Teresa Peters aka Teresa Maria, is A production designer, film maker and artist from Aotearoa. She works across the fields of visual arts, film, fashion and performance bringing her signature style to all of her projects both in front and behind the camera. SHE IS AN AWARD WINNING ARTIST, TAKING OUT THE PRETIGIOUS PORTAGE PREMIERE CERAMIC AWARD IN 2021. She has been making VISIONARY cult New Zealand Feature films with partner Florian Habicht for thirty years. She is key creative and consultant on all Florian Habicht films AND Production designer ~ across art and wardrobe ~ for Habicht and across a diversity of commercial projects from film to TVC to fashion.
Florian Habicht’s Woodenhead 2003 (Marche du Cannes), the New Zealand ‘cult’ Feature Film which defined the duos signiture style in 2003. a modern-day Grimm musical fairytale, screened widely in the international film festival circuit. It has been described as, “A truly unsettling, visually inventive, stylistically thrilling and quite marvellous diamond in the rough.” – Melbourne Film Festival 2003. Teresa was production designer, art, wardrobe, HMU, graphic designer, lead actress and KEY creative AND consultant. She Was a creative and consultant on Kaikohe Demolition, 2004, (Best NZ Digital Feature, Nz Screen Awards) and art director (selected scenes) on Rubbings from a Live Man, 2008.
Her commercial debut as production designer made Cannes Official Selection, Short Film 2005, with Helena Brooks’ short, Nothing Special, 2004
In 2010 she was invited to New York to work with Habicht on LOVE STORY (Best New Zealand Film, NZ Screen Awards), as part of the New Zealand Arts Foundation Harriet Friedlander artist residency 2010. She was Art Director (selected scenes), actress and graphic designer. In 2014 she was a key creative consultant on HABICHT’S PULP: A Film about Life Death and Supermarkets 2014 (NME Best Music Film).
Between 2010 and 2014 she lived and worked in Berlin, projects included collaboration with German Konditor artist Andreas Minsch’s television project CANDY & ANDY for ZDF Berlin television and music videos FOR STEVE ABEL AND JACKIE with adam luxton. She designed Official Poster Artwork for Taika Waititi And Jemaine clemENT’S Box Office Hit Film What We Do In The Shadows, 2014.
In 2016, she was production designer for SPOOKERS, a Madman production Australia, directed by Florian Habicht and was key consultant on Habicht’s, JAMES & ISEY, in 2021 This documentary about James & his hundred year old mum, captured the heart of Aotearoa, and is currently placed 7th in the NZ box office for all time for documentary film. Florian habicht was awarded the laureatte for documentary film in relation to this release.
In 2018 Florian Habicht and teresa maria created various commercial campaigns, Fashion to tvc, including MISS CRABB - ROMANTICA 2018 and KATE SLYVESTER - THE RED BALLOON 2018, INSTANT KIWI - each to their instant 2019, with their debut TVC being the Axis silver award winning NZTA - THE UNSELL 2018.
LIFE NEEDS A BISCUIT ~ GRIFFIN’S TVC 2026~ FLORIAN HABICHT ~ MOTION SICKNESS ~ is their most recent commercial adventure. http://lifeneedsabiscuit.com/
Currently ‘Teresa Maria’ is developing three feature films with florian Habicht and team.
