Archive Aug 2011

The Big Idea's Generator was created a year ago as a place to find practical tips to help you advance in the creative industries. From the web site: "Generator has resources, tools, case studies and conversations to help business, organisations and practitioners to address is…

Zonta International Club of Auckland West is hosting a screening of documentary film Miss Representation. The film offers a superb criticism of how women are portrayed in the media and the effect such portrayals have on society. The film will be followed by a discus…

(from l to r) Dan Slevin, Gaylene Preston and Laurie Wright

Congratulations to Laurie Wright, winner of the Gaylene Preston V48 Hours 2011 Award for Best Female Director.

The restrictions were:

Character: Bobby Young - ex-bully
Line of dialogue:  "what have you…

Congratulations to The Orator (O Le Tulafale) debut director/writer Tusi Tamasese and producer WIFT NZ's Catherine Fitzgerald for being selected to premiere in competition in the Orizzonti (New Horizons) section of the 68th Venice International Film Festival. Filmed entirely on the island of …

Do you have a spare room in your house in which to billet Canadian WIFT documentary film-makers who will be in NZ during the Rugby World Cup to film part of a documentary Buying Sex? The film is about sex workers and the effect…

The WIFT NZ Library has proved popular!  We have another addition on offer:

Women's Pictures: Feminism and Cinema by Annette Kuhn

If you want to borrow a book, send us an e-mail and we'll post it out to you. Your only commitment is to …

The family of award-winning producer Linda Gollan have made an immensely generous offer to WIFT NZ. For the next 5 years, they wish to help two WIFT NZ interns with the costs of producing their final project. A scholarship of $1,500 will be offered to …

Waiheke members of WIFT NZ met at a networking event at Fenice on Waiheke Island.  Present were (l to r) Susi Newborn, Di Rowan, Stephanie Bennett and Julienne Stret…

Outgoing WIFT NZ President Catherine Fitzgerald and incoming WIFT NZ President Debra Kelleher spent a memorable evening on August 2nd with students from the New Zealand Broadcasting School talking about WIFT NZ and their experiences in the industry. Big ups to their tut…

Hi to all WIFT NZ members. We have several wonderful people to congratulate this week, including the team behind NZ film The Orator which got selected for the Venice International Film Festival. Also huge congratulations to Laurie Wright who won the 2011 V48 Hours Gay…

A recent study has found that teams operate better when women are involved. Results showed that teams which include women perform better than teams comprised of all men with higher IQs. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/study-what-makes-a-team-smarter-more-women-20…

This unique film festival brings together a variety of music videos, advertisements, television programmes and short films that were made at historic Alberton (1863) over the last two years. The festival's opening night is 8 September and offers a chance to meet the directors.…

Eight arts professionals from around the world have been selected for a Visiting Arts International Connections bursary scheme. Among them is New Zealand's own Louise Tu'u, who is recognised as a pioneer in the arts. The international Connections programme will allow Louise to share…

In this year's Venice International Film Festival , there are 22 films in competition.  Out of these, five are directed (or co-directed) by women.

• Wuthering Heights, Andrea Arnold (U.K.)
• Texas Killing Fields, Ami Canaan Mann (U.S.)
• Chicken With Plums, Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud (France, Belgiu…

This year's Toronto International Film Festival has no shortage of female directors and woman centric films. Here are this year's offerings from woman directors:

• Take this Waltz , Sarah Polley
• W.E., Madonna
• Chicken with Plums, Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud,
• Elles, Malgoska Szumowska
• Fr…

British MP, Jo Swinson is accusing children's television producers and broadcasters of a lack of strong female characters. She believes that the constant barrage of princess-like characters stunt the self-confidence of young girls. She also notes that there is an overall lack of female …

Most of you will be aware by now that the TVNZ charter has been dropped. The Minister of Broadcasting, Jonathan Coleman, is saying that this will have little, if any, effect on what screens on television. This article at crews.tv discusses whether there is…

For 30 years What Now has been wowing, exciting and gunging New Zealand audiences. It's become as much a part of New Zealand as barbeques, jandals, pavlova and tomato sauce!

To celebrate 30 years of the iconic show a special episode was scre…

Script to Screen and Show Me Shorts present this year's Short Film Lab. If you have an idea for a short film that you want to develop then this is a great opportunity for you. Up to six writers or writers/directors will be selected…

The seventh annual Vancouver Women in Film Festival will be held in March 2012. The earlybird deadline for submissions is 1 September 2011, the regular deadline is 2 October 2011 and the extended deadline is 1 November 2011. Eligible films will meet the following crite…

This year the NZWG Script Writers Awards will be held on 24 November.  Nominations will be accepted from August 15. The categories are:

• Best feature film script
• Best short film script
• Best play
• Best radio play
• Best episode script for a television series:…

Submissions are now open for project pitching at the Asia Pacific Producers' Network (APN) Symposium 2011 which will be held on 13 November in Auckland. Ten projects will be selected and allocated five minutes to pitch. Successful projects will be relevant to Asian markets…

The hugely popular annual Storylines Festival will travel to Auckland, Wellington, Northland, Christchurch and Dunedin between 20- 28 of August. The Free Family Days give children the chance to meet some of their favourite authors, illustrators, storytellers and book characters.

There is also the opportunity for as…

TVNZ's Creative Hub is looking for an enthusiastic, experienced Commercial Producer to join the team and be responsible for overseeing the implementation of short-form commercial productions from inception to broadcast.

To be successful, you will have a minimum of 3-4 years experience in a re…

The TVNZ Captioning Team produce and edit subtitles for programmes shown on air, which are accessed primarily by deaf and hearing-impaired viewers. TVNZ is looking for a new full-time Caption Producer.

TVNZ's Caption Producers have a love of words, syntax and language. If you…

TVNZ need a talented person, who is really into new technology and ways of communicating, to lead the development of the TVNZ product suite across emerging platforms, so that it can continue to deliver compelling consumer experiences across multiple digital platforms (tvnz.co.nz, mobile, iPhone, i…

Have you observed being human from a spiritual perspective? Do you believe in the power of media to shift present reality? Do you love watching films and interacting with film-makers? Are you the one to whom, life's goal is in the spiritual evolution? If y…

The Trackside and TAB TV Channels broadcast live local and international racing seven days a week on Freeview and the Sky digital network. Within Trackside there is currently a vacancy for a MCR Presentation Director - Support role.

This is an excellent opportunity to…

Recently established Workshop FX Ltd, (previously creators of children's animated shows 'Jane and the Dragon' and 'The Wot Wots') is looking for a talented and experienced Rigging Lead to join the team and further develop the existing rigging tools.

As Rigging Lead you wi…

Congratulations to WIFT NZ member Tamsyn Harker and Esther Venning who have made it to the semifinals of Final Draft's Big Break Contest with their script This Dark Light. Well done and best of luck for the rest of the competiti…

Wellington WIFT NZ member Beth Brash was one of five NZFC staff members who competed in the Wellington Bake Off final at the Town Hall. Beth's delicious creations included such treats as goat cheese muffins, chocolate oreos (with NZFC logo decoration in icing sugar), gi…

This week the Film Archive is commemorating the life of Wellington filmmaker and poet Kathy Dudding who passed away a year ago. They will be having a special screening of her short films and readings of her poetry in order to raise money to purch…

Screen Australia has new information about the state of Australian content - who's watching, who's spending, who cares and why? These forums will supply you with information about trends, influences, costs and opportunities.

MELBOURNE

Thursday, 25 August
VCA, Federation Hall
234 St Kilda Rd, …

Octavia Spencer plays Minnie Jackson in The Help. In this interview she talks about her role in the film and the importance of women supporting films which feature female characters in lead rol…

The Asia New Zealand Film Foundation Trust web site has recently launched. The web site is dedicated to Asian films, Asian filmmakers and Asian film-making in New Zealand. Visit the web site here http://dev1.bluethundertribe.c…

Recent research shows that one in ten Aucklanders is a creative. Auckland, Tourism, Events and Economic Development Ltd (ATEED) will be using the data to help strengthen the sector and empower Auckland's creatives. To view a video clip and download the full report g…

Dame Kate Harcourt won the Best Female Actress category at the 2011 Rhode Island International Film Festival for her role in short film Pacific Dreams. In the film she plays lead character Grace, an elderly woman who is determined to liven up her rest h…

New Zealand's own hit film Boy, directed by Taika Waititi, has been nabbed by Paladin and Unison Films in association with Radius Films for U.S. distribution. The film is set for release in select markets near the end of 2011. Read more h…

New Zealand on Air has announced the programmes supported by its Platinum Fund for screening in 2012. Funding has been allocated to two strong drama projects What Really Happened? The Women's Vote and City Under Siege. What Really Happened... is about the fight for wom…

New Zealand on Screen's retro caravan will be travelling the South Island as part of the REAL New Zealand Festival 9 September - 23 October 2011. The caravan will screen a programme of classic Kiwi short films. The North Island part of the New Zeal…

The New Zealand Film Commission Talent Awards are open to applications from established Writers, Producers and Directors. Applications can be made for a maximum amount of $50,000, however smaller amounts are looked upon favourably as NZFC wish to spread the limited fund widely. Applications sh…

The Rotterdam Lab offers producers the opportunity to hear from a panel of industry experts. Discussions will include topics such as development, production, sales, financing, distribution, press and promotion and television. These panels aim to give producers the tools to present their project and b…

The Berlinale Talent Campus is a six day creative summit for emerging filmmakers. It will run alongside the Berlin Film Festival 11-16 February 2012. The summit will consist of a series of lectures, discussions, workshops, and excursions for Directors, Screenwriters, Actors, Cinematographers, Producers, Editors, S…

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) Asia Pacific and the China International Copyright Expo (CICE) are holding a film workshop in Beijing on 1-2 December 2011. The workshop will bring together senior international and Chinese film industry professionals and emerging filmmakers to exchange ideas on…

Nominations are now open for the New Zealand Writers Guild 2011 Script Writers Awards. This year the NZWG Script Writers Awards will be held on 24 November. The categories are:

• Best feature film script
• Best short film script
• Best play
• Best radio play
…

The IDFA Documentary Forum offers a co-financing market for documentaries and Europe's largest gathering of filmmakers, television commissioning editors and independent documentary producers. The forum will take place during 21-23 November in Amsterdam. The deadline for application is 1 September. Click here for more inform…

Remember to get your submissions in for the 2012 Vancouver Women in Film Festival. The earlybird deadline for submissions is 1 September 2011, the regular deadline is 2 October 2011 and the extended deadline is 1 November 2011. Eligible films will meet the following crite…

The Screen Directors Guild of New Zealand (SDGNZ) has begun a Call for Entries for the 2011 Director's Finder Series in Los Angeles. This is an opportunity for a New Zealand director to have their film showcased in the Directors Guild of America Theatre, Sunset Boulev…

The deadline for the New Zealand Film Commission's Premiere Shorts funding round is 31 August this year. Applications will go to the Executive Producer Groups - Tom Thumb, Tauihu Films and A Collective Intake of Breath. All the info can be found on the …

The launch of Project CONNECT draws near and to mark the occasion Transmedia NZ, in partnership with MINA (Mobile Innovation Network Aortearoa) invites you to enter their "documentray challenge".

The guidelines are as follows:

• Your documentary must be a record of the Project CO…

Bridge Under the Water is a documentary about Cromwell, a town in central Otago where residents were faced with rising waters behind Clyde Dam, the last of Muldoon's "Think Big Projects" of the 1980s. The film follows the people most affected by the dam …

Applications are invited from suitably experienced candidates for the position of Studio Director/Editor at the Prime7 Canberra Station.

The successful applicant will prepare, direct and switch a variety of different studio operations including live and pre-recorded news.

Prime7 is searching for an energetic, highly o…

FremantleMedia is seeking a brilliant digital content mind for an exciting new era in digital production. Working within the digital and production teams, and reporting to the newly appointed Digital Producer, this role will play a huge role in bringing one of Australia's favourit…

The New Zealand Broadcasting School is looking for a full-time tutor in Film/Television Production to teach on our Bachelor of Broadcasting Communications programme. The school has a proud reputation as a quality national provider of media education and training. It is involved in the teac…

The Trackside and TABTV Channels broadcast live local and international racing seven days a week on Freeview and the Sky digital network. There is currently a vacancy for an experienced Studio Director.

This role ensures that live racing coverage is effectively and efficiently broadc…

TVNZ is seeking a highly creative Senior Creative Producer to devise, develop and implement cutting edge content promotions across all TVNZ brands and platforms.

You will need to demonstrate your ability to generate and execute ideas that cut through and will make viewers wa…