Archive October 2023

Ms. Information hits cinemas nationwide on 26 October.

Get along to the sneak preview screening session at Auckland's Rialto Cinema Tuesday 17 October and enjoy the Q+A session with Siouxsie and Gwen afterward. Use your WIFT NZ discount when buying tickets!

This fly-on-the-wall documentary about…

A round of applause for Rebecca Tansley, whose film The Strangest of Angels was honoured with a Special Mention for Extraordinary Artistic Achievement for its dramatic interpretation of the contemporary chamber opera The Strangest of Angels at the Golden Prague International Television Festival. 

As many…

At the 2022 Awards we celebrated Alana Cotton "for so beautifully combining her technical and artistic skills to produce gold-standard work as a colourist".

Alana won the Wētā Group of Companies Creative Technology Award, and here's what people said about her in their nominations:

"As…

A big congratulations to director Julie Zhu who took home the DEGANZ Best Director award for Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le, while her producing team of Jazz dos Santos, Puteri Raja Ariff, and Julie were also awarded the coveted Department of Post Best NZ Film, which…

We’re thrilled to see that WIFT NZ members are among those in charge on a new series which has just started principal photography in New Zealand.
Shoshana McCallum is a showrunner for Madam, starring Rachel Griffiths (pictured), Belindalee Hope (Shadow in the Cloud, Guns Akimbo) is…

This award-winning docuseries returns for a second season. Directed and co-produced by WIFT NZ member Litia Tuiburelevu, with Frangipani Foulkes as assistant editor, season two profiles millennials from the remaining Pasifika families living in Tāmaki Makaurau’s more affluent suburbs of Grey Lynn, Herne Bay, Ponsonby…

If you like your films seasoned by Palme d'Or awards from the Festival du Cannes, this one is for you. 

French director Justine Triet's courtroom drama is a riveting deconstruction of a marriage.

Synopsis: For the past year, Sandra, a German writer, her French husband…

After countless kisses, twists, calamities and cliffhangers, Shortland Street has been on air for more than 30 years! Produced by WIFT NZ Awards sponsor South Pacific Pictures, the soap opera juggernaut has provided a launch pad for dozens of Kiwi talents, on and off screen.…

This tune's sure to become an earworm after just one listen! Loopy Tunes Preschool Music and Suzy Cato have created this music video Toto Like a Kakīroa, a trilingual music video that includes New Zealand Sign Language and Te Reo Māori.
Everybody now...!  

Click here…

Here's a special offer for WIFT NZ members  wanting to attend Content London November 27-30.

Content London has reduced the ticket price from the full price of £1299 to £849 + VAT. Use THIS LINK to register. This price will be held right up to…

This year's MIFF opening night film, Sundance winner and Toronto Film Festival selection, Shayda is executive produced by Cate Blanchett and is Australia’s submission for Best International Film at Oscars 2024. Directed by Noora Niasari and starring Zar Amir Ebrahimi (2022 Cannes’ best actress award…

Story Camp Aotearoa is a residential feature film workshop that cultivates exceptional filmmaking by fostering voice, honing craft, and clarifying vision and kaupapa. Selected storytellers workshop their film project with esteemed advisors from here and abroad. 

Storycamp will accept applications for feature films projects in…

Acting coach Vicky Yiannoutsos is offering two weekend intensive weekend classes this month. Working in pairs with scripts, actors learn the Art of Relating, which maximises creative choices and trains actor to bring their instincts to the screen. Get 10%off when you use your WIFT…

Spend a day with James Napier Robertson (The Dark Horse, Whina) as he guides participants through his approach to screenwriting and developing story ideas for film.

In this Script To Screen workshop James will look at what makes a great story, discuss the stages of development,…

Spend a day with Pip Hall (One Lane Bridge, Jonah, Why Does Love?) as she guides participants through her process when developing story ideas for TV series.

In this Script To Screen workshop Pip will look at character and character function, theme and story engine…

Producers if you feel like an early start, join Dr Angus Finney for an exclusive session. It's free, it's live and it's online!

Dr Finney is a leading global film and entertainment business specialist, a published author and an executive producer. 

If you have a…

YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

Enrol to Vote HERE
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Voting closes at 5pm on 14 October 2023

The General Election will be held on Saturday 14 October 2023

Check out this brand new TV series Shepherdess premiering at 7.30pm Sunday 22 October on free-to-air Sky Open NZ. Producer Nadia Maxwell and Director Hannah McOwan were part of the mostly all-women team and crew. The series celebrates women on the land in Aotearoa. In…

The FilmUp Mentorship programme returns to support and empower eight tenacious and talented filmmakers to reach the next stage in their creative careers. If you are writer, director or producer developing a feature film, this programme could be just what you need to progress your…

Producer
Oceania Football Confederation

Creative Director
The University of Auckland

Team Leader for Technology and Film Faculty
Yoobee Colleges

Camera Operator
TAB

Māori Commissioner
RNZ

Caption Producer
Able

Audio Visual Staging Technicians
Private Company, Christchurch

Team Leader Story Producers
TVNZ

Pouhautū, Mātauranga Māori
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Technician - Camera and Lighting
University of…

It was fabulous to see more than 39 homegrown films (features and shorts) were showcased during NZIFF 2023. A number of those films are returning to screens on general release in coming months:

Directed by Gwen Isaac, who also produced along with Alex Reed and…

We managed to twist Fiona the wine reviewer's arm to do a review of Loop Track, the new feature film from Tom Sainsbury. Be among the FIRST in the WORLD to watch it at this link RIGHT NOW! It's a world exclusive but only for…

We celebrated Shoshana McCallum at the last WIFT NZ Awards for winning an International Emmy Award and her ongoing work creating and writing genre-smashing narratives. Shoshana won the Fulcrum Media Finance Woman to Watch Award (and if you keep up with enews you'll know that…

We welcome some new members to the WIFT NZ Board and farewell two longstanding members.

President Vicki Jackways (Wellington) and Co Vice-President Jill Macnab (Auckland) are standing down from the Board. Meanwhile cinematographer Tammy Williams joins producer Tash Christie as our newest Board members. Ngā…

Congratulations to all our members who have been nominated for a New Zealand Television Award - and there are so many of you!! We have listed you below in bold. There were a total of 115 nominations from more than 490 entries across 37 judged…

The Woman In The House By The Sea is a visually arresting, performance-driven, indie short film exploring identity and loss from writer/director Miryam Jacobi, producer Maddy Askwith and cinematographer Jack Barry. This psychological thriller follows Alice (Sheena Irving, pictured) and her dog Moss as they…

Produced by Nadia Maxwell this new TV series Shepherdess screens at 7.30pm Sundays on free-to-air Sky Open NZ. Hannah who directed three of the six episodes, was a new mum while shooting the series and she talks to WIFT NZ about the experience of working…

This one-day workshop is for anyone wanting an introduction to action-based training and physical performance on set. WIFT NZ member Min Windle has 30+ years experience as a stunt performer/ stunt double/stunt coordinator. Min is the only stunt coordinator in the South Island and says…

Exciting news for producers Georgina Conder and Philippa Campbell: their latest feature The Moon is Upside Down is world premiering at the 2023 PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival which runs 3-9 November! The film will screen in the First Feature Competition, a collection of…

Flower of Life is a narrative music video collaboration between Sāmoan / Pākehā artist EMA I’U and filmmaker and WIFT NZ member Francis Baker, supported by NZ On Air's New Music Pasifika 2022 programme. The music video premiered at the inaugural SXSW Sydney last week.…

With stunning visuals and a haunting score, master filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski (Deep End, Moonlighting) invites the audience to see the world through the eyes of its four-legged hero, a curious Gray Sardinian donkey named EO.

The most highly honoured international film of the year, Skolimowski’s…

We're looking forward to seeing the work of producers Helen Bowden and Liz Di Fiore (among others) on this new drama series starring Robyn Malcolm, coming to TVNZ from Sunday 29 October. 

Malcolm plays Penny, whose world implodes when she accuses her husband (Peter Mullan)…

Yes, it's that time again already, so put these Very Important Dates in your calendar everyone! More details to come!

Applications are now open for the Write Room 2024 Wellington screenwriting residency. The successful writer will receive a grant of $9,750 to complete a draft of their screenplay, 12 weeks of free office space at Toi Pōneke Art Centre from March-June 2024 and development support…

Join NYWIFT for their next Masterclass Series: Nonfiction Audio Development with film producer-turned podcaster Jamie Zelermyer (I Was Never There), running November 2, 17, and December 1 at 11:30am New Zealand Time.

Use the code WIFTNZ to access the member ticket price when you register (at…

Hopefully you've seen the wonderful review of Loop Track by wine reviewer Fiona (our first item) and are keen to see this film! Written and directed by WIFT NZ member Tom Sainsbury, and produced by Sainsbury, Gabriel Lunte, Jonathan Potton, and Milon Tesiram, this psychological…

You have read the Screen Industry Gender Pay Gap Survey results.

Now watch the ShowNews interview with WIFT NZ Executive Director Patricia Watson about the survey results. Read the editorial (see below) and sign up for a free account to watch the video interview if…

NZ On Air has a new Youth Funding strategy (see more below) and in line with this strategy is now calling for Two-Page Pitch applications in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP).

Last week's webinar taking you through how to apply is available here…

If you're a writer seeking funding for development then apply for Seed!  

Seed Grants represent an opportunity for writers to be innovative, to be brilliant, and to be excited to create something they own. Seed grants are the home of new and original stories. No…

The NZFC wants to assist established New Zealand writers, producers and directors of Māori and/or Pacific
Island heritage to bring their perspectives to screen through their chosen development framework. If you are a part of a filmmaking team made up of a majority of Māori and/or…

Kōpere Hou - Fresh Shorts offers a rare opportunity to get funding for your short film idea. You can apply with live-action, animation or documentary projects between 4 and 25 minutes. The programme was established to find talent with distinct voices and aims to nurture,…

The 10th edition of the Women's Voices Now Film Festival is open! Submit your women's rights / social-change documentary for the chance to win cash prizes and connect with an international cohort of filmmakers, changemakers, and industry professionals.

Regular Deadline - November 1, 2023
Late Deadline -…

Māoriland invites film, video, digital and interactive media work and artwork (all mediums) made by Indigenous creatives to submit their projects for Māoriland Film Festival 2024.

Founded in 2014 to celebrate Indigenous voices and storytelling in film, the MFF has grown to be the largest…

Come and enjoy a relaxed evening TONIGHT unpacking the relationship between Colourists and Cinematographers. Hosted by the NZCS at Images & Sound this is a panel discussion about how this specialised relationship works. Panellists include Colourists Alana Cotton and Paul Lear and Cinematographers David Cameron…

Here's another exciting event from the newly minted VFX Guild! Join VFX Supervisor Tobias Wolters and VFX Producers Sharon Lark, Max Serges and Will Recce on Thursday 2 November for a discussion on the evolution of VFX and emerging technologies. If you are a VFX…

Here's your chance to celebrate the Aotearoa screen industry in 2023! The New Zealand Television Awards Show will kick off at 6.00 pm with the live Red Carpet, followed by a seated presentation of the Awards. The Awards Event ends at 11:00 pm, but you…

Check out Show Me Shorts 2023 On Demand, now available online. Watch these shorts you may have missed during the Festival, from the comfort of your own home (or wherever you enjoy watching your media these days!) You'll find the Whanau Friendly section On Demand,…

Calling all aspiring filmmakers, storytellers and creatives! Want to learn how to use the power of cinema to tell your stories?

The South Auckland Short Film Workshop is a two-day workshop, held over two weekends that covers how to turn an idea into a short…

Are you a content maker who would like to connect with potential partners from across the globe? Would you like to supercharge your production knowledge?

FOCUS 2023 invites professionals across the screen industries -  including film, TV, advertising and games -  to apply for a…

ERP Change Manager
Wētā FX

Māori Commissioner
RNZ

Digital Content Creator
WhitebaitMedia

Fundraising and Operations Manager
Connected Media Trust 

Multimedia Content Producer
Ngāti Hine Health Trust

General Manager - Creative Production Studio
Private Advertiser

Kaiurungi Kawepūrongo - Director of News and Current Affairs 
Whakaata Māori 

Videographer / Media Producer 
The Salvation…