Archive Nov 2021

Producer - Creative
SKY TV

On-Air Coordinator
Discovery 

Clipper Editor - Beijing Olympic Games
SKY TV

GM, Kaiwhakahaere Matua
Arts Foundation of New Zealand Te Tumu Toi Aotearoa

Videographer - Edit Specialist
Māori Television

Senior Writer
Clemenger Group

Videographer & Digital Content Producer
Stirling Sports

Educational Media Production Team Leader
University of Canterbury

Just a little reminder for all those who are thinking of nominating someone, nominations close at 5pm on Monday 22 November. 

WIFT NZ 2022 Awards Nominations  

It’s great to hear that Anna Marbrook’s documentary Loimata, The Sweetest Tears is this month in the Official Selection in the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. It’s also in the Official Selection next month at the African Diaspora International Film Festival in New York. 

The…

We hear on the grapevine (actually the internet) that Belindalee Hope is a producer on the Polish-Kiwi production Joika. The film, directed by James Napier Robertson, tells the story of elite American ballet dancer Joy Womack (pictured) one of a handful of foreigners — and…

Writer/director Fiona McKenzie's short film Peninsula will premiere in New Zealand at the NZIFF. Peninsula had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. It was also selected for the Bengaluru International Film Festival in India, Aesthetica in the UK. 

Shot on…

A very warm welcome to our newest members who have joined in the last three months! We really value your membership and could not do what we do without you all. Tēnā koutou to:

Penny Win, Petra Bagust, Nikola Vasakova, Angela Littlejohn, Kalia Hare, Casey…

Congratulations to Paua Productions which has received a screen grant from Screen Canterbury for its feature-length documentary called fiftyone.

The documentary tells the story of Bariz Shah and Saba Afrasyabi as they invest in life-changing micro-business ventures in Afghanistan.

They shot much of the film…

We are delighted to see the NZCS and WIFT members on the New Zealand Cinematographers Society Committee for 2022. Congratulations to Alyssa Kath for joining, and to: Vice-President Nina Wells, Executive Officer Amber Wakefield, Committee members Mark Lapwood, Bayley Broome-Peake and Sebastian Cort.

To the acclaimed environmental filmmaker and poet the wetlands are mysterious, sacred places, “where the little people live”.

Kathleen's latest documentary, Rohe Kōreporepo – The Swamp, The Sacred Place, will premiere in her hometown of Christchurch later this month as part of the New Zealand…

There are a lot of job titles in this survey, and we know that many of you hold more than one. To help make it easier to find yours, here's a link to all the job titles in the survey so you can more easily…

Take a moment to enjoy a snapshot of the diverse, untapped, film-friendly locations in the Bay of Plenty by checking out the Film Bay of Plenty Locations Showreel!  Travel from the golden sandy beaches, through geothermal wonderlands, ancient rainforests and to mighty snow capped mountains.…

Janine Sowerby is a full time city planner but still manages to find time to engage in her passion for writing. She is a published author who typically writes poetry and short stories but has decided to turn her hand to short films.

Son’s Return…

We have a mouthwatering offer for you this week! Directed by Australia's Beth Elise Hawk, Breaking Bread follows Arab and Jewish chefs in Haifa, Israel as they collaborate in the kitchen. Connected through a shared love of food, the chefs unite to celebrate their cultures…

Time is ticking though, so be in quick - submit here, before 12 noon, Monday 30 November. The 2022 lab is only available to writers physically based in New Zealand. 

Show Me Short says the Lab is aimed at aspiring screenwriters who have already undertaken…

Asian creatives and female directors continue to be under-represented in locally made screen content, according to new research by NZ On Air.

NZ On Air surveyed 178 publicly funded screen projects for its 2021 Diversity Report, gathering data on the ethnic diversity and gender of key…

After many years of no-to-low increases in rates, the New Zealand Writers Guild is now seeing a shift in fees and offerings for screenwriters. The NZWG Rates Guide has been researched over three years and updated based on current market rates and funding allocations for…

Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, the National Library of New Zealand, and Archives New Zealand invite you to take part in an online survey to help improve your future experience and access to our collections, exhibitions and events.

They're particularly interested in what you like…

NZ On Air is seeking support from media content creators and media platforms to better serve the needs of Asian New Zealanders, following new research. 

Independent researchers Heather Irvine and Wing Morgan conducted the ethnographic qualitative research for NZ On Air, involving in-depth questioning of…

Attention, dear filmmakers, a friendly reminder that the deadlines for entry forms and screeners for the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival (February 10-20, 2022) are approaching!

Short films: November 17, 2021

Series: November 24, 2021.

Please note the deadline for feature length films has passed…

TVNZ is calling for pitches for a 6 x 22 minute cultural anthology series for TVNZ 2 and OnDemand. TVNZ says it expects at least three of the productions will be Māori, and it aims to have a mix of Pasifika and other Tauiwi teams…

This annual award recognises and celebrates members of the Māori filmmaking community who have displayed a high-level contribution and/or achievement in filmmaking.

The Award will offer a maximum $50,000 grant to one recipient. Applications for this award are by nomination through the NZFC application portal.…

Join thousands of screen professionals at FOCUS, the only free, end-of-year event for the whole screen sector, online! More than 60 confirmed speakers from film, TV, advertising and games will explore all the rapid developments in the screen industries.

To make sure that it responds…

Having missed out on this year's New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aucklanders will be relishing the prospect of this opportunity to get some big screen time! The new festival, In The Shade, is exclusive to Academy Cinemas and The…

Screenwriters, are you looking to advance and polish your skills, look no further than the Show Me Shorts Screenwriting Lab! This hothouse mentoring scheme is open for submissions until 30 November. It’s a fantastic opportunity to workshop new ideas for short film, and aims to…

Piki Films has announced the winner of the Piki Pitch, an accelerator event is designed to give fresh local talent the opportunity to share their voices and further their knowledge! The Piki Films whānau, which includes WIFT NZ members Morgan Waru, Nacoya Anderson and Carthew…

Weren't we all very proud in October when Kiwi director Jessica Hobbs won a Primetime Emmy? Jessica won for her work on the season finale of Netflix’s royal drama The Crown, an episode entitled War.

In this article Drama Quarterly catches up with Jessica, who…

Film Otago Southland (FOS) has been supported by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) to develop a series of workshops targeting skill gaps in the regional film crew base. 

FOS is now seeking three training facilitators for a fixed term contract to provide the following…

Led by screenwriting mentor Briar Grace-Smith (Cousins, Waru) South Shorts 2022 is seeking aspiring screenwriters! If you have a story to tell and want to gain confidence as a writer, apply to the South Shorts Mentorship programme now.

It will be delivered between March -…

We've had the best year yet for WIFT Award nominations! Thank you to all those who have nominated people.

Just a reminder that there's a separate deadline for nominations for the Tautai Award, even though it is a part of the WIFT Awards 2022. Please…

Well this is exciting!! Congratulations to the team of INSiDE which won Best Short-Form Series at yesterday's International Emmy® Awards. Producer Liz DiFiore accepted the award, and the Sky New Zealand Original Production was the only Australasian nominee across all categories.

Starring Morgana O'Reilly (pictured)…

We're thrilled that the first recipients of New Zealand's 2021 Equaliser Grant have been announced! A big congratulations to all the recipients who include WIFT NZ members Anna Duckworth and Faye McNeil.

In September WIFT NZ partnered with Auckland UNESCO City of Music to create…

A big shout out to Matasila Freshwater for winning the Sun Jury Prize at this year’s imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Mata won for her work as director and writer on Hiama, a story from the Solomon Islands.

The film tells the story of…

This special and clever short film has Dame Gaylene Preston directing an all-star cast that portrays woman voters recalling the 1893 election - the first time they could vote in a general election. It uses audio from our archives and stars Chelsie Preston Crayford, Lucy…

Congratulations to the RNZ Commissioned Productions that picked up some awesome awards and commendations recently. All of them include WIFT members! We've listed you below.

Fisheye Films (Tracey Roe) produced the four-part video series Fight for the Wild which won the TV and Video Natural…

ScreenSafe has updated its initial guidance on the Covid-19 Traffic Light System, so our industry can begin the mental shift to a new system. 

This is in response to the government's announcement that on 29 November, Cabinet will move both Auckland and the rest of…

Check out this engaging documentary from Kathleen Mantel, airing now on Māori Television. A new episode of Chatham Islanders screens every Monday at 8pm, and it is also available on demand.  

Kathleen, who spent five weeks filming on the island, says she found it interesting…

A big congrats to Gaylene Barnes whose project Ladies, A Knife was selected as the Winner of the 2021 South Pacific Pictures 'Big Pitch'. SPP chief executive and WIFT NZ Board member Kelly Martin said Gaylene's winning pitch was a "... multi-cultural story which can…

A shout out to Sharlene George of Sweetshop & Green, a producer on the New Zealand International Film Festival's NZ's Best audience choice award winner, Datsun, directed by Mark Albiston.

Albiston takes home 25% of the box office takings from the New Zealand's Best screenings…

A round of applause to the team of Bellbird which has won the 2021 Le Prix du Jury for Best Film at the 23rd Festival des Antipodes Saint-Tropez. Directed by Hamish Bennett and produced by Catherine Fitzgerald and Orlando Stewart, Bellbird is the story of…

Let's hear it for Abba-Rose Dinah Vaiaoga-Ioasa and Victoria Boult who are among the recipients of the Every Voice initiative.

Every Voice, the first joint initiative between NZ On Air, Screen Australia and TikTok, aims to help a new generation of online storytellers expand their…

We know a number of WIFTers worked to create this wonderful showcase of Waitaha Canterbury! Feast your eyes on the new Screen CanterburyNZ showreel - a beautifully crafted, seven-minute short film featuring local crew members and stunning scenery.

Immersed in a variety of landscapes, each person…

Congratulations to Auckland producer and WIFT member Ruby Reihana-Wilson (pictured) who will join the Auckland Write Room 2021 programme’s mentor team as this year’s Producer Intern. 

Auckland writer and actor Kalyani Nagarajan is the recipient of the 2021 Auckland Write Room Screenwriter’s Residency with her…

If you're an emerging young filmmaker aged 18-29, and you have a focus on making sustainability-focused short films, you should apply! If you know someone like that - encourage them to apply! A $10K budget is available for documentaries, and $15K for a scripted drama,…

Principal Strategic Advisor 
NZFC

Team Leader Studio Cameras
TVNZ

Executive Director
Ngā Aho Whakaari

Television Production Manager
Whitebait Media

Channel Playout and Studio Production Operators
TVNZ

Team Leader Studio Operators
TVNZ

Pasifika Issues Reporter
Discovery NZ

Asian Affairs Reporter
Discovery NZ

Imagery Editor
SKY TV

Fulltime Video Editor/Camera Operator
Grundy Productions

Producer
Runaway Play

Photographer/Videographer…