Zara Goodman

Notes

Zara Goodman is an English / Papua New Guinean writer, director, producer, and actor. Raised in the culturally rich islands of Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands before settling in Far North Queensland, Zara holds dual UK and Australian citizenship and is currently based in Brisbane. Her multidisciplinary career reflects a deep commitment to storytelling as both a personal calling and a vehicle for cultural transformation. Zara’s acting career began with a bit-part in This Little Love of Mine (Jaggi Entertainment), appearing alongside Liam McIntyre and Saskia Hampele. She has since featured in a range of Australian and international productions, including Kidnapped (Jaggi Entertainment) opposite Todd Lasance and Clair van der Boom; a lead role in Socially Distant (13th Street Films) with Darren Gilshenan; Apples Never Fall (Peacock) alongside Sam Neill and Annette Bening; and a supporting role in the TikTok comedy series Shin Splints (The General Public Productions), funded by Screen Queensland’s Channel Lab: Short Cuts initiative. Her upcoming screen roles include a supporting role in Human Resources (13th Street Films); and the lead role in her very own directorial debut short film Haunted Housemates (GenZara Productions). Zara trained formally in acting, earning her Diploma of Creative Arts (Acting) from CQUniversity in 2020 and a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Drama and Performance) from QUT in 2022. She has been trained in Shakespeare, the Meisner Technique, Uta Hagen Technique, and Screen Acting, and has ongoing coaching with various acting coaches in Brisbane and Gold Coast. Zara is also the founder of GenZara Productions, an Australian independent film and television company committed to bold, imaginative, and socially conscious storytelling. Dedicated to elevating marginalised voices—especially BIPOC women—and stories that blend gothic aesthetics, emotional depth, and cultural symbolism, GenZara champions work that is at once deeply personal and universally resonant. Its name is a fusion of “Generation Z” and “Generation Zara,” representing Zara’s vision for media that a younger version of herself would have loved—filled with wonder, darkness, truth, and transformation. Most recently, Zara wrapped production on her directorial debut short film Haunted Housemates, a gothic horror-comedy, which is set to begin its film festival circuit and release in 2025. She is currently developing multiple original projects, including a gothic psychological thriller feature and a young adult fantasy drama series. Zara’s storytelling is influenced by her Papua New Guinean ancestry and oral traditions; her Christian faith that explores light and shadow; and a lifelong love of history, mythology, literature, and Gothicism. Her works explore themes of legacy, mysticism, female identity, spirituality, and the resilience of the human spirit. A true creative polymath, Zara also paints acrylic works on canvas under the pseudonym Lady Powerz; writes, sings, and produces music under artist name Zara the Good; shoots stylised portraiture for fellow artists, creates short films and vlogs, and has trained in ballet, contemporary, jazz, and artistic gymnastics. Zara is where childlike wonder meets gothic glamour. Where myth collides with meaning. Where storytelling becomes both a mirror and a window—illuminating who we are, and who we might become.