Est. 2004 · Auckland, New Zealand
About GFC Films
In the 1960's the world came together to put human beings into space. The companies who overcame the obstacles and achieved the impossible didn't have grand names – General Electric, General Dynamics and General Motors were but a few. The brilliance of their work is what spoke the loudest and the names of the companies showed humility in the face of ambition and progress.
In 2004 General Film & Communication was born. Inspired by the Apollo programme and those companies that contributed to its success, we were not about the name, we were about the work. About audiences, art, creativity and excellence. About pushing the boundaries and taking New Zealand storytelling to the world.
Nearly twenty years later our company has grown, as has our work. But the journey, as always, continues.
The Team
Matthew MetcalfeONZM
Managing Director and Producer
Producer Matthew Metcalfe is one of New Zealand's most prominent producers with over twenty seven years experience. In that time, he has produced over NZD 350 million worth of production, representing twenty-nine feature films and dramatic TV series, ten tele-features and numerous other TV shows, TVC's, documentaries and music videos.
Matthew is the founder and Managing Director of GFC Films. Matthew over sees all productions and manages the relationships between GFC Films and the company's key partners, including Universal Pictures and XYZ Films. Matthew is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS) which he received in 2022 as well as a Fellow of the Fellowship of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS) (1096513) which he also received in 2022. In 2025 Metcalfe was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the film industry.
Tom Blackwell
Head of Development & Producer
Tom Blackwell is Head of Development at GFC Films where he handles the acquisition and development of stories, books, and screenplays into successful theatrical films and television.
In 2019, Tom developed and co-wrote THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A F*CK, a feature documentary adaptation of Mark Manson's NYTimes #1 Best Seller book (11 million copies sold). Tom also developed BILLION DOLLAR HEIST for Universal Pictures, a feature documentary about the biggest cyber heist of all time.
Lesley Hansen
Co Producer
Lesley is the Co Producer and in-house Production Manager at GFC Films, managing the various projects across the company's production slate.
Lesley's film and TV production career kickstarted in London while working for the global media giant, Viacom for both MTV Europe and MTV UK across multiple channels and sponsorship vehicles. Moving to Sydney opened up roles in advertising. She worked for five years on commercials and award-winning campaigns.
Since arriving back in New Zealand, she has transitioned into film by joining GFC Films on the feature, 6 DAYS. Since then, she has worked in all aspects of production, including the documentaries MCLAREN, WAYNE, CAPITAL IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY and the most recently produced a TVNZ original show, YOUNG AND HOOKED ON CHEMSEX.