Kate Rodger
Kate Rodger is a dynamic and passionate entertainment journalist and film critic with two decades on our screens as a primetime broadcaster, reviewer, producer, and presenter with TV3 NZ, bringing the world of cinema to audiences with energy, insight, and an undeniable love for storytelling.
Throughout her career, Kate has travelled the globe covering film premieres, awards ceremonies, and festivals, crossing live from the Oscars and BAFTAs, and reporting from Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, and Doha. She has interviewed Hollywood’s biggest stars, from Meryl Streep and Keanu Reeves to Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Nicole Kidman, as well as icons like Jason Bourne, James Bond, and Captain America. When the world pivoted during COVID-19, Kate adapted seamlessly, hosting Zoom Q&As and conducting virtual interviews with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Dame Helen Mirren, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Her hosting highlight remains an hour-long virtual chat with Eric Bana and the team behind The Dry, engaging with fans in real-time.
Beyond her screen presence, Kate is a tireless champion of local film and filmmakers. She has been a judge, juror, host, and ambassador for various festivals, including the Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival, the 48Hour Film Festival, Show Me Shorts, Tropfest, and DocEdge. She famously hosted the live-streamed world premiere of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies from London’s Leicester Square, reaching audiences in over 80 countries. She also took centre stage as MC of Disney and the New Zealand Film Commission’s Power of Inclusion summit, introducing keynote speaker Geena Davis. In 2018, her contributions to the film industry were recognized with the NZMPIC Industry Award for Excellence.
Kate’s work has extended beyond television, with film and travel writing for The Australian Women’s Weekly, Newshub Travel, and Island Time Magazine. She’s made regular radio appearances across RNZ, Magic Talk, The Breeze and Radio Live, and she also became a familiar face on The Project, Three’s flagship current affairs show.
With the closure of the Newshub newsroom and brand, Kate has embarked on a new adventure—rolling out her own brand, Kate Rodger Inc. No longer tied to a single network, she’s embracing the exhilarating world of freelancing—“kind of like the OG freelancer Boba Fett,” as she quips, “but without the helmet.”
Her corporate MC conference and awards night hosting calendar has filled almost to the brim taking her up and down the motu and in between times she EPs and hosts the New Zealand Film Commission podcast “Lights, Camera, Kōrero” and is a regular on the TVNZ Breakfast show sofa talking movies. She has also launched her own weekly film Substack “The Projector” full of all her latest film and bingeing reckons and interviews.
A creative gun for hire, Kate is ready for whatever cinematic, journalistic, and storytelling adventures come next.