Tenika was the set-up director (directing episodes 1 & 2) of Paper Dolls for Helium Pictures. Paper Dolls was released on December 3rd 2023 on Paramount+ in Australia, and will be distributed by eOne internationally.
Tenika directed 3 episodes of the new series Return to Paradise, the Australian spin-off of the long-running BBC series Death in Paradise. Return to Paradise will be released in Australia on the ABC on September 8th 2024.
Tenika was the set-up director on the ABC Me series ‘Turn Up the Volume’ (Matchbox Pictures & Film Camp) which was released in 2023. Tenika was nominated for an Australia Directors Guild award for Best Direction in a Children’s TV or SVOD Drama Series Episode for episode six of the series.
‘Turn Up the Volume’ was nominated for Best Children’s Program at the 2023 Logie Awards. ‘Turn Up the Volume’ is also nominated in the 2024 AACTA awards for Best Children’s Program.
Tenika was the set-up director on the new Nickelodeon TV series ‘Rock Island Mysteries’ produced by Fremantle Media. She directed 10 episodes across the first season, which aired on 10 Shake in Australia from May 2022 and internationally on Nickelodeon from June. Season One of ‘Rock Island Mysteries’ was nominated for Best Children’s Program in the 2022 AACTA awards.
Tenika directed 5 episodes on the second season of ITCH (Komixx Entertainment). ITCH screened on the ABC in Australia, BBC in the UK and BYUtv in the USA.
Tenika directed 8 episodes of The Heights Season Two. The series screened on ABC in Australia and on BBC One in the UK.
Season Two of The Heights was nominated in the 2020 AACTA awards for Best Drama Series.
Tenika was nominated for Best Direction at the 2021 Australian Directors Guild awards for episode 24 of The Heights in the Drama Serial category.
Tenika has been directing at Neighbours since 2018. Currently playing on 10 Peach in Australia and Channel 5 in the UK.
Tenika was nominated for Best Direction at the 2021 Australian Directors Guild awards for episode 8490 of Neighbours in the Drama Serial category.
The return season of Neighbours, which Tenika directed on in a mentoring capacity, was nominated for a daytime Emmy in 2024.
Trouble finds those in dark places.
Written/Directed by Tenika Smith
Produced by Michael Ciccone
Cinematography by Dan Maxwell
Production Design by Melanie Koomen
Edited by Luke Dickinson
Music Composition by Stefan Niedermeyer
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Las Vegas Film Festival
Byron Bay Film Festival
St Kilda Film Festival
Reel Good Film Festival
Made in Melbourne Film Festival
Setting Sun Film Festival
An apathetic hearse driver unwillingly embarks on a journey to the coast with a troubled stranger.
Written/Directed by Tenika Smith
Produced by Michael Ciccone & James Meldrum Wright
Cinematography by Marden Dean
Production Design by Anthony Jarvis.
AWARDS
Panavision Award for Outstanding Script (Third Year) - Victorian College of the Arts
Best Film, The Empress Film Festival
High Commendation, Bayside Film Festival
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Melbourne International Film Festival
Flickerfest
Las Vegas Film Festival
St Kilda Film Festival
1 Reel Film Festival/Bumbershoot
Bayside Film Festival
OzArk Shorts Missouri Film Festival
The Empress Film Festival
