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 allow us to talk about what's happening now by looking back into the past. We think that this story has got the potential to develop characters that New Zealanders can really identify with".
Gaylene said her idea had been "lingering for quite a few years", and that it was "perhaps a story New Zealand doesn't know it needs right now".
Six projects were pitched to the judging panel that included Kelly Martin and Andrew Szusterman from South Pacific Pictures, alongside Steve Barr (TVNZ), Jo Smith (NZ Film Commission), Thomas Robins (Sky Originals), with guest judge and Oscar-winner Jon Landau.
The prize is $2,500 towards the development of the project and a complimentary registration to the 2022 SPADA Conference.