tv guide review | A fascinating and meditative documentary
TV Guide | 29 January 2026A fascinating and meditative companion piece to Nettlix's 2024 documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, Gabriel Garton's poignant and, occasionally heartwrenching, documentary is also a tale of two thrillseekers. Only this is one overshadowed by tragedy.
American-born base jumper Micah Couch died while attempting a wingsuit leap in Norway on June 28, 2017. Their life of spontaneity and adventure together was cut short at the worst possible time after four years of marriage: New Zealand-born Shayni Couch had just discovered two weeks before the accident that they were going to be parents. While occasionally the loose, shaggy structure and shifts in focus slightly take you out of the picture, there's plenty to marvel at, from the vertiginous footage captured by the couple and their cohorts to the gorgeous backdrops to their escapades and Shayni's
thoughtful expressions on love and loss, grief and getting on. Neither she nor the movie shy away from the fact that their "sport" is a deadly pastime, with jumpers achieving speeds of up to 193kph from just 2740m off the ground. There is no margin for error, we're reminded.
We're also shown that they had boundaries and rigorous safety protocols: a Dubai mission was called off at the last minute because high winds put the risk potential for pushing them into buildings up to an unacceptable level. However, you can also see the sense of freedom and the adrenaline rush that attracted the pair. Micah's unbridled elation when a jump comes together perfectly is infectious. As Shayni tells us, he was someone who, as a boy, dreamed of being Superman or Batman, and who made a career out of skydiving, in defiance of a high school careers advisor who scoffed at such an outrageous notion.
Source: https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-tv-guide/20260129/281857239955009
New Zealand summer season screenings - Doc Edge Films Return to the Virtual Cinema
DocEdge | 1 November 2025We are excited to bring back a selection of audience favourites to the Doc Edge Virtual Cinema, your chance to watch (or rewatch) some of the standout films from past festivals, right from home. Streaming accessible within New Zealand only.
Source: https://docedge.nz/events/shayni-in-the-sky/composer grant cuTLer’s original film score available on SPOTIFY, apple music, YOUTUBE.
Apple Music | 13 October 2025artist and composer grant cutler’s ORIGINAL motion picture score for the documentary feature film, shayni in the sky, is now available for purchase and streaming on APPLE MUSIC and where ever YOU STREAM MUSIC.
Source: https://music.apple.com/us/album/shayni-in-the-sky-original-soundtrack/1847740265composer grant cuTLer’s original film score released on bandcamp
BandCamp | 10 September 2025artist and composer grant cutler’s ORIGINAL motion picture score for the documentary feature film, shayni in the sky, is now available for purchase and streaming on the bandcamp platform.
Source: https://grantcutler.bandcamp.com/album/shayni-in-the-sky-original-scoreWATCH AUDIENCE REACTIONS TO WORLD PREMIERE OF ‘SHAYNI IN THE SKY’ AT THE 2025 DOC EDGE FILM FESTIVAL IN AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
Doc Edge | 7 August 2025Vox Pop filmed and edited by students at South Seas Film School, Auckland.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0AeRchWaI8Conversations With Wāhine, amplifying the voices of women - INTERVIEW WITH SHAYNI COUCH
iHeart | 19 July 2025Harita interviews Shayni Couch about her forthcoming documentary which sees Shayno return with her newborn baby to the mountain in Norway to retrace the steps of her husband’s final base jump.
Source: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-w%C4%81hine/id1741267154?i=1000718086850After BASE jump tragedy, new doco follows Kiwi widow's journey
Nine To Noon | 11:20 am, 15 July 2025When Kiwi Shayni Couch met her future husband Micah, it was a match of adventurous souls. Raised in Tutukaka in Northland, Shanyi had been a dive instructor before moving to Dubai to work on superyachts.
Micah was from the US, and working as a videographer for a skydive company Shayni went on to jump with. They married, but just two weeks after finding out they were to be parents, Micah died in a BASE jump in Norway.
Shayni's story of returning to the site of Micah's last jump has been told in a new documentary screening as part of the Doc Edge festival.
It's called Shayni in the Sky, and documents - not only Shayni's story with their young son Lincoln - but Micah's adventurous life with footage of his jumps around the world.
Shayni joins Kathryn - along with the film's director Gabriel Garton.
Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018995820/after-basejump-tragedy-new-doco-follows-kiwi-widow-s-journey
Shayni in the Sky, a film about Shayni Couch and her journey of love and loss, set to debut in NZ
Northern Advocate | 19 Jun 23, 2025 01:00 PMWhen 21-year-old Shayni Hawkins set out from her home in Northland bound for Dubai, it was for a short-term adventure. Within months, she’d met American Micah Couch during a skydive and the adventurous couple married at Tutukākā. Tragedy struck three years later when Micah died during a wingsuit Base jump.
Shayni in the Sky, which tracks her journey, will debut in New Zealand next month.
From her US home, Shayni speaks with Jodi Bryant before its release.
Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/shayni-in-the-sky-a-film-about-shayni-couch-and-her-journey-of-love-and-loss-set-to-debut-in-nz/PK74KQV6SNEJDJZOA7PMXL6FTA/
Doc Edge Festival 2025 Oscar-Qualifying Awards announced
Doc Edge | 9 Jun 2025Doc Edge, New Zealand’s premier international documentary festival and an Oscar®-qualifying event, is proud to announce the finalists for the Doc Edge Awards 2025. The Awards will be held on Thursday, 3 July, at the Grand Millennium Auckland and will be co-hosted by respected broadcaster Neil Waka and beloved cultural icon Geeling Ching.
The festival kicks off on 25 June – 13 July in Auckland before also heading to Wellington and Christchurch (16 – 27 July) and online in the Virtual Cinema (28 July – 24 August).
New Zealand Feature Film Finalists (including director, editing, sound, cinematography):
Devils on Horses
Mana Moana Mana Tangata
Mighty Indeed
No Tears on the Field
Shayni in the Sky
Three Days in February
Wildboy
Source: https://docedge.nz/doc-edge-festival-2025-oscar-qualifying-awards-announced/
Doc Edge celebrates 20th Anniversary + first films announced
Doc Edge | 5 Apr 2025Doc Edge Festival proudly marks its 20th anniversary with the first release of films for its 2025 programme, running from 25 June to 24 August. With its Oscar-qualifying status secured for another three years, the festival continues to attract world premieres, cementing its reputation on both the local and international circuit.
The 20th-anniversary programme will be screened in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Auckland kicks off the festival with films at Bridgeway Cinema, The Capitol Cinema, and SkyCity Theatre (25 June – 13 July), while the immersive exhibition will be hosted at Silo 6. The city will also host Doc Edge’s industry events (30 June – 3 July) and the prestigious Oscar-qualifying Awards Ceremony (3 July).
Doc Edge’s Virtual Cinema will also be available nationwide from 28 July – 24 August for those unable to attend in person.
The 20th Doc Edge festival promises a diverse range of bold and impactful films covering climate change, social issues, human rights, and the arts.
Source: https://docedge.nz/doc-edge-celebrates-20th-anniversary/