Archive Nov 2011

We have two tickets to give away to the next TAKES Short Film Festival, which happens monthly at Nectar bar in Kingsland. To be in to win, just tell us what country TAKES started up in. (Hint: the answer's in the blurb.)

TAKES screens …

Marzieh Vafamehr, who appeared in a film critical of Iran's repressive policies, has had her harsh sentence lifted. An Iranian court has overturned the lashing sentence imposed an an actor after she appeared in a film critical of the Islamic republic's repressive policies, accordin…

Dr Mary Wiles of the Cinema Studies programme and School of Humanties at the University of Canterbury kindly wrote us this summary of the Gaylene Preston Retrospective at Te Papa Tongarewa, the Museum of New Zealand, which was held from 22 to 24 October. "Spons…

A few weeks back we announched the winners of the Linda Gollan Scholarship, Lorraine Reinsberger and Rachel Ross, and the two women have now received their scholarship contribution. Here they are pictured with Bruce and Dora Gollan. Each scholar won $1500 towards the cos…

Women and Hollywood reported recently that director Patty Jenkins (who directed Monster, which won Charlize Theron an Oscar), has been signed by Marvel Studios to direct the big budget action film Thor 2.

Melissa Silverstein reports, "This is important because the first Thor was …

Exciting news for Middle East women filmmakers; there's now a United Arab Emirates WIFT Chapter - the newest edition to our 10,000-member global organisation. The UAE chapter will mold its mission to pinpoint the areas of support while encouraging engagement with other women acros…

Currently on for a short while longer at the Film Archive in Wellington is Typical Girls, a MediaGallery Exhibition curated by Bryce Galloway. From the Film Archive site:

"Typical girls get upset too quickly
Typical girls can't control themselves
Typical girls are so confusin…

 With Show Me Shorts opening later this week, we did a quick Q&A with Gina Dellabarca. 

How has the festival changed since its inception in 2006?
GD: Show Me Shorts has grown and evolved immensely from a 3-day event in one location …

WIFT NZ would like to congratulate our members who are finalists in the Aotearoa Film & Television Awards 2011.

 Britta Johnstone - nominated for Images & Sound Best Director - Drama/Comedy for Stolen Tracey Collins - nominated for Best Product Design for This …

One of our members posed an interesting question recently - is the term 'film' becoming passe, or does it still retain as much currency as before? She noted that due to the many changing and advanced applications, such as digital, being used in the indu…

Just a quick heads up that there's been a last-minute date change for our Sian Jacquet Workshop in Auckland - it will now happen a week later than previously stated, on 18 November.
The Sian Jaquet Workshop is a regular event on the WI…

Already November, and we bet your diaries are already getting chocka with events this month and next. Hopefully you've made time to attend some of the Show Me Shorts Festival, in between industry events such as the SPADA Conference, AnimFX, and of course WIFT's…

It was meant to be the great 'Argument about the exportation of NZ Film and TV' live at the Cloud on Auckland's Waterfront on Saturday. But it was not to be - silenced by a last minute cancellation and noise from the 'RWC finals' (…

If you haven't yet heard of Prescreen, pop along to the site and register pronto. A Groupon (GrabOne-style site for films, it offers trendspotters a way to find new films, and filmmakers a way to find audiences and gain exposure.
Here's how it works:
…

Here's another site for fans of (and potential makers of) thought-provoking documentaries. The Tipping Point Film Fund is a not for profit co-operative raising donations from individuals, groups and organisations who believe in using the power of film to make change. They say "We su…

This three hour workshop is for creative entrepreneurs interested in crowd-funding their projects using online tools and social media networks. You will learn how to use crowd-funding to finance creative projects, and use social media networks for engaging supporters. You will also understand h…

Script to Screen has announce the 2012 US Screenwriting Internship Scholarship to Killer Films in New York.
The Scholarship, sponsored by the Film Investment Corporation Foundation and the New Zealand Film Commission, will fly the winning applicant to New York and pay their living…

 TAKES is a monthly boutique short film festival in Auckland, New Zealand which screens films that are original, daring, captivating and stretch audiences to see the world from a different perspective. If you think you've got a film that fits the bill, they wan…

The Screen Directors Guild of NZ is pleased to announce that award-winning film and television editor Annie Collins will be holding a drama editing workshop in Wellington. Running from 2 - 4 December 2011, over one initial evening and two full days, the workshop …

TVNZ and NZ On Air are seeking well developed proposals for two long-form docudramas. These programmes must be distinctive, challenging and have broad appeal.
Successful applications will primarily be funded from NZ On Air's Platinum Fund.
These 90 minute docudramas are intended to…

 Have a great idea for a script, but don't feel you have the training or skills to do it justice? Write a script with screenwriter, producer, and development consultant, Steve Barr, as part of a Creative Writing Programme at Whitireia.
 You can write part-tim…

David Morrah, Director of psychological horror film The Lake, is urgently looking for an editor to work on the film. As it is unpaid, this might be an option for someone looking to get an editing credit or further work experience.
He says "Unfortunat…

Auckland Women's Centre in Grey Lynn are looking for a part time Funding Administrator. This is a six-months, part-time position - they need someone for between 8-10 hours a week, depending on their experience, and hope to appoint in early December to start on …

Swoon Media is looking for a manager / producer wanted to drive new broadcast and web video production business for Auckland city based video production and post-production company. Excellent sales and marketing skills are required plus a keen interest in workflow and organisation of…

Sauce is a leading New Zealand production and post production facility with offices in Wellington, Auckland and Los Angeles. Our editing and design teams as well as our editors produce a wide range of products in the TVC and corporate fields. With a diverse r…

Pukeko Pictures is an independent entertainment production house focusing on the development of high quality children's entertainment properties for a world audience. Based in New Zealand, Pukeko Pictures is located in Wellington, the city famous for blockbuster movies such as: Avatar, King Kong and …

Park Road Post Productionis a boutique post production company located in Miramar, Wellington, looking for a Sound Producerto coordinate the delivery of international client projects, mainly feature films and documentaries.
The successful candidate will bring extensive experience in client liaison roles working with high …

Do you consider yourself a bit of a "techie"?
Would you take pride in leading the projectionist team to ensure presentation standards are consistently met?
Are you the kind of person who thinks seeing a movie on the big screen's the only way …

Sadly, our wonderful Financial Administrator, Emmy, is bidding us farewell due to an over-commitment of work projects. So, WIFT NZ is looking for a cheerful Financial Administrator for our cosy office in Beresford Square, Auckland Central. Six hours per week, car-park provided. If you …

The Sian Jaquet Workshop is a regular event on the WIFT NZ yearly calendar to help our members take charge of their own personal and professional journeys. Sian Jaquet has over 20 years of experience working with people as a professional coach and has cl…

Marian Evans notes her impressions of the recent Gaylene Preston Retrospective and the accompanying catalogue, here on her Wellywoman b…

The 52nd session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)) will be held in July 2012, in New York. Reporting countries at this session include New Zealand.
A 'pre-session' hearing has just taken place from 3 - 21 October 20…

We came across this HerFilm interviewrecently with Nuotama Frances Bodomo, a Ghanaian filmmaker based in New York City. She grew up on four continents-in Ghana, Norway, California, and Hong Kong-before moving to New York to attend Columbia University as a Kluge Scholar, and recei…

Following a decade of radical growth and seven acclaimed film festivals, Birds Eye View (BEV) - the UK's leading festival dedicated to celebrating and supporting international women filmmakers - is taking a year to develop plans for a sustainable future amidst the shifting landsca…

Women garnered a couple of good awards at this year's BFI London Film Festival. Lynne Ramsay's film, We Need to Talk About Kevin, picked up the Best Film Award, and Candese Reid won Best British Newcomer for her outstanding performance as a vulnerable young …

A powerful documentary chronicling the life and career of slain investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya, "A Bitter Taste of Freedom," is screening in the US this week. (No info yet whether this will become available in NZ, but we hope so). The International Women's Media Founda…

This article on Jezebel.com looks at the lack of female mentors in film and television programmes, noting that even heroines don't often have female mentors. Rather, they tend to be male, 'either gay or a potential love-interest. If a woman happens to giv…

WIFT members were shocked to hear news of the death in Nepal of Carol Davidson who was a founding member of WIFT in Wellington. Carol, who had remarried two months ago, was on her honeymoon with her new husband Christopher Mark Bishop when they …

The Make My Movie Finalists have now been annouced. Hmmm. But where are the women? Here's the li…

The sixth annual Show Me Shorts Film Festival kicked off in Auckland the other week, with a glamorous awards evening where the winners of eight prizes for excellence in short film making were announced.
Jack Woon took home the coveted Kodak Best Film Awar…

The Screen Directors Guild of New Zealand is pleased to announce award winning film and television editor Annie Collins will be holding a drama editing workshop in Wellington on 2-4 December 2011, to be held at The Film School, 86 Vivian St, Wellington.
Ann…

What a week it was for honouring the many talented women we have in the screen industries in New Zealand, many of whom are members of WIFT NZ. Last Thursday, the AFTA's 2011 Craft Awards saw Tracey Collins win the award for Best Production Design…

In November 2010 the NZ Writers Guild (NZWG) launched the inaugural awards evening for writers, the SWANZ. This initiative was created to recognize and acknowledge the storytellers behind the screens and stages of New Zealand.
"We believe that our stories should be shared and s…

To tie in with the election, NZ On Screen has curated a collection of political clips, noting 'Our representatives in parliament have had some of their most memorable moments captured on camera. This collection showcases the governors' screen legacy: from stirring addresses (Kirk), feisty de…

NZ feature film Russian Snark has won the top prize at the 38th International Festival of Independent Film in Brussels. The award is doubly thrilling for writer/director Stephen Sinclair and producer Liz DiFiore (congratulations to WIFT member Liz) because the film was only invit…

On Friday, National`s broadcasting policy document was released. ScreenHub commented, saying, 'The three-page document, one page of which is devoted to rubbishing Labour, would have you believe "she`ll be right" is a policy. The statistics are largely historical, ticking off the boxes National has al…

The New Zealand Film Commission noted recently that 2011 has been a bumper year for NZ films, with more releases this year than any other (this also includes those films made independently of NZFC funding, which the NZFC acknowledges is no mean feat). T…

The online call for submissions for the 2012 MeetMarket at the Australian International Documentary Conference is now open till November 28.
25 competitively-selected documentary projects will feature in MeetMarket at AIDC, February 27^th - March 1^st 2012. MeetMarket is designed to match selected documentary …

Party with the Auntiesis an opportunity to unwind after a hard day's work with some laughs, drinks, songs and food. An original show devised by the director, Erina Daniels, and multi-talented cast Cian Elyse White, Jamie McCaskill and Matariki Whatarau. Party with the Aunti…

The NZ Film and Video Technicians' Guild requires a new office space. Requirements are fairly minimal - space for full time desk and admin, plus room to have Accounts Officer in for a few hours per week.
Please contact the office: info@nztecho.com with any poten…

Julia Schuster, A PhD student at the Department of Sociology, University of Auckland has contacted us seeking particiants for her research project titled "Where have all the feminists gone? Searching for New Zealand's women's movement in the early 21st century" which aims to investigat…

Justin Morgan, Director of the NZ Academy of Fine Arts in Wellington, is coming to talk on Thursday 17 November about working with galleries including different gallery models he's been involved in and how to have a successful show. This is your opportunity to…

What a busy old week it's been for plaudits in the film and television world - the AFTAs, SPADA Awards, an overseas festival award, and the SWANZ finalists, too. Congratulations to all those WIFT members who've been recognised with awards and nominations lately (spec…

NorthTec , the only Tertiary Education Institute (TEI) based north of Auckland that provides programmes from foundation to degree level, currently have a permanent opportunity for two part time (.5 FTE each) New Media Tutors based in the new Arts block at the Raumanga Cam…

TVNZ's Close Up is looking for a line up producer to drive the programme's content on a daily basis. Along with the Executive Producer, you will be managing and leading a team of producers and reporters driven to be the best daily current affairs progr…

Reporter Vicki Wilkinson-Baker is off to teach the up and coming talent at CPIT, so TVNZ have space for a journalist to join the Christchurch editorial team. They need someone who knows what it is like to work in a fast paced, future-focused news…

Rialto Cinemas Support Centre is looking for a Marketing Executive. In this job you will work as part of a small management team to organise promotions and national marketing collateral including the design of all materials and online content management, to enhance brand perceptio…

The NZ Film & Video Technicians' Guild is seeking someone to cover the role of Executive Officer, while the current EO is on parental leave from February 2012.
The duration of the fixed term is negotiable from 6 - 12 months.
The r…

Sadly, our wonderful Financial Administrator, Emmy, is bidding us farewell due to an over-commitment of work projects. So, WIFT NZ is looking for a cheerful Financial Administrator for our cosy office in Beresford Square, Auckland Central. Six hours per week, car-park provided. If you …

After a recent meeting with SINZ, the Ministry of Culture and Heritage has prepared a short questionnaire on professional development, aimed at individuals working in the screen industry.
The closing date for the survey is Friday 16 December. The link is ScreenProfessionalDevelopmentSurvey. Only one re…

The new partnership between TVNZ and SKY Television claims it will provide further pay opportunities for viewing of local programmes which have already been seen on TVNZ, but its implications for new programmes are unclear, says SPADA. Read more…

NZ On Air recently released its annual report, paying particular tribute to Christchurch broadcast and screen personnel affected by the earthquakes. "Despite considerable personal impact, Canterbury broadcasters and programme makers have been intent on ensuring stories of their region are being conveyed to the …

The Film Archive is currently playing host to some Japanese films in association with the Japanese information and Cultural Centr…

www.StarNow.com is the one of the world's biggest online talent communities, with two million members worldwide applying to auditions listed on the site. They operate in nine countries, dominating the market in the UK, and with a fast growing talent pool of over 235,000 mem…

A recent Women and Hollywood blog post highlighted the refreshing fact that the most recent Academy Award doco finalist have a pretty decent proportion of women directors among them.

Five of the 15 have either women directors or co-directors. Check out the pos…

A new report from the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation goes into depth on the many issues tied to a gender-based knowledge divide facing females. The report aims to explore how girls can use technology and inspire women when it comes to digital lit…

It's always nice to discover a production company with a positive bias in favour of women. SoMogolicious is a boutique entertainment and production company creating 'innovative programming that diversifies, educates, inspires, and builds community'. They say 'We are dedicated to empowering girls & wo…

This recent article in the LA Times contributes some more to the male/female representation in film debate with the findings of a USC study. 'According to a survey of 2009 films, male roles far outweigh those for women, females are far more likely…

Women in Film and Television NZ intern Lauren Billingham produced the Camera Girls calendar to raise money for her final project at South Seas Film and Television school. Ten female students from South Seas film school, including a few WIFT interns, took off their clo…

Dr Janet Fanslow, a senior lecturer in Social and Community Health at The University of Auckland and co-director of the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, wrote to the NZ Herald to correct some of the misrepresentations of fact in Bob McCoskrie's opinion piece about vio…

As we mentioned in a previous enews issue, the recent Make My Movie competition finalists seemed notable for the lack of women (there was actually one woman in the final 12). Wellywoman Marian Evans analysed the finalists and entrants and found that the lac…

WIFT NZ Executive Director Susi Newborn has just returned from a visit to Christchurch. She
writes:
"Nothing can quite prepare you for a visit to post-earthquake Christchurch. I was there this
time last year, staying in Cathedral Square. There was an earthquake in the…

A big congratulations to member Rachel Lang for her win at the Script Writers Awards NZ! Rachel took away Best Television Episode: Drama, for Nothing Trivial, Episode…

With great regret, WIFT NZ has accepted the resignation of the wonderful Janine Morrell-Gunn. Janine writes that this year has been extraordinarily challenging, leaving little time and energy for anything other than dealing with the results of The Christchurch Earthquakes. WIFT NZ is indebt…

We were incredibly pleased to hear recently that one of last year's interns, and currently a Masters student in Screen Production, has just finished shooting a documentary in Iran, the US and Canada. Ghazaleh Golbakhsh grew up in NZ, and returned to Iran aft…

Well well well, yep, it's that time of year again. We're looking forward
to getting together with you all at the Auckland and Wellington combined Guilds
Christmas parties.

For the Auckland event: please RSVP to office@wiftnz.org.nz

For the Wellington event: please RSVP to glenis.gile…

Maori Television is looking for an experienced News Producer for the indigenous national broadcasters flagship news programme - Te Kaea.
The successful candidate will initiate and coordinate story ideas, work alongside reporters and producers to deliver a daily news programme from a Maori perspective.You…

A new opportunity has arisen within Film Auckland, an important division of Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development. Your brief will be to secure screen production investment into Auckland, both domestically and internationally. This investment will be multi-million dollar productions. This role will m…

A contract position is available for an outstanding candidate to coordinate key aspects of the Show Me Shorts Film Festival 2012. Initially the festival management team is offering two days or 16 hours of work per week, with the possibility of increasing this late…

WIFT NZ is commencing a summer series of lunchtime sessions in Wellington - members and friends are invited to bring their lunch (tea and coffee provided) to the Film Commission Boardroom for an hour each fortnight at 12.30. A selection of entertaining and inform…

Interns, graduates and fledgling film industry faces - this one's a 'must do' event for you! Every year WIFT NZ runs a Welcome to the Firm event to help you find out everything you need to know about the industry, and network with t…

Election done and dusted, awards ceremonies attended and recovered from, work and family Christmas events lined up...there's a real sense of winding down and ticking boxes at this end of the year. But don't forget to save room in your diary for the …