Archive Apr 2011

Our next Auckland event is not actually about gaming, per se; to be really accurate, it's actually better understood by a longer title: Leverage your audience and create viewer loyalty with interactive tools - and it happens on Thursday 14 April at 5:30pm.
…

Another WIFT Auckland event, Pitch Perfect with James Brookman, is coming up in the next few weeks on Thursday 28 April.

In addition to discussing the process of creating a dramatic and effective movie trailer, James will illustrate how the techniques involved can be …

WIFT member Jacqui Wood shared some great news with us last week - she won the recent AUT creative writing short screenplay comp. Jacqui's email also helped reinforce how valuable it is to have established practitioners sharing their knowledge with newcomers to the indu…

The World Cinema Showcase is underway now in Auckland, and from next week in Wellington (Dunedin, sorry, you need to wait a few more weeks till May), so we thought you might like to know particularly about these inclusions in the showcase with fe…

This year's Mentoring Programme has been extended until Friday 15 April. We have spaces for up to 16 applicants, four of whom must be Maori to qualify for the Te Puni Kokiri sponsorship.
Applications should include:

• a letter of application introducing yourself and clearly articulating why…

As the world celebrated International Women's Day last month and Australian screen professionals such as Jan Chapman, Liz Watts and Mandy Walker continue to succeed globally, it would seem that gender imbalance is a thing of the past. However, Georgina Pearson sat down with …

Susi and Nia from the WIFT NZ office spent two whirlwind days in Wellington last week, catching up with members and colleagues in Guilds, the film industry in general and checking out venues where we can hold WIFT NZ workshops and networking events. The wea…

President Catherine Fitzgerald sent us a few words about her experience on the weekend at the Dunedin Festival of Film and Television Craft. Catherine said, "I was fortunate to participate in this festival of the craft of film and television with a large grou…

Hi members, sorry that your enews is a couple of days late this fortnight - WIFT office staff have copped some injuries and illnesses lately which has set us back a bit. Thankfully we seem to be on the mend now!

Highlights in thi…

Iconic children's series What Now returned live to screens on Sunday 27 March, beginning what will be its thirtieth year of production - a New Zealand record for a children's programme.
Yet the 30-year mark will be tinged with sadness. The first episode, …

Check out this report on NZ On Screen for TVNZ's flagship 1980s arts show, made to tie in with Nicholas Reid's book about the renaissance in NZ cinema that began with Sleeping Dogs in 1977. Reid and a who's-who of filmmakers discuss ma…

The latest Screentalk interview on NZ On Screen is a chat with film producer Don Blakeney. In this special ScreenTalk interview, with veteran producer and industry colleague John Barnett, Blakeney talks about:

• How he got the Film Commission's first Executive Director job

• How t…

It's not just a few extra Rugby World Cup matches heading to Auckland. TVNZ has announced that its weekday mid-morning programme Good Morning will relocate to Auckland from the end of the year. TVNZ Chief Executive Rick Ellis said today that a new mid-morning prog…

Industry website ScreenHub recently ran a story about the allotment of grants for activities and events associated with this year's Rugby World Cup. They said "The pie has been carved, with a mix of national and local events and ideas supported across a very b…

The results from last year's Screen Industry Survey have just been released. (Yes, it does seem a long time since 09/10 but we guess it takes a long time to wade through all those numbers.)
ScreenHub had this to say about the figures. "An ove…

The Department of Labour is reviewing their immigration policy with respect to the entertainment, music, film and television industries. They have asked the NZ Film Commission to coordinate responses from relevant stakeholders, who have asked us in turn to find out what you, our …

The Tecoma Film Festival goal is currently calling for submissions. The film festival goal is to bring creative, independent film to their audience; they also want fellow filmmakers to see work that inspires and motivates them. Most of all, the festival emphasizes the filmmakers.
…

It's once again time for entries for the 2011 Homegrown programme, as the closing date is looming on 22 April. So be sure to spread the word and don't miss out!! New Zealand Entrants please note that all short films by New Zealand filmmaker…

The No Borders International Co-Financing Market is a film financing forum that takes place during the annual Independent Film Producer (IFP) Market in New York City. It provides independent producers with a real opportunity to secure financing for their feature projects through one-on-one meet…

This online call for submissions seeks to select Australia/NZ producers with at least one market-ready script to participate in MIFF 37� South: Bridging the Gap's program of scheduled meetings and events with local and international film financing guests.
It is also seeking producers with a completed…

V48Seconds, the official warm-up for the infamous V48Hours competition, is back for 2011 and has new judging criteria, an epic prize pack and new awards.
V48Seconds calls for budding film makers to choose a movie clip from films past, and re-shoot it in 48 se…

Submissions are now open for the Venice International Film Festival, happening from 31 August through to 10 September 2011. You should know all about this film festival to end all festivals, so we'll keep it brief. The official regulations can be found here. You…

"Haere mai", welcome! The 2011 Kiwi Classic is being held at the Langham Hotel in Auckland this weekend on 09 April, and is one of the first competitions to feature Pro/Am ballroom dancing in New Zealand. The event is organised by former New Zealand ball…

ART Generator Network has taken some time out to restock and have recently announced a new series of four Auckland events designed for people from the creative sector to get together with their peers, have focused discussion and a few drinks and nibbles. Firs…

This Friday, 8 April 2011, 6 - 8:00pm, sees a new survey show from Media Design School opening at MIC Toi Rerehiko Gallery @ 321 K'Rd, Auckland.
Media Design School presents...plot_point_position, an exhibition exploring themes around the urban environment, approached from three perspectives:
…

The world's biggest party is back with more glam and wackier outfits - Eurovision Song Contest returns to Stratos TV (Freeview channel 21) from 11 May, the same day as the live event.
Competition is fierce as glitter, big hair, over-the-top costumes and incredible v…

If you haven't yet discovered Outrageous Wednesdays at the Auckland Museum, remember, there's oe more Wednesday still to run, where you can swing by after work and enjoy a glass of wine, check out the Outrageous exhibition and stay on for some food…

Just over a week to go before our next Auckland event: Pitch Perfect with James Brookman.
You can find out more about the event, and book tickets, through the WIFT site.
Wellington members, there's some good stuff coming up for you too; check ou…

Who said life was over at 30? WIFT Member Marlaina Curtis has just won a gold medal and two silver medals in the nationals of the performing arts over 30 section, and has been selected to represent New Zealand in Los Angeles against 50 o…

Rising Auckland producer-director Amanda Phillips is preparing to take her first feature film, "Desired", to the Cannes Film Festival next month.

The film, which represents Amanda's directorial debut, is being produced by her production company, Film Shock Productions, in association with Morcan Motion Pictur…

WIFT member Desir�e Gezentsvey recently gave us the heads-up on her new play, Nuclear Family, which premiered at the Adelaide Fringe Festival early last month. A solo show, performed by her daughter Yael Gezentsvey, the play is about a group of Jewish migrants in…

Last week we ran some World Cinema Showcase info provided to us by the festival organisers. One of the films they highlighted was the NZ doco, Operation 8. Unfortunately we need to apologise to Abi King-Jones, who was mistakenly credited in the info a…

Tad Friend in the New Yorker thinks so. This article by Friend talks about funny woman Anna Faris, and the particular problems Hollywood seems to have with having women in quality comedic roles. In the article, Friend refers to the Bechdel Test, a w…

Check out women's independent film distributor Women Make Movies for a range of new releases by women filmmakers, including two new films about women in the Middle East from acclaimed filmmaker Olga Nakkas, Women of Turkey and Mother, Lebanon a…

Due to unforeseen circumstances the last Meisner Acting Class run by member Barbara Woods at the Wellington Actors Studio was postponed - it will now start on Thursday 5 May. The upcoming Meisner Acting Class focuses on the improvisational and instinctive exercises from the Me…

Digital Chick TV has been around for just under a year ago, created by American writer Daryn Strauss.

She's created a web community to connect women to online programming, showing videos by, for and about women. The site also features information on th…

Recently a meeting was held between the screen industry guilds, organisations and unions resulting in the formation of a new combined industry group entitled "Screen Industry New Zealand" (SINZ).
The new group comprises New Zealand Film and Video Technicians' Guild (NZFVTG), New Zealand Writers …

Hello WIFT members. This week you'll see we've added some new event listings for Wellington members, perfect timing to liven up your autumn and winter. You'll also find a few bits and pieces of info about what members are achieving, the usual smattering of nat…

Haven't managed to get along to the Script to Screen events lately? Wonder how a filmmaking team establishes a collaborative environment where writer, director and producer connect at a conceptual level, and work through the filmmaking process together to ensure they're all making the same…

It has been only a couple of weeks since Virgin Media Shorts in the UK launched its 2011 competition and, at the time we compiled this newsletter, there had already been 60 entries. Only filmmakers from the UK, the Isle of Man and…

House star Hugh Laurie will star in a film adaptation of Lloyd Jones' best-selling novel Mr Pip, the Hollywood Reporter has said. Kiwi director Andrew Adamson has written the screenplay and will direct and produce the film, which is set to begin filmin…

Disney has become the latest in a long line of multinational organisations to finance carbon offsetting schemes, which campaign groups say fail to reduce climate change and instead create ways to avoid cutting emissions.
The company recently said they have spent $15.5 milli…

New Zealand short film Das Tub has won Best Short Short at the Aspen Shortsfest in Colorado - considered one of the world's top 50 leading film festivals. The win comes close on the heels of the film winning Best Director at the Honolulu…

Emmy award winning Wellington-based TV production company KHF Media has won a Gold World Medal at the prestigious 2011 New York Festivals International Television and Film Awards for the first season of its hit interactive online drama series Reservoir Hill.
Reservoir Hill -…

Last Thursday saw the official 2011 Cannes Film Festival selection announced at a press conference in Paris. Refreshingly, following last year's complete absence of female directors in competition, this year there will be four women competing for one of film's top prizes, the Palme …

Website STUFF, in association with NZ ON SCREEN and the NZFC has begun a series of Friday afternoon short films available live.
Each Friday, there will be an interview to watch, a story to read and a film available free from midday Friday th…

As if to rub it in that the soon-to-be-defunded TVNZ7 will be sorely missed, the channel and its shows received a high number of awards in the recent Freeview Awards.

After a successful first awards season in 2010, the second annual Freeview awards gar…

The latest Shooting People update we received notes that MOFILM is back; now they just need you to make a stupendous short film for Shanghai or an amazing ad for Cannes. There's a whopping prize pot of 182,500USD, as well as once-in-a-lifetime expenses-paid…

How do writers navigate the perils of co-writing to create screen magic?
Script to Screen presents a Wellington Writer's Room with writer/director Roseanne Liang (My Wedding and Other Secrets, Take 3, Banana in a Nutshell) and writer/director team Louis Sutherland & Mark Albiston (Run, The …

The German Film Festival is currently taking place until 27 of April in Wellington, presenting 12 documentaries of exceptional German filmmaker Werner Herzog, in cooperation with the New Zealand Film Archive.
Werner Herzog is known as a director of the New German Cinema, perhaps best known…

Just a couple of weeks to go until the Comedy Festival at Wellington's BATs Theatre, which kicks off 2 May and runs for three weeks. The full schedule will be released early next week, one week before our next newsletter goes out, s…

Wift member Jane Traynor is an entertainment lawyer with Stephen's Lawyers Ltd in Wellington.

She is offering a free 20 min legal consultation for any WIFT members who might need entertainment legal advice.

Foyer Level, Novell House, 89 The Terrace

Phone: 00-64-4-472-9632

www.stephenslaw…

PART-TIME MARKETING & PUBLICITY ASSISTANT: Boutique Marketing and Publicity company

This role exists within a growing Marketing and Publicity company that specialises in the entertainment field. This role reports directly to the Marketing and Publicity Manager. Day to day tasks would include helping to imp…