News

Escalator

NZFC press release

The New Zealand Film Commission is pleased to announce and congratulate the twelve film maker teams selected to attend the Escalator Low Budget Feature Film boot camp in June.

Following on from boot camp, in September four of these teams will be offered production finance of up to NZ$250,000 for one of their ideas. Announcing the selection, NZ Film Commission CEO Graeme Mason said “251 applications were received for Escalator. We have received a wealth of strong filmmaking ideas explicitly conceived with low budget production in mind. I am looking forward to seeing how the teams develop their ideas through boot camp, and like everyone else, am excited to see which four films get green lit.” Escalator was launched in February this year. New applications for Escalator will next be sought in March 2011.   Some general observations and thoughts, which may assist film makers with their future submissions, can be viewed on www.nzfilm.co.nz/escalator.

Juliet Bergh, Jessica Charlton, Philip Thomas
(Existence, Submission, The Trolley Boy)

Jonathan Brough, Karl Zohrab, David Brechin-Smith
(Pornography, Albaniya, Point Of View)

Gary Davies, Mike Hohaia, Rohan Satyanand
(The Void, Drop, Dark Side)

Zoe Hobson, Guy Pigden, Harley Neville
(I Survived A Zombie Holocaust, Wellington City Carbon Police, The Project)

Gerard Johnstone, Luke Sharpe
(House Bound, Swift Hands Bukachan, Home Surveilance)

Carthew Neal, Max Currie
(Actress Wanted, Ctrl Alt Delete, Family of Men)

Tom Reilly, Wayne Gordon
(Downgrading, UnDead End, Suspended Animations)

Tui Ruwhiu, Bradford Haami, Regan Hall
(Bloodlines, Kiri-Haehae: Skin Deep, Wero: Ultimate Challenge)

Bonnie Slater, David Coyle, Paul Wedel
(Mistletoe, Stand Up, Party Film)

Ant Timpson, Victor Rodger, Leanne Saunders
(Night Of The Living Palagis, Lift It Up, Swimming With Dolphins)

Sally Tran, Omar Crawford
(Vending Machine, Cache to Tape, Cure My Imagination)

Steve Whelan-Turnbull, Steve Tamarapa, Jamie Selkirk
(Dan, The Teddies, Wasted)

Latest NZ On Air Funding Decisions

Three documentarys for TV One, and Go Girls season 3 are amongst the latest shows given production funding by NZ On Air.

NZ On Air is an independent government funding agency, formed in 1989. They invest in a colourful range of cost-effective local content, to extend choices for different New Zealand audiences.

For all the most recent funding decisions see the NZ On Air website, www.nzonair.govt.nz

Go Girls (season III)

SOUTH PACIFIC PICTURES
production begins late 2010

'TVNZ and NZ On Air are pleased to announce that the hit local drama Go Girls will be back for a third series.

The popular TV2 drama has seen huge audience growth this season and has won $6,702,000 in funding from NZ On Air for a further 13 episodes.

Jeff Latch, Head of TV ONE and TV2 says, “Go Girls has consistently dominated its timeslot on Thursday nights and we believe the audience will be as delighted as we are that Kevin and his crew will be back for a further series.”

Jane Wrightson, Chief Executive of NZ On Air says, “it is fantastic when local drama series attract and grow an audience in the way that Go Girls has. Local drama has been particularly strong in the last couple of years and NZ On Air is pleased to be able to support Go Girls in another series.”

Chris Bailey, Managing Director of South Pacific Pictures says “We are delighted to be making a third series of Go Girls and thrilled that the audience love the show as much as we do.”

Production on the third series will commence later in the year and it will screen on TV2 in 2011.' - South Pacific Pictures press release.

The NZ Herald has also published an article on Go Girls' season III success. Read the article here.

 

Shortland Street's gay jibes anger Tauranga residents

from The Bay of Plenty Times, by Ellen Irvine


A Shortland Street episode which portrayed Tauranga as being intolerant of gay people has infuriated tourism bosses and residents.

Wednesday night's episode of the top-rating TV2 soap saw bisexual character Nicole (played by Sally Martin) complain it was difficult to "come out" in the city.

The episodes have Tourism Bay of Plenty general manager Tim Burgess hot under the collar.

He planned to write to Shortland Street's production company, South Pacific Pictures (SPP).

"What a horrible and nasty thing to say about a city, to imply that. It's really disappointing and lazy.

"What really annoyed me is that there was some suggestion we are not welcoming."

Mr Burgess said he was happy to host SPP boss John Barnett in Tauranga "any time".


for full story see www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz

Stepping Out

Auckland Theatre Company
SKYCITY THEATRE & BRUCE MASON CENTRE, 10 June - 10 July.

Every Thursday night in the local sea-scout hall, ex-professional dancer Mavis Turner holds her weekly tap class for a mixed bunch of cheerful, if rhythmically challenged, women (and one very awkward man!). They’ve come to escape the dull routine of their lives; to have fun. No pressure - no-one’s watching and hopefully no-one ever will.

That’s until they’re invited to perform at a high-profile gala event. Disbelief is replaced by sheer terror as the group struggles to get its act together.

In these days of television talent shows, anyone can jump on the fame train - but have Mavis and her bunch of amateur dancers got what it takes to put on a performance of a lifetime?

A hilariously funny and heartwarming comedy about doing what you love - but doing it just a little bit better!

featuring Suzanne Paul, Sandra Rasmussen, Jason Te Mete, Goretti Chadwick, Michelle Leuthart, Olivia Tennet, Sia Trokenheim, Hera Dunleavy, Christina Asher and Penny Dodd
direction Colin McColl
choreography by Sandra Rasmussen
design by John Parker and Brad Gledhill

for further information and to book tickets visit the Auckland Theatre Company website.

 

"It’s hard to drag yourself out of a warm, cosy house on dreary Auckland nights, but well worth it if you’re off to see Richard Harris’s Stepping Out. Auckland Theatre Company’s production is tight, pacy and full of laughs; a real crowd pleaser... The show’s tale is of a class of 8 seemingly incompatible people who gather together for beginners’ tap dancing lessons under the patient guidance of Mavis (Sandra Rasmussen), and to the piano accompaniment of a somewhat temperamental Mrs Fraser (Penny Dodd)." - Joanna Davies, Theatreview. Read the full review here.

Looksy Offer Cash Prize for Film

Looksy has just been relaunched and there's now $10,000 in prize money on offer for a film of 3 - 4 minutes that answers the question, "what does my digital world look like?" Telecom, Vodafone and Giapo have all put money into the project.

The film consists of lots of individual 'looksies', which will then create a larger film to be shown in October. The objective is to get 64 entries by 31 July 2010. If there are less than 50 entries the prize money drops to $1000. Entries are open to anyone wanting to 'give it a go'.

The film aims to be the anchor of an on-going collaborative project. This is how it will be run:

1. Create a community so that creative NZ talent can get confidence with a NZ-specifc group

2. Corporates will then be invited to ask this group market research questions which will be answered in the form of film in return for prize money or on-going sponsorship

3. Looksy is a social enterprise, the money raised from selling the film/on-going money will be split 1/3 to the community, 1/3 to Looksy volunteers and 1/3 to reforestation of Kauri trees

 

For more information visit the Looksy website.

Legend of the Seeker Cancelled

Taken from Entertainment Weekly. Article by Michael Ausiello & Andy Patrick.

"...You can stop hoping now — I’m hearing from multiple sources that the cult fave has been axed.

The outlook had been bleak since last March, when many of Tribune Station Group’s markets dropped the syndicated series, which had been developed from Terry Goodkind’s fantasy novels by Hercules/Xena producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert. ABC Studios, which produces it, kept shopping it around. But, I’m told, they found no takers. So, after two action-packed seasons, Legend is history."

Read the full article here.

An additional article supporting EW's has also been released by On Film. Read the article here.

Avalon High

a DISNEY tele-feature
currently shooting in Auckland


This Disney Channel Original Movie, based on the popular novel by Meg Cabot, follows Allie who, after transferring to Avalon High, is shocked to discover that her new classmates are reincarnations of King Arthur and his Court. The deeper Allie searches these interesting parallels between the past and the present, the more sure she is that her school is a contemporary Camelot, and it’s up to her to solve the mystery before the notorious traitor Mordred wins again.


Auckland Actors Andrew Grainger and Alison Bruce have featured roles.

Love Birds

(working title)

a feature film written by Nick Ward
GENERAL FILM CORP.
in-production


A romantic comedy directed by Paul Murphy and starring Rhys Darby and Sally Hawkins in the lead roles. Doug (Darby) is a man who's life has fallen apart after Susan (Smythe) his long-term girlfriend leaves him. Pierre, an injured "shelduck' - literally crash lands into his life, igniting a much needed spark and adventure as he's forced to nurse it back to health. Through Pierre, Doug discovers his own true place in the world and the belief in himself that will allow true love to blossom with Holly (Hawkins) - as she shows him how to care for Pierre and see the errors of his own approach to life.


also featuring Wesley Dowdell, Mia Pistorius, Emily Barclay, Bryan Brown Dave Fane, Craig Hall, Faye Smythe and twenty seven trained ducks...

After the Waterfall

a feature film by Simone Horricks
NZ FILM COMMISSION

Still grieving three years after the disappearance of his four year old daughter, John has separated from his wife Ana and seems trapped forever in pain and anger.  When Ana becomes pregnant to John's best friend, tensions boil to the surface.  

A compelling true story played out within the confines of an isolated community where everyone knows your business, but few can understand your heart.

After the Waterfall is a NZFC funded feature film shot on location at Piha on Auckland's West Coast. Produced by Trevor Haysom, it is based on the novel The Paraffin Child by Stephen Blanchard. The film is set to be released sometime in 2010 via Rialto.


starring Auckland Actor Antony Starr alongside Sally Stockwell, Peter McCauley and Cohen Holloway
directed by Simone Horricks

for further information visit the NZ Film Commission website.