News

TV Preview: Top of the Lake

Taken from NZ Herald, by Nick Grant.

If what you seek when turning on the telly is escapist entertainment that enables you to switch off and disengage, then move along, there's nothing to see here. (And hey, there's no judgement there, either - I frequently use TV as a way of inducing a kind of short-lived lobotomy; programmes involving food preparation are especially efficacious.)

If, however, you welcome the opportunity to watch a story that wrestles with the weird, messy business of being human and refuses to offer up definitive answers to the existential questions it poses, then boy oh boy, you're likely to love Top of the Lake.

The six-part series was created by Jane Campion (best known in New Zealand for The Piano and An Angel at Mt Table) with co-writer Gerard Lee and co-director Garth Davis. Clearly the three have a strongly shared sensibility because the result of their collaboration is an utterly singular vision.

Read the full article here.

Brian Rudman: Mini festival a bargin at $400,000

Taken from NZ Herald, by Brian Rudman.

It was a bit like first day back at school yesterday as Auckland councillors sat around the meeting table trying to outdo one another with tales of the wondrous shows they'd seen over the past three weeks at the Auckland Arts Festival. Mayor Len Brown led the claque, declaring the festival "a stunner", and praising the "outstanding" work of the organisers.

But despite their great enthusiasm, councillers couldn't quite bring themselves to find the extra $400,000 festival organisers were seeking to underwrite an extra festival this time next year as a precursor to converting the biennial event into an annual attraction.

Instead councillors tossed the ball back at the festival organisers, pledging their support for a "smaller" event next year, but telling organisers to pay for the festival "from its own resources".

Councillor Sandra Coney opposed this"off-thecuff" decision as "half-arsed", warning that a cut-down festival next year would confuse the public. She argued that the momentum needed to be maintained.

Read the full article here.

TV Guide Awards 2013

Taken from Stuff.co.nz

Television viewers like what they are seeing on Shortland Street but the long-twinkling star of Coronation Street appears to be on the wane.

Results of this year's TV Guide Best on the Box awards show viewers rate actor Ben Mitchell, who plays Dr TK Samuels on Shortland Street, as the sexiest man on the small screen.

"I am really stoked to have been acknowledged like this by the people who actually watch the show. There was some really strong contenders in the category, so I am surprised that I won at all," the actor said.

The sexiest woman award went to actor Anna Hutchison, who plays Amy in Go Girls.

Shortland Street had another win with Amanda Billing, who plays Sarah Potts, being voted best actress, while the soap was also chosen as viewers' favourite - and least favourite - show.

Wish You Were Here scoops Critics Awards

Taken from MSN News.

Wish You Were Here obviously impressed Australian film critics in 2012, taking home five prizes from the Film Critics Circle of Australia including Best Film.

At a ceremony held in Sydney's Paddington on Tuesday night, the thriller won prizes for Joel Edgerton (Best Actor) and its writers Keiran Darcy-Smith and Felicity Price, as well as awards for Editing and Antony Starr (Best Supporting Actor).

However Starr had to share his prize with Not Suitable for Children's Ryan Corr, who dead-headed for the award, while co-star Sarah Snook took home the Best Actress prize for her role in the comedy.

Read the full article here.

Jane Campion: Lady of the lake

Taken from NZ Herald, by Russell Baillie.

So this is Jane Campion working from home. It's a glorious morning in Glenorchy. One to spend watching the sun scorch the mist off the ridgelines above the village sitting at the northern reaches of Lake Wakatipu. But Campion is in the local pub with a bunch of tough blokes.

Outside, the sign might say Glenorchy Hotel. Inside the main bar it's a different time of day and a different world, just another set in the twilight zone of television series Top of the Lake.

Those involved say it reminds them of David Lynch's foray into primetime, Twin Peaks, or something from the Scandinavian crime wave of page and screen.

But right now, Campion's attention is being beamed through stern glasses at the front of a mane of silver hair. She's focused on Scottish actor Peter Mullan.

He stands at a microphone, addressing the bar in a speech which starts by thanking those gathered for their efforts in the day's search to find his missing daughter, Tui. But his appreciation quickly turns to a veiled threat, one reinforced by two young henchmen - his tattooed sons, played by locals Jay Ryan and Kip Chapman - who swagger through the bar.

Read the full article here.

Auckland Fringe Festival Awards 2013

Auckland Fringe wrapped up on Sunday 10 March with an awards ceremony at The Festival Club with MC Tim Dibley and live music from Sal Valentine and The Babyshakes. Representing Auckland Fringe were Directors Michael Keating and Sally Barnett.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

The Development Award
Presented by Craig Cooper (THE EDGE)
The contemporary NZ show that would most benefit from a remount under The Edge's Development Programme.

Multinesia Productions for Black Faggot

Melbourne Fringe Tiki Tour Ready Award
Catherine Nola from Creative New Zealand
Supported by Creative NZ and Melbourne Fringe Festival.
The winner receives support to develop their work and present it at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in October 2013.

Multinesia Productions for Black Faggot

The Phantom Award for Best Poster
Presented by Angela Gourdie (Marketing Manager, THE EDGE)
Supported by Phantom Billstickers.

Pandora Productions - Dolly Mixture

The Auckland Arts Festival Award
Presented by Carla Van Zon (Auckland Arts Festival Artistic Director)
Goes to the Artists that would benefit most from an opportunity provided by the Festival to further develop their work for future presentation. The Festival staff will provide mentoring and a cash prize of $1,000.

Multinesia Productions and Victor Rodger for Black Faggot

Also it was decided to offer mentoring support to White Face Crew for La Vie Dans Une Marionette and Trick of the Light Theatre for The Road That Wasn't There

THE AUCKLAND FRINGE AWARDS FOR BEST PERFORMANCE

For excellence in performance in a fringe context. The performance awards supported by South Pacific Pictures.

Best Performance Cabaret / Burlesque
Mika - Salon Mika

Best Performance Comedy
Penny Ashton - Promise & Promiscuity
Runner Up - Wil Greenway - A Night to Dismember

Best Performance Dance
Ross McCormack - Amanimal

Best Performance Theatre
Trygve Wakenshaw - Squidboy
Runners Up - Justin Haiu - La Vie Dans Une Marionette, Thom Monkton - Moving Stationary, Iaheto Ah Hi & Beulah Koale - Black Faggot

The Award for Visual Arts at Auckland Fringe 2013
Talk - Stratton / Reihana-Wilson

THE AUCKLAND FRINGE AWARD FOR BEST PRODUCTION

This section is about all round excellence across performance, design and script.

Best Production Cabaret / Burlesque
Salon Mika
Runner Up - Oh! is for Opera

Best Production Comedy
Velcro City
Runners Up - A Night to Dismember, Promise & Promiscuity

Best Production Dance
Amanimal - Rifleman Productions

Best Production Music
The Remarkable Diary of Samuel Pepys - Affetto

Best Production Theatre
Black Faggot - Multinesia Productions
Runners Up - The Road That Wasn't There, Squidboy, Moving Stationary

The 95bFM People's Choice Award
Presented by Sarin Moddle

Swan Song - Wet Hot Beauties
Runners Up - Spring Awakening, A Beautification of Spatulas and Ai

The Special Award
Special Group

Spit.It.out

THE FRINGE AWARD

The production that best employs innovation, risk, invention, and pushes boundaries.

...him by Barnie Duncan

Stuff TV Blog: Agent Anna squanders a good start

Taken from Stuff: On the Box, by Chris Philpott.

I'm always saying that an opinion of a show can't be based on the first episode. It's tempting to do so here at the blog since new shows are always talked about most right after their debut. But, given how things can change from week to week, I feel like I have to factor in potential improvement (or decline) before telling the world what I think.

As I said in my optimistic review of the Agent Anna debut back in late-January, "a single half-hour of Agent Anna was not enough to form a proper opinion" - and so it is that, after six full episodes (comprising the entire first season), I can tell you that this is not a good show after all.

In fact, hardly any of what I was hoping for from this show has panned out.

After the first episode, it seemed like Agent Anna was going to be similar to shows like The Big C or Enlightened, shows where the protagonist goes on a journey of moral growth by taking the wackiest route possible.

But it didn't, instead turning in a decent first episode then immediately jumping into comedy cliche. The first season finished last night, ultimately a disappointment given what it could have been.

Read the full article here.

Red Demon audition notice

Neko Theatre Company, The Oryza Foundation for Asian Performing Arts and Q Presents are pleased to announce a co-production of Red Demon, a contemporary Japanese play by Hideki Noda, at Q Loft in August 2013, directed by Yuri Kinugawa.

Red Demon is a hallucinatory allegory. At its Young Vic production in 2003 the Guardian described it as "particularly powerful due to its energetic and physical style". Successful productions followed in Tokyo, Bangkok and Seoul.

Auditions will take the form of a one-day workshop with Yuri Kinugawa on Staurday 23 March 2013. We are looking for four actors (1 female and 3 males) for this production but are also interested in others for future productions. Actors should be good at teamwork, physically and mentally flexible, playful and prepared to have a strong engagement with the production. We are looking to cast a multi-cultural and diverse ensemble of actors - this is a colour-blind casting opportunity.

If you are interested in auditioning, please apply by emailing your CV to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

We will send you an invitation to the workshop and further details if you are shortlisted.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Yuri Kinugawa, Owen Hughes and Yee Yang 'Square' Lee

Red faces due over Hobbit

Taken from NZ Herald, by John Drinnan.

There should be red faces about the media coverage of the 2010 Hobbit march.

The Government was forced to release documents this week that confirmed the emotional October 21 march through the Wellington streets was based on a false premise.

You might remember the 2010 media coverage was a bit mad.

Some media depicted Warner Bros and Sir Peter Jackson as kindly Hobbits, working tirelessly to bring peace to the Shire.

Really, of course, it was about money, strategy and power.

Actors' Equity boss Simon Whipp was like Smaug the dragon - a snake-like figure, a furious Jackson warned the Government.

The atmosphere was volatile. People had strong views both ways.

Marching from Weta Workshop in Miramar and addressed by co-founder Sir Richard Taylor, about 1000 people were chanting, "Thank you PJ" and "Thank you Richard", waving placards about the perils of a union boycott.

Now, this week, 16 months later, the Ombudsman has forced the Government to reveal that boycott action had been lifted two days before the march had even begun.

Read the full article here.

Show Me Shorts 2013 entries are open

Taken from Flicks.co.nz

Entries for the eighth annual Show Me Shorts Film Festival open on 1 March. Winners of the prestigious Best Film award now qualify for consideration in the short film categories at The Oscars.

Show Me Shorts is New Zealand's major short film festival, with films selected to screen from New Zealand and around the world. The festival takes place in 12 locations nationwide every November, screening a stylistically varied selection of the 40 best short films, which are grouped into six themed sessions.

Show Me Shorts is proud to be the first and only film festival in New Zealand to receive Academy Awards accreditation. For local filmmakers, this means they are no longer restricted to winning an award at an international festival to gain entry to the Oscars.

Graeme Mason, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Film Commission, says: "Show Me Shorts having Oscar accreditation is fantastic news for NZ filmmakers as it gives them a local opportunity to secure a chance at participating in one of the world's most notable film events. As we know from Taika Waititi and Two Cars, One Night, that opportunity can be career altering."

In 2014 Night Shift (writer/director Zia Mandviwalla) will be elegible for consideration for the Oscars thanks to winning the 2012 Show Me Shorts Best Film award.

Show Me Shorts is also an IMDb qualifying festival, granting all eligible film submissions a fast tracked title-page in IMDb.com. This level of international publicity is unmatched in any other local festival.

Show Me Shorts has two categories of entry; films made by New Zealanders or with significant New Zealand content are eligible for the New Zealand Short Films entry category. Films made without significant New Zealand contribution or content are eligible for the International Short Films entry category.

The total prize pool for Show Me Shorts 2013 is valued at over $20,000, and there are now nine different award categories. Submitted films must be between and 20 minutes long, and made within the last two years. Filmmakers at all levels from beginner to expert are welcome to apply. Films with high production values will be given extra weight in the selection process, as will those that make their New Zealand premiere during the festival.

For inspiration, budding filmmakers can view the Screening Room, featuring online short films to watch, with different theme, filmmaker or genre every month.

The final entry deadline for Show Me Shorts 2013 is 5pm Friday the 5th of July 2013.

For further information about entering a short film, view the full entry guidelines at showmeshorts.co.nz/enter-your-film, or to enter your short directly go to withoutabox.com/login/5217