2026). "Covering the Tiers: 'Big Girls Don't Cry' (2026) by Paloma Schneideman". Purple Hour. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  23. ↑ Slatter, Sean (9 July 2026). "MIFF unveils full program, sets 'Wicker' as opening night film". IF Magazine. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  24. 1 2 Casey, Alex (3 July 2026). "'Really mind-blowing': The New Zealand coming-of-age film winning big overseas". The Spinoff. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  25. ↑ Santini, Cecilia (24 January 2026). "A Lonely Race to Grow Up in "Big Girls Don't Cry"". Sundance Institute. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  26. ↑ Mortensen, Parker (3 February 2026). "'Big Girls Don't Cry' is director's ode to the coming-of-age genre". The Park Record. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  27. ↑ "BFI Flare 2026: Paloma Schneideman talks making Big Girls Don't Cry". DIVA. 13 February 2026.
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