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Tuesday 10 August 2021
Message from CEO, David Strong
I’m four weeks into the role of CEO and to everyone I have met so far, thank you for your warm welcome, support, insights and wise counsel. There is a lot to learn and I appreciate the time taken to meet and talk with me about the history of Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission, and the what, how and why of the organisation.
From my early conversations with industry, it’s clear that many people around New Zealand look to the NZFC for leadership and support. At the highest level the work that we do contributes to the economic and social wellbeing, and the cultural identity of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Watching the Olympics and seeing Kiwis performing so well at the elite level of international sport reminded me that many New Zealand filmmakers perform at the elite of international culture. They take their New Zealand films to the international stage and the premiere festival success of films like Coming Home in the Dark, Nights Raiders, The Justice of Bunny King and The Power of the Dog are recent examples of this.
This is inspiring and I’m looking forward to connecting directly with each of you on your projects and discussing how we, as an agency, can best support the industry and its people. The NZFC champions exceptional storytellers, and by this we mean every single person who works on a production in any capacity. Every cast and crew member is a key contributor to the realisation of a story on screen, and it is important that we all recognise this.
I am currently in the midst of meetings with a wide range of NZFC stakeholders including filmmakers, industry guilds and organisations, other government agencies and so on. These meetings will be ongoing over the coming months, so if we have not yet had a chance to meet, I look forward to meeting you in the not too distant future.
Production Funding Decisions
The Board approved three applications for production financing at the July meeting and conditional offers have been made to:
Bad Behaviour
A middle-aged woman, Lucy Howe, ruins a spiritual retreat with her bad behaviour and re-unites with her daughter Dylan after she has an accident in her profession as a stunt woman.
Produced by Desray Armstrong and Molly Hallam, written and directed by Alice Englert.
Untitled Project
A documentary following a well-known musician writing and recording their first full Te Reo Māori language album.
Produced by Alexander Behse and Anahera Parata, directed by Ursula Williams.
Gloriavale
When widespread corruption, abuse and sexual assault is uncovered at the Gloriavale Christian Community, one man sets out to save his family and bring the powerful cult to their knees.
Produced by Fergus Grady and Noel Smyth, directed by Noel Smyth and Fergus Grady, written by Noel Smyth
Additional equity was also approved for the films Whina (produced by Matthew Metcalfe and Tainui Stephens, directed by James Napier Robertson and Paula Whetu Jones, written by James Napier Robertson, Paula Whetu Jones and James Lucas) and Nude Tuesday (produced by Emma Slade, Virginia Whitwell and Nick Batzias, directed by Armagan Ballantyne, written by Jackie Van Beek).
Premium Development Funding Announced for 19 Screen Projects
19 screen projects have been offered a total of $1.5 million of development funding in the first round of Ara ki Te Puna Kairangi – The Premium Development Fund.
The successful projects represent a broad array of ideas with the potential to engage both local and international audiences, and include two feature films, 11 drama series, two documentary, and four animation projects.
The overall purpose of the Premium Fund (which includes development and production funding), is ‘to support high quality productions that tell New Zealand stories for global audiences’ and that is underpinned by five key objectives that speak to economic benefit, employment, cultural benefit, speed to market and developing skills and capability.
Decisions for development investment were made by the Chief Executives of Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission, Te Māngai Pāho and Irirangi Te Motu NZ on Air, as delegated by the Te Puna Kairangi panel.
There was a total of $2million available across two rounds and the first round received 65 eligible applications seeking nearly $7million of development funding. More...
Hunga Taunaki ā Rorohiko - Online Mentorships
Ten screen storytellers have been matched with experienced New Zealand mentors in the 2021 round of Hunga Taunaki ā Rorohiko, the New Zealand Film Commission’s online mentorship programme.
Congratulations to:
- Renae Maihi, who will be mentored by writer/director Dame Gaylene Preston to further develop a feature film thriller
- Catherine Bisley, who will be mentored by writer/director Alison Maclean to further develop a feature film drama
- Hiona Henare, who will be mentored by writer/director Tusi Tamasese to further develop a feature film drama/romance
- Pennie Hunt, who will be mentored by writer/director Rob Sarkies to further develop a feature film drama
- Chelsea Preston Crayford, who will be mentored by director Christine Jeffs to further develop a feature film comedy/drama
- Pulkit Arora, who will be mentored by writer Duncan Sarkies to further develop a feature film comedy/drama
- Rosie Howells, who will be mentored by writer Nick Ward to further develop a feature film comedy/drama
- Matasila Freshwater, who will be mentored by writer Briar Grace-Smith to further develop a feature film comedy/crime
- Albert Belz, who will be mentored by writer Glenn Standring to further develop a feature film horror/thriller
- Nate Tamblyn, who will be mentored by narrative designer Nick Jones to further develop an interactive story for a role playing game
95 applications were received from Aotearoa screen storytellers including, writers, writer/directors, writer/producers, documentary makers and narrative designers at emerging and mid-career levels. More...
Jane Campion and See-Saw Films Masterclasses Postponed
Due to the indefinite suspension of the travel bubble with Australia, NZFC has had to postpone the Masterclasses previously planned for 20 August 2021. The Masterclasses are now likely to be held in late 2021 or early 2022.
When a new date has been confirmed and a timeline established, fresh guidelines will be issued, and applications will be reopened. Filmmakers who had applied can keep their original submission for the new round, withdraw their application if they are no longer able to make the planned date, or resubmit.
We hope to have a further update in the next newsletter, if not before, and prior applicants will be contacted directly with any new information.
Screen Sector (COVID-19) Capability Funding
2020/21 – $1m per year over two years.
This year the fund focused on the following areas of support:
- Organisational capability
- Strategic training and development programmes
- On the job development (online mentorships)
$971,000 was approved this financial year.
- $871,000 – Organisational capability and strategic training/development programmes.
- $100,000 – On the job development online mentorships
Total requests for organisational, training and development programmes for the year 2020/21 financial year were $2.3million across 44 applications. Funding was approved across 25 organisations/programmes covering:
- Administrative support for organisations
- Loss of events and sponsorship
- Research and development work
- Cultural competency development for organisations
- Talent and workforce development programmes
- Additional staffing resources including supporting guilds with disclosure expertise
A new round of the Screen Sector Strategic Capability (COVID-19) funding for the new financial year (2021/22) closed in July and is currently undergoing assessment.
Screen Production Recovery Fund
The Screen Production Recovery Fund closed to new applications on 30 April 2021.
To date approximately $6 million has been awarded. Since the last newsletter update, a further 11 productions have had applications approved.
SERIES
- Mystic Series 2 & 3 produced by David Stubbs and Richard Fletcher, directed by Aidee Walker, Caroline Bell-Both and Laurence Walker, written by Beth Chalmers, Amy Shindler, Sam Shore, Briar Grace-Smith and Hamish Bennett
FEATURE FILMS
- The Mountain produced by Morgan Waru and Carthew Neal, directed by Rachel House, written by Tom Furniss
- Taki Rua: Breaking Barriers produced by Whetu Fala and Selina Joe, directed by Whetu Fala and Christina Asher
- The Subtle Art of not giving a F**k produced by Matthew Metcalfe and Mark Foster, directed by Nathan Price, written by Matthew Metcalfe and Tom Blackwell
- The Navigator (fka Legend-Te Tautohito I te Moana) produced, written and directed by Aileen O’Sullivan and Toby Mills
- Stylebender produced by Fraser Brown, Leela Menon and Tom Blackwell, directed by Zoe McIntosh, written by Tom Blackwell, Brendan Donovan and Zoe McIntosh
SHORT FILMS
- Lea Tupuanga/Mother Tongue produced by Eldon Booth and Alex Lovell, directed by Vea Mafile’o, written by Luciane Buchanan.
- Hey, Brainy man! produced by Jaimee Poipoi and Olivia Shanks, directed by Loren Taylor and Jo Randerson, written by Jo Randerson.
- Stella produced by Emma Mortimer and Stacey Murdoch, written and directed by Alison Titulaer
- The Calf produced by Emma Mortimer, written and directed by Simon London and Matthew Sunderland
- Nga Aho Shorts 2018 produced by Angela Cudd, written and directed by Maruia Jensen and Tajim Mohammed Kapa
In July, the New Zealand Film Commission welcomed an extension to the Screen Production Recovery Fund to the end of 2021.
The additional funding managed by the NZFC will provide surety in the event of further COVID-19 alert level changes from now until 31 December 2021. The fund will have different criteria to the original and will now be restricted to NZ-based losses due to NZ COVID-19 alert level changes. Further information and guidelines for the fund will be available soon.
Boost Recipients Announced
Congratulations to the six recipients selected to receive Boost funding this year.
Boost funding supports the growth of producers and screen businesses who have a strategic vision in a fast-changing environment and a plan to deliver on this.
Applications were assessed against criteria that balanced strength of the slate, business model, team profile and other consideration. A total of $435,000 was awarded from Boost, with an additional $50,000 in Business Development Grants.
Boost - six recipients
- Colonial Mongrel Productions $75,000
- FluroBlack $75,000
- Piki Films $75,000
- Pop Film $75,000
- Stella Maris Production $75,000
- The Down Low Concept $60,000
Additional Business Development Grants were awarded to:
- Avalon Studios Productions $25,000
- Wrestler $25,000
Seed/Seed Advanced
On 23 July, the New Zealand Writers Guild, with the support of the New Zealand Film Commission, announced the recipients of round 1 of Seed and Seed Advanced for 2021. This round received 126 Seed and 25 Seed Advanced applications.
Seed
- Sinead Lau – Not this Time
- Teresa Bass – Exit Strategy
- Jackson Herman –
- The Great Kiwi Cape
- Nastassia Wolfgramm – Chronicles of Polynesia - Tangi e Lupe (The Dove's Cry)
Seed Advanced
- Stephanie Cullen – Whaiaipo
- Tusi Tamasese – Moonflower
Made in New Zealand
A24’s new series Mr Corman debuts 6 August on Apple TV+. Joseph Gordon-Levitt wrote, directed and starred in this dark comedy featuring a melancholic teacher in crisis. All 10 episodes shot earlier this year with the Wellington region standing in for suburban LA. The production had 46 New Zealand cast, 16 New Zealand HODs and 88% of the crew were New Zealanders. The crew were headed by New Zealand Line Producer Pamela Harvey-White. Mr Corman was supported by the Government-backed New Zealand Screen Production Grant (NZSPG). Congratulations to all involved.
Coming Soon
Coming Home in the Dark
In New Zealand cinemas from 12 August. You can view the trailer here.
Festival and Market News
Night Raiders is officially selected to screen at Toronto International Film Festival. In announcing the first 12 feature film selections, Cameron Bailey, TIFF Artistic Director and Co-Head has included Night Raiders as a film the festival is honoured to introduce to the world as an outstanding Canadian debut. “We’ve been inspired by the quality, range, and diversity of the films we’re inviting, and we couldn’t wait to give everyone an early glimpse.”
The film has also been selected for the Sydney Film Festival.
The Power of the Dog will have its world premiere at Venice Film Festival in September and will follow this screening as the Centerpiece Selection at New York Film Festival.
The Justice of Bunny King followed its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival,
with an Australian premiere at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival. The film has also been selected to screen at Melbourne International Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival.
Cousins opened in select US theatres on 2 July including Angelika Film Center (New York City), Consolidated Theatres Pearlridge (Waimalu, Hawaii) and Consolidated Theatres Ward (Honolulu, Hawaii) ahead of is release on Netflix on 22 July.
The film also screened at the Giffoni Film Festival, screening in competition for the Generator +18 Gryphon Award for Best Film.
Coming Home in the Dark was presented as a virtual programme ‘Secret Screening’ in the Chattanooga Film Festival, for audiences based in the US. The film also screened at the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in the ULTRA Movies programme, dedicated to the most extreme films, and in physical cinemas at the BIFAN Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
Poppy has been selected to screen in the Cinefest OZ Film Festival in Western Australia in late August.
Bellbird and Vai screened in the 2021 Cannes Cinephiles programme of Cinema des Antipodes, along with independent New Zealand films Hibiscus and Ruthless and Take Home Pay.
James and Isey will have its international premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival
Short Films
Hot Mother has been selected to screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival.
Ani screened at the Short Circuit – Pacific Rim Film Festival, Canada, winning the 2021 Award for Best Script.
Daddy's Girl (Kōtiro) has been selected to screen at the Sydney Film Festival.
Congratulations go to...
Barry “Baz” Idoine who won an Emmy for his work on the live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian.
Sir Richard Taylor for his nomination for the New Zealand China Council Award for Outstanding Contribution to the New Zealand – China Business Relationship at the 2021 HSBC NZCTA China Business Awards.
Will Agnew who has been announced as this year’s Wellington Write Room Screenwriting Resident and Jaimee Poipoi as the programme’s Producer Intern.
Rising New Zealand actor Alex Tarrant (Night Raiders) who has been tapped as a lead in NCIS: Hawai’i, the latest instalment in CBS’ formidable NCIS franchise.
Filmmaker Opportunities
Upcoming Finance & Co-Production Markets
UK Global Screen Fund
Application Deadline: 17 August 2021
More information
IFFR Pro-Immersive & VR Days Europe
Amsterdam (i.e. in-person at this stage)
13-17 November 2021
Application Deadline: 30 August 2021
Apply here
CineMart 2022
Rotterdam (i.e. in-person at this stage)
26 January - 2 February 2022 (exact dates within this window TBA)
Application deadline: 1 September 2021
Apply here
Apulia Film Forum
Application Deadline: 12 September 2021
Apply here
Doc Edge Clinics
The 2021 #docedgeclinics programme kicks off on 7 August with a session on scripting unscripted with guests including filmmaker Gaylene Preston, WildBear's Craig Meade, Newsroom's Mark Jennings and RNZ's Colin Peacock.
The Clinic programme is a series of six workshops covering essential hard and soft skills for documentary filmmakers and creators of factual content. More...
Write Room Auckland
Write Room Auckland is a screenwriter residency programme offered in partnership with the NZFC. The programme has been running in Wellington in partnership with Toi Pōneke Art Centre for the past 3 years, and this year the programme will launch in Auckland for the first time.
Write Room Auckland will:
1. support a screenwriter to develop their screenplay to the stage where it is ready to pitch to a producer.
2. offer an opportunity for an emerging or established producer to upskill in development.
One writer and one producer will be selected to participate in the programme. More...
Upcoming Festival Deadlines
Sundance Film Festival - Shorts, Episodic & New Frontier: Early deadline August 6 / Official deadline August 23 / Late deadline September 13 / Features: Early deadline August 13 / Official deadline September 6 / Late deadline September 27
Toronto After Dark – Late deadline August 13 / Final deadline August 27
Image+nation LGBTQueer Film Festival Montreal – Regular deadline August 15
Molins Horror Film Festival – Extended deadline August 15
Stockholm International Film Festival – Late deadline August 15
Aspen Shortsfest – Early deadline August 16
Slamdance Film Festival – Regular deadline August 16 / Late deadline September 13
PÖFF Shorts – Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival – Late deadline August 16
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival - Extended feature film deadline August 17
International Film Festival Rotterdam - Short films completed before July 1 2021 deadline August 25 / Short films completed after July 1 2021 deadline September 22 / VR/Immersive deadline September 22 / Feature film deadline October 26
Tampere Film Festival – Early deadline August 31
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival – Regular deadline August 31
Ann Arbor Film Festival – Regular deadline August 31
Dharamshala International Film Festival – Late deadline August 31
Porto/Post/Doc: Film & Media Festival – Extended deadline August 31
New York International Children’s Film Festival – Early deadline September 1
DOCVILLE – International Documentary Film Festival – Early deadline September 1
Minimalen Short Film Festival – Early deadline September 1
Flickerfest International Short Film Festival – Regular deadline September 10
Melbourne Queer Film Festival – Regular deadline September 10
SXSW Film Festival *Submissions open August 24 - Early deadline September 14 / Second deadline October 5 / Final deadline October 19
Doc Edge Festival – Early deadline September 15
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia – Early deadline September 30
NZFC News
Staff News
Monique Andrews has joined the Incentives team as Incentives Coordinator where she assists with the administration of the NZSPG New Zealand and International.
Previously she worked her way around the accounts departments on film productions in the Wellington region, as a Clerk, Payroll Assistant and Assistant Accountant. Monique has a Bachelor of Communications from Massey University.
Ana Tovey has joined the Development and Production team for six months as Funding Executive.
Ana began her career working with the film exhibition sector with roles at Film London and the British Film Institute, and as an external assessor for a range of UK youth media and audience development funding schemes. Since returning home, Ana has worked as a Visual Journalist with Radio New Zealand, tutored on the Creative Media Production degree at Massey University, and worked as a documentary development producer and freelance video producer.
Tom Kelly has joined the Incentives team as Incentives Executive. Tom began his career in the Scotland as production manager of shorts and factual television. Since becoming a New Zealander he has worked on local and international films including Mulan, Coming Home in the Dark, Shopping, and Second Hand Wedding, as well as a wide range of documentary television shows. Most recently he has been working at the NZFC coordinating the Screen Production Recovery Fund.
Rachel Corley has joined the Talent Development team as Deliveries Coordinator. Previously Rachel managed the NZFC's Digitisation Programme and continues to manage digitisation for Te Puna Ataata New Zealand Film Heritage Trust.
Chantelle Watts has left the NZFC and her role as Kaiwhakarite (Rautaki Coordinator). We wish her all the best with her future endeavours.
Upcoming Funding Deadlines
All applications must be received by 1pm on the deadline day. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Feature Film Production Investment - Deadline 9 August
Screen Sector COVID-19 Capability Funding - Deadline 16 August
Early Development/Documentary Development/Hāpaitia I te Kaupapa Kiriata: Māori Feature Film Support and Tuhinga Reo Māori: Te Reo Māori Development Fund - Deadline 30 August
NZ Film On Demand
NZ Film On Demand, the NZFC's transactional VOD platform now has over 22,000 subscribers. The platform offers over 270 feature and short films ranging from recent cinema releases to digitised back catalogue classics.
New releases to the platform include Trouble is My Business, On the Conditions & Possibilities of Hillary Clinton Taking Me as Her Young Lover, The Vintner's Luck and a large number of short films.
A new collection of films that have screened at the New Zealand International Film Festival has also been added.
See the full NZ Film On Demand collection and sign up for an account here.
Thanks for keeping up with what's going on in New Zealand film. Got a suggestion for us? Email us at feedback@nzfilm.co.nz.
Ngā mihi,
The NZFC Team