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Out There

Alexis Smith / Harry Wynn
Running time: 13

A search for extraterrestrials

Driven by a desire to understand her place in the universe, filmmaker Alexis Smith joins a mysterious New Zealand network dedicated to making contact with extraterrestrial life. Immersed in their meditative practices under the stars, Alexis uncovers the stories of this unique group, their experiences with extraterrestrial contact, and the stigmas they face. When she encounters evidence that pushes her to the edge of belief, it’s her own inner shadows that she must learn to accept.

Alexis’s far from ordinary journey explores the fine line between scepticism and belief, whilst embracing the unexpected. Set against the stunning backdrop of New Zealand, the film blends humour and emotion, offering a fresh take on alien believers. It delves into Alexis’s quest for meaning and the broader question of what might lie beyond our world. With a local Kiwi focus and a global theme, the film presents a universal story through the surprising lens of a unique group of New Zealanders connecting with the unknown – out there.

I’m hardwired to question everything. If this is real, I need evidence. Alexis Smith

About the Filmmakers

Alexis Smith

Alexis is a multi-award-winning director from Scotland. Her Zoology degree sent her to faraway lands like the Amazon rainforest, Red Sea and Madagascar. In 2014, she joined the BBC and set off around Europe and the USA, making primetime documentaries for worldwide broadcast. Since moving to Aotearoa in 2018, she has directed documentaries for all the major platforms, including music series ‘The Collective’ (2021) and the adventure film ‘TE ARA – The Path’ (2023), both of which received critical acclaim and multiple awards locally and internationally. Having travelled most of Earth, she’s now setting her sights on other planets.

Harry Wynn

Harry is the 2023 recipient of the SPADA New Filmmaker Award and is mentored by acclaimed documentary director Sally Aitken through Script to Screen’s FilmUp programme. Harry is directing the series, ‘We’ve Always Been Here’, about Aotearoa’s LGBTQIA+ history, set for release on TVNZ during Pride 2025. He has written and directed three documentaries ranging in topics from methamphetamine use within Auckland’s gay community, Chlöe Swarbrick’s momentous 2020 campaign run and a teenage competitive bodybuilder. Harry has also production managed several TV series for companies such as Greenstone, Attitude and NIWA.

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