ENTRY CRITERIA

Films must meet five simple criteria:

• They must be made specifically for 2013 Tropfest New Zealand.
• 2013 Tropfest New Zealand must be the film’s first public screening.
• Films must not be longer than seven minutes (including titles and credits).
• Films must contain the 2013 New Zealand Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) which is a gumboot.
• Entrants must be a New Zealand citizen or resident to enter.
• Entries must be received by 5pm Friday 30 November 2012.

SCREENING OF FINALIST FILMS

Finalist entries will be screened, and the winning film announced, on Sunday 27 January at an outdoor event at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth.

MESSAGE FROM MARTIN HENDERSON

Check out the message that Martin Henderson sent to Tropfest NZ for it’s launch event last January. View now

PRIZE PACKAGE FOR 2013 TROPFEST NZ ANNOUNCED

A return trip to Los Angeles with NZ$500 spending money is the prize being offered to the winning director in the 2013 Tropfest New Zealand short film competition. The just announced prize package includes:

• Return economy airfares from New Zealand (main airport) to Los Angeles (LA).
• Five night’s accommodation in LA.
• NZ$500 spending money.

The prize package has been put up by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and The New Zealand Federation Against Copyright Theft (NZFACT). Its members include Village Roadshow Limited; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, New Zealand; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation; Twentieth Century Fox International Corporation; Universal International Films, Inc.; and Warner Bros. Pictures International, a division of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.

The LA trip should take place within three months of the winner being announced.

Find out more now about 2013 Tropfest New Zealand www.tropfest.co.nz

Monday 21st May 2012; 6.30pm

DOC2DOC is an event where documentary filmmakers
get together and show works in various states of
progress. The event is aimed at supporting a healthy
documentary community. We encourage filmmakers
and anyone interested in documentary to attend and
take part in the discussion. Each presentation takes
approx 20 mins in its entirety and the filmmaker will
ask questions for which they require feedback from
you…the audience!

When: 6.30pm, Monday 21st May 2012
Where: The Film School, Wellington.

Selected projects up for discussion are:

1. Bridge to Bridge – Aaron Watson (prod.) and James Blake (dir.)

Bridge to Bridge tells the story of four men attempting to row across the
Tasman, one of the most notorious stretches of water on this planet.
On 27th November 2011 four men rowed under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
They where attempting to be the first team to try and row from Sydney to
Auckland, Bridge to Bridge. They thought it would take no more than 30
days…They were wrong.
Bridge to Bridge is a film about surviving the most extreme physical and
mental challenges at sea. But more importantly it is about overcoming the huge psychological challenges posed by a voyage of this size.

2. Life in the Mountains – the Story of Arthurs Pass – Sky Adams (dir.)

A small village on a busy pass has offered people serenity in the mountains for the last 100 years.
Originally established to service the road, coaches, and railway travelling
across the Southern Alps, Arthurʼs Pass has attracted incredible people to the area. The birthplace of skiing in New Zealand, the home of Brian Brake and the only alpine village in New Zealand, Arthurʼs Pass sticks in peopleʼs hearts and imaginations.
By traveling back through the stories of the past and the impressions of the present this film tries to capture what makes Arthurʼs Pass so special to so many people.

3. Wrestling with the Past – Adam Simpson (dir.)

64 year old Brian Wickens is wrestling tonight for an audience of no more than a couple of hundred people. As he sweats and bleeds he remembers when he
worked in front of 80,000 and a TV audience of millions as one half of a tagteam phenomenon.
For more than 30 years Brian lived, wrestled and travelled with his best mate. They went by many names until they found fame in the late 1980s United States as “cousins” Luke and Butch – The Bushwhackers.
Tonight, Brian – Bushwhacker Luke – wrestles without a partner. In 2001 Butch was struck down with septicemia from a dirty wrestling ring. He very nearly died and unable to continue in the sport, returned home to New Zealand where he has become reclusive and bitter towards the wrestling business. Wrestling with the Past is the fly-on-the-wall story of Bushwhacker Lukeʼs journey, from the small-town rings and lonely motel rooms of North America, back home to New Zealand for the first time in over 20 years where heʼs reacquainted with old mates, fans…and eventually Butch.

4. Finding Johnson – A special presentation by Costa Botes (prod.)

This feature length film will tell the story of a young New Zealander’s search amongst the streets and shanties of Rwanda for a homeless beggar who years earlier had helped him out of a dangerous predicament. Hopeful of repaying his debt of gratitude to this unlikely Samaritan, he pursues a seemingly hopeless task, tracking a man he only knew by a single name – Johnson.
Botes will speak to the film and discuss Funding (What kind of budget is most appropriate to this kind of content? Where will it come from?), Story (What is the best focus of the story? And what is the best way to tell it?), and finally Audience (Where is the market for this kind of film? How best to reach them?)

Duncan Sarkies to Kick Off 2012 Writers Read in Wellington

Massey University’s annual Writers Read series starts in Wellington later this month with a reading by playwright, screenwriter and fiction author Duncan Sarkies.

Mr Sarkies is best known as the co-writer (with his brother Robert Sarkies) of the hugely successful 1999 film Scarfies. He has won several theatre and playwright awards and his collection of bleak and funny short stories stray thoughts and nose bleeds won the Hubert Church NZSA Best First Book of Fiction Award. He has been a scriptwriter for Flight of the Conchords, and published his first novel, Two Little Boys, in 2008. The film of Two Little Boys (starring local hero Brett McKenzie) will be released this year.

Duncan Sarkies will read excerpts from his new novel The Demolition of the Century and talk about the process he has used to write it. He will also share some other new writing, from the forthcoming Two Little Boys movie, a soon-to-be republished set of short stories, and other works in progress. Duncan Sarkies will be delivering his reading on Thursday May 24 at 6pm, at the Massey campus off Wallace Street, Entrance A, Theatre Laboratory (5D14).

Writers Read is an annual series of readings by some of New Zealand’s foremost authors, with events in all three Massey cities: Wellington, Auckland and Palmerston North. The series started as a partnership with the Palmerston North City Library seven years ago, and spread to the capital two years later. Creative Writing Lecturer Dr Ingrid Horrocks, who coordinates the series, says this year the programme has broadened to include not only writing for screen and theatre but also non-fiction.

Writers Read has featured many of New Zealand’s top literary figures over the years: Bill Manhire, Elizabeth Knox, Witi Ihimaera, Fiona Farrell, Vincent O’Sullivan. We think it now has a firm place in the literary calendar. These are friendly free events and add a bit of sparkle to mid-winter.

Readings take about an hour. Everyone is welcome to stay for Q & A and refreshments after the reading.

Full programme: http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/departments/school-english-media-studies/school-news/writers-read.cfm

The 2012

After an auspicious beginning in 2011 the NZSA Asian Short Story Competition is once again open for entries.

As the national body supporting writers in New Zealand, the NZSA is keen to promote Asian writing and offer an opportunity for Asian writers to showcase their work.

One of last year’s judges, Renee Liang, says it was wonderful to see a broad representation of stories and characters which hailed from South Asia, South East Asia and North East Asia.  She adds that the winning story “Paper Butterflies” by Wellington writer Rosabel Tan was a delightful standout amongst the high quality entries.

Entry is open to New Zealand permanent residents who are Asian or of Asian ethnicity. Short stories will be in English, and the theme is open. Stories will ideally contain some Asian content, though not necessarily be set in Asia.

The minimum length of entries is 2,500 words, and the maximum length of entries is 3,500 words.

There is a total of $4,500 in cash prizes. First prize: $3,000. Second: $1,000. Third: $500.

A shortlist of 5 will be announced on 21 October. Winners will be announced in November 2012.

The competition deadline is 30 August 2012.  Terms & conditions and application forms are downloadable from  www.authors.org.nz or email programmes@nzauthors.org.nz

For further information: National Office:  PO Box 7701, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141  Tel: (09) 379 4801           Fax: (09) 379 4802   Email: director@nzauthors.org.nz

May 19th-25th ‘Shortland Street’ wille celebrate its 20th anniversary.

For this big occasion “Big thing are planned to celebrate 20 years of ‘Shortland Street’” (from Listener). The Street Party will begin Monday (7:00 pm) with a 90 minutes episode and on Friday – the show’s anniversary.

Win a chance join Shortland Street’s 20th birthday party!

Shortland Street is turning 20 and we want you to come party with us!

You and a friend could get a VIP Tresemme hair and make up treatment before heading to the party of the year to celebrate with the stars!

The prize includes:

- Two tickets to the Shortland Street 20 Years party in Auckland
- Flights to Auckland and hotel room (if outside Auckland)
- VIP TRESemme hair and make up treatment for you and a friend

To win, all you need to do is watch Shortland Street on Friday 11th May, look out for our mystery question and enter below

More information here.

“Strongman – The Tragedy” was aired Sunday 13th at 7:00 pm on TV3.

Documentary directed by Paula McTaggart
Drama directed by Gaylene Preston
Post Directed by Simon Coldrick

This long anticipated documentary looks back on the events that marked Pike River on January 19th, 1967.

And for those who missed it here you can have a chance to watch it or rewatch it if you liked it: TV3 ‘Strongman-The tragedy’ On Demand

More information about the docu-drama :www.strongmanfilm.co.nz

Gaylene Preston

Gaylene Preston is a famous director known for her dramatic features and her numerous documentaries, which have a powerful social message.
Her most recent work “Home By Christmas”, a documentary/drama, had a deep impact in NZ cinemas; $1.1 million (in its home market of 4 million people) and is currently no. 14 of the Top Grossing NZ Films ever. She received the Laureate Award from NZ Art Foundation in 2001; she was the first filmmaker to receive this price. In 2010 she received the WFT (Women in Film and Television) NZ Award for her amazing work for the NZ Film Industry and received the Inaugural Lifetime Achievement from Documentary Edge for her outstanding contribution to documentary.
She has served on many industry boards and is now an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for her services to the film industry. Gaylene gives seminar and leads workshops that strongly prone intuitive ways for creative working.

For more information on Gaylene Preston visit Gaylene Preston’s website.

Applications will be accepted for the third and likely final year of Escalator from Monday 2 April 2012 to Friday 25 May 2012 with some important application changes.

This is what you will need to submit:

• low budget methodology
• one low budget idea explored in a five-page outline (this is instead of the three one-page ideas required previously)
• a director’s vision (if applicable)
• basic budget outline
• understanding of audience and how to reach them
• brief CVs and bios of core team
• examples of previous work (DVD not data disk)

Essentially, we are seeking teams (of two or more) who have developed a single idea to a more advanced state prior to applying to Escalator.

Up to four films will be greenlit, however if the industry panel does not feel there are an appropriate number of suitable Escalator-style projects then fewer will be selected.

Escalator timetable:

25 May: Final deadline for applications

2 July: Final teams to be invited to attend Bootcamp announced

25-27 July: Bootcamp

10 December: Final films announced

Delivery is by negotiation within 12-24 months of greenlight.

Please email your applications in one document (PDF or Word) to

development@nzfilm.co.nz

If you have any queries, please contact Professional Development Executive Bonnie Slater bonnie@nzfilm.co.nz.

Good luck everyone!!!

More information on: Low Budget Features Overview

Film Raro is a film challenge like no other in the world. Its core objectives are to aid the social and economic development of the people of the Cook Islands helping them to learn more about telling their own digital stories to be able to preserve heritage, culture, identity and have a voice in today’s overwhelming audiovisual digital world.

We are searching, as any production company does, for up to eight great scripts from all over the world to take into production at Film Raro.

We are taking registered scripts for evaluation now and will rate all entries so that we can establish a list of the best eight. We will continue to take new scripts up until December 7th 2012. As new scripts come in we will rate them and determine whether they can take over a spot in the top eight. If we are satisfied that not only a script but also its attached team is clearly a consistent leader in the top eight then we will announce that team as being confirmed for production at the Film Raro event March 2013.

We wish to start announcing teams from October 2012 with the final team to be named by December 14th 2012. It is advantageous to get scripts in early to beat the rush, be assed early, claim a spot in the top eight early, be selected during the early rounds of announcement and have more of a chance at being selected. After October each script and team announced means an opportunity lost as eight chances would have now dropped to seven and then to six, to five, to eventually one chance by December 14th.

Entry Fee

• NZD$65.00 or approx USD$50.00
• To be paid online via FilmRaro website
• No refunds once the script has been submitted as costs are now incurred by FilmRaro for processing

The inaugural Film Raro event is scheduled for March 2013.

Film Raro is taking entries now on http://www.filmraro.com/

For more information, images or to arrange interviews, please contact Stan Wolfgramm at: Email: stan@drumproductions.co.nz

PH:NZ  +64 9 6301929 ; +64 274 966147

PH: Cook Is + 682 72177 ; + 682 29939

Skype: stan.wolfgramm

Entries are now open for Fresh Shorts

Now in its third year, Fresh Shorts is a short film scheme run in-house by the NZ Film Commission which aims to foster fresh, new directorial voices with distinctive, original styles. 16 new shorts will be funded in 2012 – 8 at $10,000 and 8 at $30,000. For more information contact Sam Burt at freshshorts@nzfilm.co.nz or check out our website: http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/DevelopmentAndFinancing/ShortFilm/Fresh_Shorts.aspx

Lonely director seeks writer with a short film script to submit to this years funding rounds.

In my spare time I work as a producer making local and international TVC’s, it helps to pay the rent and a self funded short film. Although hopefully your script is so amazing that the NZFC feel compelled to pick up the tab this time.

To flirt, email me:ibarge@me.com