Arani Cuthbert

Founder and Producer - Diva Productions

Arani is an award-winning independent producer based in Auckland, New Zealand. She established Diva Productions in 1992 as an artist management company for New Zealand’s well-loved entertainers and cultural icons, Dames Lynda and Jools Topp, the TOPP TWINS, and built her company into a diverse entertainment business that also included television and film production, independent releases of music, DVDs and books, live shows, and a talent agency.

For the last five years she has focussed exclusively on developing and producing high-quality, meaningful and engaging stories for large and small screens.

A creative, hands-on producer, Arani’s strength is conceiving compelling ideas and managing the entire production process through to delivery, ensuring the content connects with its target audience.

Recent TV work includes: TOPP CLASS (2022), 3 MĀORI BOYS GO GLOBAL (2021), YOUNG & AUMANGEA (2021),  ASIA: ART STORIES AOTEAROA (2021) and INTAKE (2018). In 2016-18 Arani created and produced TVNZ’s top-rating series TOPP COUNTRY (30 x 1⁄2 hours), a three-time winner at the 2018 NZ TV Awards, (Best Lifestyle Programme, Best Factual Director and Best Cinematography) described by The NZ Herald as “truly outstanding television”.  Her productions have been sold by Flame Media, Rialto, Vendetta, Gravitas (North America) and TVF.

For over 20 years she has made some of NZ’s most popular TV entertainment shows including the internationally acclaimed theatrical documentary THE TOPP TWINS, UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS, New Zealand’s highest-grossing documentary film for 8 years. The film won Best Feature and Best Music at the 2009 Qantas NZ Film and TV Awards, People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival 2009 and more than 20 other international awards, selling to Australia, North America, Netherlands, Japan and the UK.

In 2010 Arani received the Women in Film and TV Award for Outstanding Achievement and a Producer Award from the NZ Film Commission.

In a previous life, Arani worked as a campaigner for Greenpeace NZ (1989-1992) and helped establish World Park Antarctica.  She is now returning to her environmental roots and making documentaries that focus on environmental and social justice issues.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Auckland University, studied Film and TV Producing at Australia’s AFTRS college, and in 2008 was selected for Art Venture, a one-year business accelerator course for Auckland’s creative entrepreneurs.

Personal interests include reading, creative writing, travel, kayaking and yoga.