Caterina Maria de Nave

Caterina De Nave is a major figure in the New Zealand television landscape. She helped break the glass ceiling for women's advancement within the industry, and originated New Zealand's longest running television soap-opera, Shortland Street.

De Nave began her career with Television New Zealand in Dunedin in the 1970s then worked in the drama department in Wellington and Auckland. After leaving TVNZ in 1988, she set up her own independent company, Oceania Parker.

Her television credits include the award-winning series, Erebus: The Aftermath; the internationally successful science fiction series, The Boy From Andromeda; hit comedy series, The Topp Twins; and family dramas Steel Riders and Children of the Dog Star.

De Nave made her debut as a feature producer in 1988 with Trial Run, by writer/director Melanie Read (now Rodriga). Trial Run starred Annie Whittle as a photographer and marathon runner who moves to the country on a photographic assignment, and becomes convinced that she is being stalked.

1988 also saw De Nave appointed as Head of Entertainment at TVNZ, becoming the first female to head a department in that organisation - a significant advancement in opportunities for women within the television industry. She then became Head of Development at South Pacific Pictures.

In 1994 De Nave worked with director Christine Parker to produce Hinekaro Goes on a Picnic and Blows Up Another Obelisk - an adaptation of a short story by Keri Hulme. Parker and De Nave collaborated again in 1995 on Peach, featuring then unknown actor Lucy Lawless, before making their feature-debut in 1999 with Channelling Baby. This offbeat drama of love gone wrong starred Danielle Cormack and Kevin Smith. De Nave followed it the next year by working as executive producer on the Michael Hurst-directed Jubilee.

Throughout the nineties, De Nave was executive producer for the prestigious TVNZ Sunday Theatre programme and Work of Art, involving 45 hours of arts documentaries. In addition to producing, De Nave has extensive experience as a director, including: documentaries such as The Italians; several episodes of Shortland Street; Pioneer Women; Country GP; Close to Home; and The Topp Twins Election coverage in 1996. She also chaired the International Comedy Festival from 1995 to 2000.

She continues to work as an independent producer on a number of film and television projects. In her capacity as the Head of Drama and Comedy at TV3, De Nave was executive producer of bro'Town, Outrageous Fortune, The Jaquie Brown Diaries and A Thousand Apologies.

In 2009 she moved to a new position at Australian public broadcaster SBS.