Justin Pemberton


Justin Pemberton is a documentary filmmaker based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Life and career

Pemberton's adaptation of economist Thomas Piketty’s NY Times bestseller Capital in the Twenty-First Century premièred at Sydney Film Festival in June 2019.
In 2016 Pemberton co-wrote and directed a film about rugby player Richie McCaw called Chasing Great. The film topped the New Zealand box office with a record-breaking opening weekend and became the highest grossing New Zealand documentary of all time.
His 2016 interactive documentary I Spy investigated the Five Eyes Intelligence sharing network. The documentary was produced by Carthew Neal and was a co-production with Canadian digital media company Jam3.
Pemberton was also Executive Producer on the David Farrier documentary Tickled.
Pemberton wrote and directed the feature docudrama The Golden Hour, based on the story of New Zealand athletes Peter Snell and Murray Halberg at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. The Golden Hour was nominated for a 2013 International Emmy Award for best documentary.
His film The Nuclear Comeback investigated the nuclear power industry’s claim that, as a low carbon emitter, nuclear power is climate-friendly source of energy. The documentary won Best Documentary at Italy’s CinemAmbiente Film Festival in 2008 and Best New Zealand Feature Documentary at the DocNZ Film Festival. Pemberton was also awarded Achievement in Directing at the 2008 Qantas Film and Television Awards for The Nuclear Comeback.
Pemberton’s film Love, Speed and Loss, about Grand Prix road-racer Kim Newcombe, won Best Documentary, Best Editing and Best Directing at the 2007 New Zealand Screen Awards and was awarded Best Arts/Festival Documentary at the 2007 Qantas Television Awards.
He has frequently collaborated with New Zealand musician Anika Moa, directing two documentaries following the singer as well as music videos and photo shoots, including the cover of her 2010 album Love In Motion. Moa has also composed the soundtracks for five of Pemberton’s films.

Festivals and awards

;Love Speed and Loss
;The Nuclear Comeback
;The Golden Hour
;Chasing Great
;I Spy
;Capital In The Twenty-First Century