The Big Screen Symposium Is On - This Weekend

Posted Tuesday 06 Aug 2013

The Film Festival is over in Auckland, but the inspiration continues!

Tickets are selling fast for the Big Screen Symposium - back this weekend for its second year, with an amazing line up of local and international talent in town to talk, teach, debate and discuss stories for the screen.

View Big Symposium Trailer

The Symposium is a chance to recharge the creative batteries, make connections, and live, talk, and breathe everything that made us all want to tell stories on screen in the first place.

"I certainly felt it was the best conference of its type that I have been a part of over the past 30 years in the business." Tim White, Producer, AUS/NZ

The weekend kicks off with a panel discussion: Who Gives a Damn About New Zealand Film? which is bound to spark debate. NZFC CEO Graeme Mason, director Gaylene Preston, distributor Kelly Rogers and producer Quinton Hita talk with moderator Russell Brown.

It's a great couple of days for writers and directors with legendary Mexican screenwriter, Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Peros, 21 Grams, Babel) delivering the keynote address and giving a writing workshop. And multi-award-winning Australian screenwriter and playwright, Andrew Bovell (Lantana, Head On, Blessed) also giving a workshop focused on the role of the screenwriter in a changing industry.

Korean director, Park Chan-wook the acclaimed director of Old Boy delivers a workshop exploring the choices he makes in creating a sequence from the script stage through to post-production, exploring and explaining how each scene was planned and executed, using examples from his work.

Ticket holders are also invited to a special screening of Park's acclaimed new film Stoker (starring Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Matthew Goode) at 8pm on Friday August 9, at Academy Cinemas in Auckland. Park will be introducing the film.

Producer WIFT NZ members: Don't miss out on a chance to get alongside French Premium Film sales executive, Kasia Karwan in a round-table discussion co-presented by WIFT NZ.

We also have a chance to hear from local filmmakers. Producer Philippa Campbell (Top of the Lake) on the blurring lines between TV and cinema. Leanne Saunders (The Weight of Elephants) fronts up to share what she learned about co-productions from the Scandinavians. Documentary filmmaker Annie Goldson shares her wealth of knowledge and discusses how political debate has disappeared from current affairs on television surfacing instead on big and tiny screens. Dana Rotberg and Kararaina Rangihau explore the role of filmmaking in reclaiming our identity.

 

Read full PROGRAMME

Buy tickets here