Archive Oct 2011

The Rotterdam Lab has been developed to give producers knowledge on how to operate in an international market setting. The lab offers panel discussions on development, production, sales, financing, distribution, press & promotion and television. In these panels, experts from the industry giv…

Calling all independent filmmakers! Does your film have women in at least three of the key creative roles (one woman may serve in more than one role): Writer, Producer, Director, D.O.P., Lead Actor, or Lead Animator / Editor?Was your film completed after Janua…

Entries are now open for the 9th Berlinale Co-Production Market which will take place February 12-14, 2012, as part of the 62^nd Berlin International Film Festival. They are looking forward to finding new projects fresh, promising and high-quality projects that they can match…

The Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) has long been widely recognized as one of the most important film financing platforms in Asia with many projects successfully completed and exhibited.

Around twenty-something projects are selected annually to participate in HAF. One …

ACE (Ateliers du Cin�ma Europ�en) is a network of producers which holds project focused workshops. In 2009, ACE opened its doors to non-EU independent producers by launching a new training session (ACE Mundus Programme), specially designed for them.
The NZFC will assist …

The 8th annual San Francisco International Women's Film Festival, April 10-15, 2012, is now accepting submissions. The San Francisco International Women's Film Festival 2012 accepts films and video of all lengths and genres: narrative, documentary, experimental and animation. Films and videos must be di…

TAKES is a monthly boutique short film festival in Kingsland, Auckland, 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 - send it…

The New Zealand Film Commission will host industry networking events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in October this year. Join the NZFC for drinks, nibbles and discussions about the latest goings-on affecting us all and the recent changes to the NZFC guidelines. The eve…

The NZ Film Commission has announced that it has offered eight grants of $10,000 and eight grants of $30,000 to NZ filmmakers for the filming of 16 low-budget short films thorough its FRESH SHORTS programme. The final 16 films were selected by a p…

Festival for the Future, a new national youth event, aims to bring together young creatives, entrepreneurs and community innovators to foster the next generation of New Zealand's youth.
Inspiring the next generation of young Kiwis to create innovative community projects through knowledge, networks, …

The goevernment released their changes last week to visa processes for screen, entertainment and music industry workers. The changes mean workers here for 14 days or less, or workers on an international co-production, face a greatly simplified process. For longer periods of employment,…

WIFT NZ sponsor Heritage Hotels are again supporting the Italian Film Festival this year
which began screening in Auckland from the 28th of September, then will be travelling
around the country. Many of the films are David Di Donatello award winners and represent
th…

Niki Caro is writing and directing Callas, a new film about the legendary opera star Maria
Callas, based on the book Too Proud, Too Fragile by Alfonso Signorini, who will also take a

writing credit on the film. The Rome-based De Angelis Group is prod…

The Nga Aho Whakaari (NAW) AGM was held on Wednesday 28 September and Ella Henry
(Ng?tikahu ki Whangaroa, Ng?ti Kuri, Te R?rawa) was elected by unanimous vote. Ella was
previously a member of the Executive from 1996-2000 and an advisor until 2003.
Actor and di…

Her Film is a site is dedicated to films by for and about women, and one of their great resources is a page listing festivals for women's films. As a living list, it's one they're continuing to expand, so check it out and se…

That's the simple question filmmaker Abigail E. Disney's latest project began with. Disney's answer to that question is Women, War and Peace, a bold five-part PBS miniseries that highlights the stories of women in conflict zones from Bosnia to Liberia, and Columbia to Afghanistan…

We all know there's a role model shortage in girls' films. But don't worry - at least there's a science role model...er, although she does happen to be an ape.

The lack of ladies in STEM (science, technology engineering and math) fields is "troubling" r…

This is a quote from an article entitled Hollywood Still Typecasting Women. But you know that - every few weeks we seem to run links to research that reinforces that fact. And, in fact, recent research done by Geena Davis' Institute on Gender in M…

Marian Evans did this recent interview with Pratibha Parmar about Parmar's documentary film Beauty in Truth about writer Alice Walker.

In this interview, Evans writes "Pratibha Parmar is a multi-award-winning filmmaker with a family heritage of protest. She has lived and worked on four cont…

Feeling a bit stressed about end of year tax returns? Decided that it's finally time to get your finances truly sorted? Still convincing yourself that ignoring the IRD will make it go away? Here's an opportunity to take the first step to getting it u…

An Academy-approved selection committee announced last week that The Orator (O Le Tulafale) has been submitted for consideration as Best Foreign Language Film for the 84th Academy Awards�, to be held in Hollywood on the 28th of February 2012. Read the NZ Film Commission's p…

mandy.com's sister-company last week launched one of the largest OPEN SEARCH

platforms for curated documentaries and films from around the globe available freely
on the Internet for educational purposes. At documentaryguide.com the content is
curated from anthropological, geographical and social issue based perspectives …

We're very pleased to be able to announce the two winners of the Linda Gollan Scholarship 2011. Lorraine Reinsberger and Rachel Ross, both from South Seas Film School, will receive $1500 each towards the cost of their final project. Lorraine's project is entitled Permissio…

A BIG thank you to all of you who took a minute to fill in our recent e-news survey. We're very pleased with the results which show that nearly all of you always read and enjoy the e-news, that you find it newsworthy and relev…

This workshop from Script to Screen will help you take your first steps towards making a short film, guiding you through each stage - from the initial concept, to writing, to pitching for funding, and finally, the actual task of making your short film. …

Interested in writing for the big screen? Beginner's Guide is an intensive two day workshop that demystifies the basics of screenwriting. Tutor Kathryn Burnett will take participants through the how and why of writing for film including premise, plot, story structure, formatting, dialogue, character…

Jennifer Nikolai, Andrew Denton, and the AUT Dance Company (Xinia Alderson, Erin Bowerman, Jane Carter, Grace Crawford, Kezia Kramer and Aya Nakamura) present their dance/theatre and live video performance work, Girl with a Movie Camera, at the Tempo Dance Festival in Auckland, on Octo…

Summer Shakespeare 2012 presents Twelfth Night, one of Shakespeare's most
romantic and hilarious comedies, and auditions are being held now.
Twelfth Night tells the story of Viola, a young woman shipwrecked in the country of
Illyria who decides to dress as a man t…

The Emerging Artists Trust is forming an intensive workshop to start at the end of this month for screenwriters and actors. 16 writers and 10 actors will meet for 3 hours a week in a process that will dramatically improve their storytelling craft, their analyt…

In this Actors Laboratory workshop, referencing Much Ado About Nothing, Collected Stories, Romeo and Juliet, Look Back in Anger, The Seagull and Double Beat, all of which she has directed at Downstage or Auckland Theatre Company, Miranda will apply the successful techniques and approaches that hav…

Permanent, Part-time. Set hours, Auckland office based. The New Zealand Writers Guild has a position available for an administrator of membership services and co-ordinator of their online profile. Areas of responsibility are administering the day to day membership services, promoting events, updating the NZWG webs…

New Zealand's largest independent television production company is looking for an intermediate-level designer with a minimum 2 years industry experience to join the graphics team. Eyeworks New Zealand creates graphics for popular programmes and channels for New Zealand, Australia and the USA - including b…

Maori Television is seeking a Content Administrator to join the website team. This new position has been created to support the Maori Television Website team in an increasingly important part of the business. The role involves:

• Assisting with the publishing of English and Maori la…

Unitec Institute of Technology is looking for a Screen Production and Facilities Manager for a 10-month contract (maternity leave cover) within the Department of Performing and Screen Arts. They seek a dynamic and screen production savvy individual with excellent skills in production and facilities manag…

Background Talent is a talent agency who have been supplying talent to television and the NZ film industry for over 13 years. They are seeking a full time Talent Booker/Recruitment Coordinator to join their small, highly motivated team, based in Titirangi. For the full…

The vibrant and energised sales team at Val Morgan seek an account manager for an eight month maternity cover contract.
Experience in media sales is essential and a true obsession for movies a plus. The successful candidate will possess high energy and a sharp intel…

As Interactive Developer at Weta Workshop you will join a team of highly creative designers to develop and implement outstanding new interactive products. You will be engaging with the team to realise creative briefs and be responsible for the development, testing, implementation and maintenanc…

NZ On Screen is looking for a Project Director. What you'll be doing:
- Leading the team: the well-oiled, smart-thinking small team who collate and curate the content for the site
- Managing the website: relationships with the development and design agencies who kee…

The Department of Performing and Screen Arts at Unitec have a full-time vacancy for a Lecturer to teach all aspects of editing.
As well as teaching you will be actively involved in research and curriculum design and development. Applicants must have:

- A tertiary qualifi…

WIFT mentee Raewyn Turner was recently appointed Artist-In Residence at the Monell Center in Philadelphia, US. She gave us a few words about what she's up to, and what the residency will entail.

"I'm investigating body sensations/cell lab reactions, and emotional values associated wit…

Miss Representation is set to get a spike in publicity. It's going to air in the US on the Oprah Winfrey Network on October 20, and there's now a social action campaign running at MissRepresentation.org with thousands signing up every day. Head to…

Marian Evans' blog Wellywood Woman has this useful list of women's festivals around the world. As she says, it might be handy if you're planning a trip, or want to start planning one around a festival or …

Sophie Kelly has taken over the helm of the Nelson Arts Festival as director this year after working with the team as programme director for six years. In this article Sophie tells The Big Idea about the role and highlights from the 17-day festival progra…

A recent story on Stuff should be mandatory reading for male CEOs across the country.
Dr Stuart Locke, director of Waikato University's Institute for Business Research, says if shareholders don't wake up to the fact that women on boards of directors improves financial performance, …

A recent piece in the New York Times talks about director Isabel Coixet's bumpy ride from first to second feature films, interesting reading for any filmmaker who has struggled with bad reviews.
When Coixet arrived at the International Berlin Film Festival this year fo…

Most are aware by now of Iranian Marzieh Vafamehr's jail sentence for appearing in My Tehran for Sale as the news has spread over the last few days. Producers Julie Ryan and Kate Crosier have said in a statement that "we continue to o…

From Saturday 22 October, Te Papa Museum of New Zealand in Wellington will be showing a Gaylene Preston retrospective.

Included in the retrospective is a fundraising screening of Bread and Roses at 2pm on Monday 24 October - Labour Day. Originally released to …

A couple of members have projects appearing on national television over the next two weeks, so make a note in your diary, or set the recorder. First up, Sons from Afar, a documentary produced by Kay Ellmers, will premiere on Maori Television on Saturda…

The countdown to New Zealand's glitziest Film and Television event is now well and truly underway withthe announcement today of the 2011 AFTA finalists, a number of whom are WIFT members. This year's Gala Awards will take place on Saturday, 12 November at Auckl…

Don't forget the latest WIFT Auckland event happens this Thursday, so make sure it's in your diary. Visual effects used to be the icing on the cake of every action movie, yet these days they're as common as photo-ready smiles on the Prime Minister, …

Only one more week until the country returns to a rugby-free zone. Don't get us wrong, we don't mind rugby - it's just that we'd rather see culture take more pride of place in our national identity. Anyway, in between the rugby carry-on, …

Script to Screen and Show Me Shorts have announced the names of six up-and-coming filmmakers who will participate in the second annual Short Film Lab on Saturday 29 October. Selected from over 60 applicants from around New Zealand, The participants in the 2011 Short …

An award-winning feature and short, plus a couple of older treasures, make the trip to Brisbane for this year's BIFF.The Kiwi offer is led by the APSA-nominated The Orator, making its first trip to Australia. Also screening is Stephen Kang's short Blue, with…

Even if you can't attend the whole SPADA Conference on 10-11 November this year, you can still participate in the Open Sessions programme. These open sessions provide a unique opportunity for the industry to personally contribute thoughts, ideas and feedback on the various t…

Wellington's growing reputation as the digital capital of New Zealand will be further bolstered in November when the sixth annual AnimfxNZ conference kicks off. The conference has an great programme including a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Tin Tin at Weta Digital.

Ani…

Adventure, eroticism, decadence and culinary delights populate this year's harvest of the best short films from New Zealand and abroad. The 47 films in this year's programme, selected from hundreds of entries, have been divided up for screening into seven themed sessions: Master Chef, Unli…

NZ On Air has announced commitment of over $14 million for 2012 kids' programming from its annual kids' TV funding round. Christchurch-based company Whitebait Productions (The Erin Simpson Show, What Now) and Flux/Pickled Possum, who shoot the live action parts of Tiki To…

SPADA has welcomed the Government's recent announcement lowering the Qualifying New Zealand Production Expenditure (QNZPE) threshold for feature films from $4 million per production to $2.5million. "The reduction in the Screen Production Incentive Fund (SPIF) threshold will result in more feature films and pr…

The NZ Film Commission has offered three teams of filmmakers the opportunity to produce their low budget films through the Escalator low budget feature film initiative 2011. Escalator provides an opportunity for film-makers to form teams and experience together long-form story telling from development thr…

Oliver Driver is hosting this free discussion at The Cloud on October 22 at 12 noon.

New Zealand film and television is taking the world by storm. We are selling formats, exporting television shows and producing some of the largest and most successful fi…

Want to build your portfolio? The Chiefs Super Rugby Franchise is looking for a motivated and professional camera-person to film a few short pieces that will be placed on the Chiefs official website and YouTube page. During the season they expect to fil…

Opposable Thumb Films Trust are seeking an Art Director / Production Designer (or someone with similar experience) to come on-board an exciting short film project. Film Synopsis: Suni Man is a touching, yet brutal story about betrayal, courage, faith and love; centred aro…

TVNZ is looking for a Social Media Manager. Every day, more than 2.5 million New Zealanders watch TV ONE, TV2, TVNZ 6, TVNZ 7 and TVNZ Heartland, not only on their televisions, but also over the internet and on their mobile phones, PS3s and iP…

TVNZ is looking for a bright, enthusiastic person to work as a Production Assistant on the popular production Good Morning'programme. Good Morning is a studio based light entertainment programme that, in 2012, will be produced out of TVNZ Studios in Auckland and broadcasts dai…

TVNZ is also looking for a researcher for their Good Morning programme, and seeks team players with a proven ability to:
- Interview and research potential guests determining whether they are suitable talent.
- Determine strong story angles for the programme.
- Source an…

TVNZ is looking for a Script Editor/Line-Up Producer for the Good Morning programme, with a journalistic background and a strong creative flair; an ideas person who also displays great attention to detail. This is a freelance opportunity from 9 January 2012 until December…

Post4 is TVNZ's full service post production facility and due to continuing growth they need an experienced Senior Video Editor to join the team. You'll work across a variety of genres from documentaries to commercials but always with a collaborative approach, adding val…

EDENZ Colleges is a Private Training Establishment (PTE) seeking a Programme Manager for the Film Academy (NZFA). The ideal person for this role will be passionate about providing the film industry with employable graduates, and will understand what this takes. The successful applicant…

MediaWorks Interactive is a rapidly growing and expanding team that sits alongside the Mediaworks TV and Radio teams, home to many of the TV and Radio brands you know and love - TV3, Four, 3News, The Edge, The Rock, MoreFM, GeorgeFM, RadioLive� to …

Brand Developers Ltd is looking for a TV Personality or experienced TV Presenter to host a summer advertorial series for Brand Developers, Ltd. Talent must be available to record the series two full days in November the 15th and 19th at TVNZ in Auckl…

Broadcast & Film New Zealand internship train camera operators and editors and are currently offering a 12 month camera operator internship. You will be tutored in camera, editing, grip and gaffer. A good understanding of photography is essential but computer skills are also requ…

Weta Digital is looking for a senior production coordinator. To be considered for this role candidates will need:

-To display a high-level working knowledge of VFX pipelines in a production environment, preferably for feature films.
-Outstanding organisational and communication skills and a proven trac…

Some WIFT members are looking for a venue for their show 'Party With the Aunties' which premiered in a garage in in Wellington Road, Paekakariki. Now touring the show to Wellington in November, they are seeking a venue - perhaps a garage near you.

…