Posted Tuesday 31 May 2011
The Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has confirmed four NZ films: three features in the Panorama thread and one in the inaugural Mobile SIFF competition sponsored by China Mobile.
Stephen Kang`s Desert, Paul Murphy`s Love Birds and Ian Sharp`s UK-NZ co-production Tracker will screen in the Panorama section; David Strong`s Pacific Dreams is named in the `feature' section of the Mobile SIFF competition.
Currently screening in Auckland and on Sky's Rialto Channel, Desert premiered last October at Busan. Last week Kang`s short Blue won the Grand Prix at Critics Week in Cannes. Stephen will attend SIFF and hopes to spend some time there on preliminary casting for his next feature Summer Rhapsody, which requires a female Chinese lead.
Paul Murphy`s Love Birds recently completed its theatrical run here. It was written by Nick Ward (Stickmen, Second Hand Wedding) features Rhys Darby and Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky, Made in Dagenham). is the second feature film collaboration for director Paul Murphy and writer Nick Ward (Second-Hand Wedding). Tracker, currently on release here, features Ray Winstone(Scum, Sexy Beast, The Edge of Darkness) and Temuera Morrison (The Green Lantern, Star Wars, Once Were Warriors).
Mobile SIFF is proposed as a five-year short film promotion between SIFF and China Mobile, the world`s largest mobile service provider. Largely focused on films shot on mobile phones, the thread has selected films up to 25 minutes in six categories. Entries are available to view on mobile devices within China, with Audience Awards to be determined by a voting system.
David Strong`s Pacific Dreams was shot by Waka Attewell, edited by Paul Sutorius and produced by Inspire Films Catherine Juniot (formerly Business Affairs manager for the NZFC and a project manager for SPADA). Pacific Dreams will also screen at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in August.