Wednesday 21 December 2022

Don't Forget to Have Your Say 

The NZFC encourages all stakeholders and interested parties to actively participate in the screen sector review jointly led by Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH) and Hīkina Whakatutuki Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Be sure to offer your experience, insights and feedback to the public consultation document on the proposed future of the screen sector in New Zealand. Your submissions will help inform both the MCH and MBIE policy development process, and their advice to government about any proposed changes to the New Zealand Screen Production Grant (NZSPG).

The feedback submission form and consultation document is available here.  An online survey is also available to provide feedback on the public consultation document. The survey is an alternative option for submissions and offers a quicker way to have your say on the review. Complete the survey here.

The Project Team are committed to listening to the views of industry professionals and interested parties on how they might increase the benefits to the screen sector, and to Aotearoa New Zealand, from the government’s investment in the New Zealand Screen Production Grant.

 Submissions are due by 11.59pm 18 December 2022

Production and Development Funding
Since October 2022, NZFC has invested $4.8m in a wide range of projects for both development and production. NZFC received a record number of applications for Early Development and Documentary Development Funding and awarded 10 productions. Amongst those awarded were three projects with no producers attached at the first tranche stage.
The range of productions receiving funding since the last newsletter update includes both new funding and additional funding for projects affected by COVID-19.  As we move from the Protection Framework and into regeneration of the industry, we are excited to see such a range of projects in various stages of development, both script and packaging.
The NZFC has updated its COVID-19 Policy to reflect the removal of the Protection Framework.
The first production financing deadline of the New Year is 1pm Monday 20 February 2023 with applications being tabled at the Board Meeting on 6 May 2023.

Feature Film Production Investment
At the December Board Meeting, the NZFC Board approved discretionary financing to one new feature film. It should be noted that Board Member Ant Timpson recused himself from all production funding decisions at the December meeting.
Bookworm (Feature Drama)
Logline: During a time of crisis, a washed-up American magician and his precocious estranged daughter take to the New Zealand wilderness, in search of a mythical black panther.
Producers: Emma Slade, Roxi Bull, Mette-Marie Kongsved   
Associate Producer: Victoria Dabbs 
Director: Ant Timpson   Writer: Toby Harvard 
Additional equity was also approved for feature film Untitled Robert Sarkies Project on top of a conditional offer approved in April 2022.
Producers: Vicky Pope, Timothy White  Director: Robert Sarkies  Writer: Fiona Samuel

Disney Te Reo Māori Reversioning Project II
At the December meeting the NZFC Board also approved the reversioning of two further Disney films – Coco and Encanto into te reo Māori, by Matewa Media – (Chelsea Winstanley and Tweedie Waititi).

Development Funding
Early Development & Documentary Development
Decisions for the last round of Early Development, Documentary Development and Whakawhanake Kiriata Funding were made in late November 2022. Out of 28 applications to the fund – the largest number received – 10 were approved funding, totalling over $219.5k.
Feature Drama
Cookie Cutter Team: Alix Whittaker, Andrew Todd
Maria, Take a Bow Team: Alex Reed, Emma Mortimer, Alayne Dick, Martin Sagadin
Refuge Team: Craig Gainsborough-Waring, Arlo Green, Max Currie
Standing Up Team: Naomi Wallwork, Abby Howells, Chelsie Preston Crayford
The Mooncake and the Kūmara Team: Kerry Warkia, Mei-Lin Te Puea Hansen, Kiel McNaughton
The Private Diary of Egan Tucker Team: Nicholas Riini
Weathered Bones Team: Catherine Fitzgerald, Michele Powles
Taniwha Team: Libby Hakaraia, Tainui Stephens, Desray Armstrong, Ricardo Giraldo
Feature Documentary
Land of Voices Team: Alastair Cole, Adam Dawtrey
Permissive Paradise Team: Florian Habicht, Frank Habicht

Advanced Development
Two feature drama applications to the Advanced Development Fund have been approved since the last newsletter update, totalling over $54k.
Big Girls Don’t Cry
Producer: Vicky Pope Writer/Director: Paloma Schneideman
Island Dancer
Producers: Karin Williams, Sharlene George, Jane Holland
Directors: Michael Bennett, Te Awarangi Puna   Writer: Michael Bennett

Premium Contingency Fund
The Premium Contingency Fund opened to eligible Premium Productions in October. The Fund is a special purpose discretionary fund of last resort that has been established to support productions with Te Puna Kairangi Premium Productions offers or financing that are facing unforeseen challenges.
Since opening the Fund, the COVID-19 Subcommittee has approved conditional equity to one application:
The Gone (Series Drama)
Producers: Timothy White (NZ), Reikura Kahi (NZ)
Executive Producers: Karl Zohrab (NZ), Katie Holly (IRE), Yvonne Donohoe (IRE)
Directors: Peter Burger (NZ), Hannah Quinn (IRE)
Lead Writers: Michael Bennett (NZ), Anna McPartlin (IRE)
Applications can be submitted at any time. Guidelines for the fund can be found on the website here. If you have any queries about the Fund, please contact premiumfund@nzfilm.co.nz

Extended Screen Production Recovery Fund (XSPRF)
In November the COVID-19 Subcommittee approved two applications to the fund:
Far North (Series Drama)
Producers: Sally Campbell, Kelly Martin
Director: David White 
Writers: Mingjian Cu, Suli Moa
Te Motu (Feature Drama)
Producers: Morgan Waru, Polly Fryer  Executive Producer: Carthew Neal
Director: Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu  Writer: Maddie Dai

Updates have also been made to the XSPRF Guidelines. These will be published in the coming days and will be available to read on our website. Updates have been made to reflect changes in the Government response to COVID-19 and removal of the Protection Framework. The Alert Level strand has now closed.
The last COVID-19 Subcommittee meeting of 2022 will be held on 19 December 2022. Please ensure you register your intention to apply via email to screenrecovery@nzfilm.co.nz, and carefully read the Guidelines for the Fund before making your application.
A reminder that XSPRF closes on 31 January 2023. Costs incurred after that date cannot be included in applications, and applications will be accepted up to 28 February 2023.

NZFC COVID-19 Policy
The NZFC COVID-19 Policy is being updated and will be published on the website shortly. The policy applies in addition to the NZFC’s Terms of Trade and varies both the Terms of Trade and Feature Film Production and Development Guidelines (as applicable). The Policy has been extended until 31 July 2023 at which time it will be reviewed. The Policy no longer applies to NZFC standard commercial terms with regard to Australasian distributor, pre-closing advances, approval of commencement of closing, test screenings, production schedules, and cashflow and drawdown schedules. The Policy still applies to budgeting, finance plan, insurance, and health and safety. All films seeking funding will be required to have COVID-19 contingency.
The policy will be published in the coming days and will be available to read on our website. If you have any questions regarding the COVID-19 Policy and how it might affect your project, please contact investment@nzfilm.co.nz. 

Boost
Boost Funding supports the growth of producers and screen businesses who have a slate of strong projects to develop, along with a strategic vision and a plan to deliver on it. 
The next round of Boost Funding is due to open in late January 2023 with a deadline in mid-February 2023, and decisions before the end of June 2023. Guidelines will be published in the New Year.

Seed and Seed Advanced
The New Zealand Writers Guild announced Round 2 2022 Recipients of the Seed and Seed Advanced Grants on 2 December 2022.
Seed Grant Recipients
Bismillah Baron vs. The People - Navneeth Nair
Denny lands the role of extremist supervillain on children's television. But being the victim of a hate crime triggers a struggle with his identity as an Indian actor, contributing to an ingrained culture of racism.
Put a Baby in Me - Michele Powles and Anna Rose Duckworth
Clucky as f*@k and crushed when she miscarries, a young woman's fight to have kids with her trans wife almost burns down the family she already has.
Teenage Dirtbag - Alex MacDonald
A thirty-something drummer grasps a second chance at stardom, fifteen years after she was almost famous. To seize her shot, she battles stage fright, reluctant bandmates, and what's always held her back most - herself.
Morag - Daisy Lawless
Frumpy spinster, Morag, has menopause, she also has gained the power of uncontrollable invisibility. To reclaim her visibility she must commit acts of heinous violence against those who disrespect her.
What Did You Say to Me?! - Ying Ly
A comedy-drama about a farm worker who tries to stop her teenager’s superficial desires spiralling out of control, through a series of seemingly ludicrous tests.
Junior Senior - Matt Butler
22-year-old loser Junior meets Senior, himself from thirty years in the future, returned to the past to attend his father's funeral. But unbeknownst to him, Senior's planning a roundabout suicide, killing Junior to kill himself.

Seed Advanced Grant Recipients
Birdwatching - Robyn Paterson
A preacher's kid from Zimbabwe on the verge of teenage-hood arrives in Dunedin, where adapting to a new culture and her emerging sexuality threatens her relationship with her father.
But Then There Was Ella - Jess Karamjeet
An immigrant woman's obsession with her five-year-old niece threatens to destroy the life she's carefully crafted in Aotearoa.

He Pounamu Te Reo Māori Feature Film Fund: An annual fund for the production of dramatic feature films predominately in te reo Māori. If you have a dramatic feature film script written predominately in te reo Māori and led by Māori creatives then we would like to hear from you. It is essential that the te reo Māori version of the script is included in your application.
The round is open now and closes 14 December 2022 with decisions made at the Board meeting on 2 March 2023.

Te Aupounamu: Māori Screen Excellence Award is our way of recognising and celebrating members of the Māori film making community who have displayed a high-level contribution and/or achievement in screen storytelling.
Nominations will open 30 January 2023 and close 5 March 2023 with decisions published 17 March 2023.

Reminder that He Ara Fund closed on 23 November 2022 and decisions will be advised on 14 December 2022.

International News 

New Zealand's role in James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water 

13 years after visionary filmmaker James Cameron brought the world the ground-breaking Avatar, we return to Pandora for Avatar: The Way of Water. Live action filming took place in New Zealand using facilities in both Wellington and Auckland. More than 2400 New Zealanders worked on the production of Avatar: The Way of Water and its two sequels. Over $774m was invested into the New Zealand economy.

Producer Jon Landau says he is proud of the team in New Zealand which has proven that 'nothing is impossible'. Cliff Curtis (pictured below right) who stars as Tonowari says he can’t wait for people to see the movie and experience it. “You can create this miraculous thing which seems impossible when you are watching it and present it with such reality and depth and richness. It speaks volumes to how creative we are and how really brilliant the teams of people are here (in New Zealand) to support the vision of someone like James Cameron.” Advance screenings start 14 December 2022.  

 As 2022 comes to a close we look forward to seeing other New Zealand Screen Production Grant projects on the big and small screens this summer and beyond. 

Blumhouse horror M3GAN premieres in Los Angeles on 7 December 2022 and releases in cinemas 12 January 2023. The New Zealand crew and cast were led by New Zealanders, director Gerard Johnstone (Housebound, The New Legends of Monkey), line producer Jill Soper, casting director Miranda Rivers and DOPs Peter McCaffery and Simon Raby.

New Zealand Screen Production Grant Update 

The second season of Auckland based young adult mystery series One of Us Is Lying is now on Netflix. Season 3 of My Life is Murder, which is set in Auckland and stars Lucy Lawless, is available on TVNZ+. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery accessed the PDV grant and will be available on Netflix 23 December 2022. GFC's NZ-UK official co-production The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, based on the book of the same name, releases in New Zealand on the 8th of January 2023. And Under the Vines season 2, starring Rebecca Gibney and Charles Edwards, is coming soon.

For the financial year to date we’ve had nine panel meetings, adding to our grand total of 102 meetings since the NZSPG was introduced. Over these meetings the panel has assessed 47 applications including 30 final and interim applications with New Zealand qualifying production expenditure totalling NZD$434m. This investment in production has resulted in several thousand jobs for New Zealand cast and crew, along with business for suppliers and contractors. 

Festival and Market News 

Alice Englert's Bad Behaviour to World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival  
  
Bad Behaviour is the directorial debut for Alice Englert, who also wrote the screenplay and stars in the film alongside Jennifer Connelly (pictured) and Ben Whishaw with Ana Scotney, Dasha Nekrasova, Marlon Williams, Karan Gill and Beulah Koale rounding out the cast. The film is produced by Desray Armstrong and Molly Hallam and executive produced by Stephen Braun. 

Lucy (Connelly), a former child actor, seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by spiritual leader Elon (Whishaw) while she navigates her close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt-performer daughter, Dylan (Englert). 

Bad Behaviour will screen in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. 

Production of Bad Behaviour took place in New Zealand, and was made with funding from the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant, Fulcrum Media Finance and Bee-Hive Productions, with additional support from the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Recovery Fund, Ahi and Images & Sound. CAA Media Finance and Verve Ventures will co-represent the sale of North America, with Protagonist Pictures handling international sales. 

Ahi will distribute theatrically in Australia and New Zealand.

The 2023 Sundance Film Festival will take place as a hybrid festival in Park City, Salt Lake City, Utah from 19–29 January 2023 and online from 24–29 January 2023.

Punch, written and directed by Welby Ings, produced by Robin Murphy and Catherine Fitzgerald, will premiere for North American audiences in the Queer Cinema programme of Palm Springs International Film Festival, 5-16 January 2023. Also selected is Juniper, written and directed by Matthew J. Saville, produced by Desray Armstrong and Angela Littlejohn, screening in World Cinema Now.

Punch writer/director Welby Ings, and actor Jordan Oosterhof, attended the PÖFF Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in Estonia, for the film’s international premiere in First Feature Competition, 11-27 November 2022. Alongside Oosterhof, Punch also stars British actor and Oscar nominee Tim Roth and Conan Hayes. 

Whina, directed by Paula Whetu Jones and James Napier Robertson, written by Paula Whetu Jones, James Napier Robertson and James Lucas, produced by Matthew Metcalfe and Tainui Stephens, screened at Native Lens Film Festival Solomon Islands on 26 October 2022; and Aussie and Kiwi Film Festival in Prague, 11-14 November 2022.

Last month San Diego Asian Film Festival's Asia Pop! Stand featured We Are Still Here, written and directed by Aotearoa New Zealand’s Renae Maihi, Tim Worrall and Richard Curtis, Miki Magasiva and Mario Gaoa, Tiraroa Reweti and Chantelle Burgoyne, and Australia’s Samuel Nuggin-Paynter and Beck Cole, Danielle MacLean, Dena Curtis and Tracey Rigney, produced by Mia Henry-Teirney, Toni Stowers and Mitchell Stanley; and Millie Lies Low, directed by Michelle Savill, written by Michelle Savill and Eli Kent, produced by Desray Armstrong and Angela Littlejohn.

Kāinga, directed by Julie Zhu, Asuka Sylvie, Michelle Ang, Nahyeon Lee, Yamin Tun, Ghazaleh Golbakhsh, HASH, and Angeline Loo, written by Mei-Lin Te Puea Hansen, Asuka Sylvie, Mia Maramara, Nahyeon Lee, Shreya Gejji, Ghazaleh Golbakhsh, HASH and Angeline Loo, produced by Kerry Warkia, Kiel McNaughton and Shuchi Kothari, had its Asian Premiere in the Cinema of the World programme of International Film Festival of India, Goa, 20-28 November 2022.

Millie Lies Low is screening in Melbourne International Film Festival’s Summer Cinema at Bunjil Place outdoor programme, 9 December 2022.

An Angel at My Table, directed by Dame Jane Campion, written by Laura Jones, produced by Bridget Ikin, screened in the Origine cinema programme at Fondazione Prada in Milan, 13 and 20 November 2022. Origine brings together classic films from the past, restored and re-proposed for their historical relevance and topicality, in collaboration with film libraries and international institutions.

Datsun, directed by Mark Albiston, written by Albiston and J. Patrick McElroy, produced by Sharlene George, Gal Greenspan and Andy Mauger, screened in the International Competition of Interfilm Berlin – International Short Film Festival, 5-20 November 2022.

Perianayaki, directed by Bala Murali Shingade, written and produced by Shreya Gejji, screened at Dharamshala International Film Festival, 3-6 November 2022 and Tasveer South Asian Film Festival Seattle, 3-20 November 2022.

Firsts, written and directed by Jesse Ung, produced by Elanor McKenzie; and My Friend Michael Jones, directed by Ian Leaupepe and Samson Rambo, written by Eldon Booth, Ian Leaupepe and Samson Rambo, produced by Eldon Booth and Alex Lovell, screened as part of the Diversity and Inclusion Festival in Beijing, on 3 November 2022. 

Independent New Zealand short film The Understudy, directed by Elizabeth Crummett, written by Hamish Brown, produced by Crummett and Jonathan King, world premiered at Screamfest LA, 11-20 October 2022, followed by New York City Horror Film Festival, 1-4 December 2022.

Congratulations go to..

David Farrier, Emma Slade, Alex Reed, Ant Timpson and Madman for Mister Organ achieving the biggest Opening Week for a Documentary in 2022, and then overtaking Moonage Daydream, to achieve Highest Grossing Documentary of the year.

Writer/Director Kirby Atkins, who is one of four recipients of the 2022 MPA APSA Academy Film Fund Grant for his feature film project Levity Jones. 

UK-based NZ writer/director, Henry Blake whose second feature film The Golden Radiance of a Beetle has been selected for the 14th edition of Les Arcs Coproduction Village.  

Jackie van Beek who was a finalist for two awards at the 2022 AACTA Awards, including Best Screenplay in Film and Best Lead Actress for Nude Tuesday. Fellow actor Jemaine Clement also received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor and Nick Meyers for Best Editing.  

Dame Gaylene Preston on the publication of her memoir Gaylene’s Take: Her Life in New Zealand Film and the NZ On Screen launch of The Gaylene Preston Collection | NZ On Screen.

Rūrangi, directed by Max Currie, written by Cole Meyers and Oliver Page, produced by Craig Gainsborough, co-produced by Cole Meyers, Tweedie Waititi, Max Currie and Melissa Nickerson, was awarded Best Short Form Series at the 50th International Emmy Awards in New York on 21 November 2022.

Muru, written and directed by Tearepa Kahi, produced by Reikura Kahi, Selina Joe and Tāme Iti, is New Zealand’s official submission to the 2023 Academy Awards Best International Feature category. Academy screenings were held at the Soho Screening Rooms London, Angelika Film Centre, New York and Laemmle Monica Film Centre, Los Angeles. This year 92 international features are vying for a place in the shortlist of 15 finalists in the International Feature Film category. The short list will be announced on 21 December with the final five nominees announced on 24 January 2023. The 95th Academy Awards will take place on 12 March 2023 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. 

Muru is also submitted to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s 2023 Golden Globe Awards, in the Non-English Language Film category. Nominations will be announced on 12 December 2022 and the 80th Golden Globe Awards will take place on 10 January 2023 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. 

Hawai’i International Film Festival celebrated its Awards Gala Honorees and Jury Winners at the Halekulani Hotel Ballroom on 13 November 2022, including the following recipients from Aotearoa New Zealand:

•    Producer Kerry Warkia received the Leanne K. Ferrer Trailblazer Award, presented by Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC). This annual award is given to a cinema artist of Pacific Islander heritage, who broadens the scope of Pacific Islander stories onto the world stage, producing award winning work in entertainment, becoming a trendsetter in their field and a cultural ambassador that shines a spotlight on Pacific islander culture in mainstream media. The Honoree is a true trailblazer, whose work aligns to support, advance, and develop Pacific Island media content and talent that results in a deeper understanding of Pacific Island history, culture, and contemporary challenges. Previous New Zealand recipients of the HIFF Trailblazer Award include Merata Mita and Heperi Mita, and Taika Waititi.

•    Whina received the Pasifika Award for Best Feature Film, presented in partnership with Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC). The jury said of Whina “We loved the important historical story of this woman who has to take control in a patriarchal world, for the sake of her people and culture. We see her respond to a call from the younger generation, who seek her aid in continuing the fight for Māori rights. We see how this elder manages to lead, and gets the people on board with her. Fantastic story. The performance of the different Whinas is breath-taking; it is a film of undeniable quality in the direction, writing and acting.” 

•    Kāinga received the NETPAC Award, also receiving a special mention in the Pacifica Award category for Best Feature Film. The prestigious Network for the Promotion of Asian-Pacific Cinema (NETPAC) Award is given at select international film festivals to promote Asian and Pacific cinema, by spotlighting exceptional works and discovering new talent. The jury said of Kāinga “Not only were we impressed by the seamless flow of the unique stories across time, we were touched by the magic that each of the stories brings and recognize the way this form of anthology film reflects the communal nature of native cultures – some of our strongest works come through collective action. Mahalo.”

We Are Still Here was awarded Best Dramatic Feature at imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festivals 2022. 

Loimata, the Sweetest Tears was awarded the Grand Jury Award Best Documentary Feature and the Best of the Festival Award at the Guam International Film Festival. Loimata was directed by Anna Marbrook and produced by Anna Marbrook and Jim Marbrook. 

Atali'i O Le Crezent (Sons of the Crezent), directed by Brendan Canty, written by Villa Junior Lemanu and Canty, produced by Valentine Taylor, Roberto Nascimento, Belinda Bradley and Perry Bradley, has received the Show Me Shorts 2022 People’s Choice Award.

Short film Perfect Storm, written, directed and produced by Morag Brownlie, was nominated in three categories at the CLIMAX Film Awards in Spain, including Best Dance or Poetic Film, Best Experimental Film and Best Cinematography (Phill Prendeville, Sam Evans). The film also received an Honourable Mention in the Best Picture category.

Kiri and Lou, the handcrafted stop-motion television series for children, received a Children's and Young People BAFTA 2022 nomination. Nominees are producer Fiona Copland and writer/director Harry Sinclair. 

Talent Development News 

The NZFC Talent Development team is very proud to highlight three recent international progressions of NZ screen maker talent.

Writer/director Michelle Savill has recently been announced as one of the directors for the British TV show Sex Education series four. Michelle has been supported through short film funding (twice), individual talent grants, mentoring support and a professional placement prior to making her debut feature film, Mille Lies Low.

The second highlight is writer/director Alex Liu. He has been announced as the third recipient of the Black List/MGM open script deal. This is a great break for Alex who will work with MGM on developing a new project. Alex was supported through NZFC short film funding, with his short film Smog winning the 2022 Ngā Whanaunga Prize at NZIFF. He is currently working on his feature film, God Bless You, Mr. Kopu, with Ant Timpson serving as executive producer.  

Lastly, Talent Development join in celebrating the International Emmy® Award win for Best Short-Form Series (photo top left) for Rūrangi. After supporting six internships on the project, the Talent Development team continue to support talent attachment in the second series.

Industry News

The New Zealand Television Awards Winners 🏆

Congratulations to the teams behind The Panthers, Mystic: Series 2, Cowboy Bebop, A Mild Touch of Cancer, and Bird’s Eye View who all took home awards at the 2022 New Zealand Television Awards.

• The Panthers dominated the scripted categories winning eight awards including NZ On Air Best Drama. The historical drama series which chronicles the rise of the Polynesian Panthers in 1970s Tāmaki Makaurau also won Best Post Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Contribution to a Soundtrack, Best Editing: Drama/Comedy Drama, Images & Sound Best Cinematography: Drama/Comedy Drama and of the show’s three director finalists, Miki Magasiva was named Screen Auckland Best Director: Drama/Comedy Drama.

• David Long and Stephen Gallagher won the Images & Sound Best Original Score Award for Mystic: Series 2.

• Prisca Bouchet, Julie Alp and Annie Goldson won the Best Editing: Documentary or Factual Award for the Prime TV documentary A Mild Touch of Cancer.

• Gary Mackay, Alistair Kay and Anneke Botha won the Best Production Design Award for Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop.

• SweetShop & Green and Studio Local’s animated series Bird’s Eye View was named NZ On Air Best Children’s Programme.

Find the full list of finalists here

SPADA Screen Industry Award Winners 🏆

Recipients of the three annual SPADA (Screen Production and Development Association) Screen Industry Awards for 2021 were announced at the 2022 SPADA Screen Industry Summit held at the Rydges Auckland on Friday 25 November 2022. 

The 2021 SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year - Sponsored by Fulcrum Media Finance is writer/director Mia Maramara (below left).

The 2021 SPADA Independent Producer of the Year - Sponsored by Crombie Lockwood is Georgina Conder (below right).

The 2021 Industry Champion Award - Sponsored by SPADA / Data Book recipient is Adrian 'Wookie" Hebron.

NZFC News 

Diversity and Inclusion 

The NZFC He Ara Whakaurunga Kanorau | Diversity and Inclusion Strategy was published in June 2022. The NZFC Staff Diversity and Inclusion Committee meet weekly and work with the organisation to implement the initiatives laid out in the strategy. Since the strategy was published, we have:

• celebrated Matariki, Tonga Language Week, Māori Language Week, Mental Health Awareness Week and International Day of People with Disabilities. 

• had 10 staff complete Accessibility Training with the Ministry of Social Development

• developed an organisational Accessibility Policy 

• held hui with the Diversity and Inclusion Industry Leadership Group to discuss the progress of the strategy and co-design a set of Diversity and Inclusion Engagement  Principles 

• collected demographic data of NZFC staff – this will be published in the NZFC 2021-22 Annual Report

• continued to educate staff on the importance of pronouns and encouraged use in email signatures 

• created an anonymous feedback form on Diversity and Inclusion at the NZFC

The NZFC will be publishing progress reports on the strategy as part of our commitment to accountability and transparency. All progress reports can be found here.  

See-Saw Films Masterclass

NZFC was delighted to host a one-off half-day producing and financing masterclass, presented by See-Saw Films executives Libby Sharpe (bottom left) and Rebecca Hardman (bottom right); Head of Production and Head of Legal & Business Affairs, respectively.
Moderated by NZFC Board member Paula Jalfon (Ngāi Tahu) and supported by NZFC Head of Development & Production Leanne Saunders and Pou Whakahaere Te O Kahurangi Waaka, the masterclass was attended by 60 established and emerging NZ producers, members of the NZFC Gender Scholarship Rōpū, and NZFC staff. 
The NZFC wishes to thank Libby and Rebecca for making the journey from Sydney to share their knowledge and expertise, Paula Jalfon, SPADA, Rydges Auckland, and NZFC staff who supported the organisation of the Masterclass.

Filmmaker Opportunities

NZFC Holiday Hours
The NZFC will be closed from 12pm Thursday 22 December 2022 and will re-open at 9am on Monday 9 of January 2023. We would like to wish you all a very happy holiday season and all the best for 2023.

Thanks for keeping up with what's going on at the NZFC. Got a suggestion? Email us at feedback@nzfilm.co.nz. 

Ngā mihi ki a koutou katoa,

The NZFC Team