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Two films to screen at BFI London Film Festival
NewsIssue date: 5 Sep 2017Tusi Tamasese’s One Thousand Ropes and Toa Fraser’s 6 Days will screen in October’s BFI London Film Festival. One Thousand Ropes, written and directed by Tusi Tamasese and produced by Catherine Fitzgerald is the story of a father re-connecting with his...
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Vertical Entertainment acquires 6 DAYS for North America; XYZ Films sells out for the world
NewsIssue date: 14 Mar 2017Los Angeles, March 13, 2017 – Toa Fraser’s thriller 6 Days, starring Jamie Bell, Abbie Cornish, and Mark Strong, has been acquired by Vertical Entertainment for North American rights with a target U.S. theatrical date in Fall 2017. Additionally,...
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25 April director sole woman in Animated Feature Oscar category
NewsIssue date: 25 Nov 2016The animated documentary 25 April about the WWI Gallipoli campaign is the first New Zealand movie to qualify for a Best Animated Feature Academy Award. 25 April was produced by Matthew Metcalfe, directed by Leanne Pooley and animated by...
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Screen Industry Survey Released
NewsIssue date: 9 Apr 2019The annual Statistics New Zealand screen industry survey was released today and shows that screen revenue eased since the record high level it saw in the 2016-17 financial year. Total screen industry revenue in the 2017-18 period was $3.3 billion. “...
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Farewell to Anzac Wallace
NewsIssue date: 8 Apr 2019The NZFC and the New Zealand screen industry sadly bid farewell to actor Anzac Wallace. Best known for his role as Te Wheke in Geoff Murphy’s Utu, Wallace’s first on-screen appearance was in The Bridge, a documentary by Merata Mita and Gerd Pohlmann...
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Expression of Interest: Producer for Ngā Pouwhenua Joint Indigenous Initiative
NewsIssue date: 7 Mar 2019The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) is looking for an experienced Māori producer to collaborate with an Australian Indigenous Producer (appointed by Screen Australia) on Ngā Pouwhenua, a one-off joint indigenous initiative. Two overarching...
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Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
ShowcaseIssue date: 15 Nov 2017Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is the visually spectacular new adventure film from Luc Besson, the legendary director of The Professional, The Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita and Lucy. Based on the groundbreaking comic book series that...
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The Shannara Chronicles
ShowcaseIssue date: 9 Aug 2017A year after the events of last season, the Four Lands is in chaos. The re-emergence of magic has the populace terrified, and an organization called the Crimson is hunting down magic users, using fear and intimidation to sow discord among the races. Wil...
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Wonder Woman
ShowcaseIssue date: 14 Mar 2017Gal Gadot stars as the title character in the epic action-adventure from director Patty Jenkins. Joining Gadot in the international cast are Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Elena Anaya, Ewen Bremner, Lucy Davis,...
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Blade Runner 2049
ShowcaseIssue date: 2 Mar 2018Three decades after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD...
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Ash vs Evil Dead
ShowcaseIssue date: 24 Oct 2018Ash vs Evil Dead, a 10-episode half-hour series, is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film, The Evil Dead. The third season finds Ash, having gone from murderous urban legend to humanity-saving hometown hero, discovering that he has a...
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First Look at The Chills Feature Film Released
NewsIssue date: 25 Mar 2019Fresh from a sell-out world premiere at the prestigious SXSW film festival in Austin, Texas, the debut trailer for The Chills: The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps has been released. In cinemas nationwide on 2 May, the film is...
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Raupapa Whakaari Funding: Drama to the World Deadline Extension
NewsIssue date: 14 Mar 2019Based on industry feedback, the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air and Script to Screen have extended the deadline for applications for Raupapa Whakaari: Drama to the World by two weeks. NEW DEADLINE for RAUPAPA WHAKAARI: DRAMA TO THE WORLD -...
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New Appointments to the Film Commission
NewsIssue date: 6 Mar 2019Aucklanders Sandra Kailahi and Anthony (Ant) Timpson have been appointed to the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “Both bring huge expertise and knowledge to the...
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Rose Matafeo and Matthew Lewis to Star in New Piki Films Comedy Baby,Done
NewsIssue date: 5 Mar 2019Production is underway in Auckland for Piki Films’ new feature film, Baby, Done staring Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Rose Matafeo (The Breaker Upperers, Funny Girls) and English actor Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter,...
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Closed Captions for Daffodils
NewsIssue date: 1 Mar 2019Daffodils, a bittersweet love story told with beautiful re-imaginings of iconic New Zealand songs will be able to be enjoyed in cinemas by the hearing impaired alongside their hearing friends. In a first for a New Zealand film, Daffodils distributor,...
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NZFC & Screen Australia Partner on Indigenous initiative
NewsIssue date: 28 Feb 2019October 2019 and April 2020 respectively mark the 250th anniversary of James Cook’s maiden voyage to the Pacific, New Zealand and Australia. The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and Screen Australia’s Indigenous Department are partnering on a one-off...
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Wellington Filmmakers Set to Develop Projects in Renowned Accelerator
NewsIssue date: 22 Feb 2019The depth of talent in Wellington’s screen sector is once again on the global stage, with four participants joining Screen Canberra’s Accelerator Film Pod 2019, to develop and market-test feature film projects with strong commercial prospects. Screen...
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Vale Peter Wells
NewsIssue date: 21 Feb 2019With great sadness the NZFC and the New Zealand screen industry bids farewell to writer and director Peter Wells. A life-long lover of film, Peter’s first short film, Foolish Things (1980) was an experimental piece which screened in Australia and won...
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Trailer for The Heart Dances Released
NewsIssue date: 12 Feb 2019Rialto Distribution are thrilled to share with you the full theatrical trailer for The Heart Dances - the journey of The Piano: the ballet. The Heart Dances tracks the creation of The Piano: the ballet, commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Ballet....
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Hui Whakawhānui Pūkenga: Extending Your Talent Opportunities For Story Assessment and Story Development With Louise Gough
NewsIssue date: 25 Jan 2019The New Zealand Film Commission in partnership with Louise Gough (Australia) is offering two opportunities for a select group of industry professionals to elevate and upskill their story assessment and development skills for screen storytelling. Script...
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Raupapa Whakaari: Drama to the World - Applications Open 18 February
NewsIssue date: 4 Feb 2019The New Zealand Film Commission and NZ On Air in conjunction with Script to Screen present RAUPAPA WHAKAARI, a new initiative designed to develop and package distinctive high-end series drama for the international market. The initiative supports writer/...
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Sundance Institute's Merata Mita Fellowship Awarded to New Zealand Filmmakers
NewsIssue date: 29 Jan 2019The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) congratulates Ainsley Gardiner and Briar Grace-Smith on receiving the 2019 Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship announced at the Sundance Film Festival today. Selected from a global call for...
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New Zealand Women Directors in the Spotlight at 2019 Berlinale
NewsIssue date: 17 Jan 2019A record number of New Zealand women directors are among the filmmakers to have films selected for the 2019 Berlin Film Festival. In total there are ten New Zealand films in official selection with a delegation of 28 New Zealand filmmakers...
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Two New Zealand Films Head to SXSW
NewsIssue date: 17 Jan 2019Two New Zealand films have been announced to screen at the prestigious SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas in March. The Chills: The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps will have its world premiere at the festival, with Vai following its world...
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Ngā manaakitanga o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou ki a koutou katoa
NewsIssue date: 21 Dec 2018The New Zealand Film Commission wishes all of you a very happy holiday season and all the best for the New Year. Our offices will be closed from 22 December 2018 until 7 January 2019. We look forward to seeing you again in 2019.
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New Funding Opportunity for Pasifika and Asian New Zealand Filmmakers Announced
NewsIssue date: 27 Oct 2018Pasifika and Asian filmmakers have an exciting new opportunity to develop stories that reflect their diverse communities and voices on screen, with a new funding initiative announced today by the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air and TVNZ at the Big...
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Bill Gosden to retire after 40 years at NZIFF
NewsIssue date: 19 Dec 2018We received the sad news today that after 40 years leading the NZIFF, Director Bill Gosden is to retire in 2019. Here is his letter of farewell to New Zealand's film-loving community. Kia ora, te whānau, I'm chiming into the December frenzy...
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Notice of Administrative Change to the New Zealand Screen Production Grant for New Zealand Productions
NewsIssue date: 18 Dec 2018From 1 January 2019 Qualifying New Zealand Production Expenditure (QNZPE) will no longer be assessed as part of Provisional applications for the New Zealand Screen Production Grant - New Zealand Productions (NZSPG-NZ). Provisional...
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Annabelle Sheehan's Speech to the Big Screen Symposium 2018
NewsIssue date: 27 Nov 2018The following is a transcript of Annabelle Sheehan's speech given on Saturday, 27 October 2018 at the Big Screen Symposium, Auckland, New Zealand. A mihi for Big Screen Symposium Tēnā koutou katoa Ka nui te mihi / ki a koutou katoa /mo tēnei/ te...
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Raupapa Whakaari Funding: Drama to the world
NewsIssue date: 12 Dec 2018At the recent SPADA Conference, the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) and NZ On Air (NZOA) announced a joint venture to co-fund the development of high-end adult drama series that will appeal to the international market as well as New Zealand...
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Canadian co-production agreement signed
NewsIssue date: 14 Sep 2016A new film co-production agreement between New Zealand and Canada will build on the strong screen sector relationships linking both countries, Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry says. New Zealand High Commissioner to Canada, Daniel Mellsop...
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New Zealand Film Legend Geoff Murphy Passes
NewsIssue date: 4 Dec 2018It is with much sadness that the New Zealand Film Commission acknowledges the death of Geoff Murphy on Monday, 3 December 2018 in Wellington. Geoff was a producer, director and screenwriter who was one of the leading figures in New Zealand cinema’s...
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Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen to have Sundance premiere
NewsIssue date: 29 Nov 2018Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen will have its international premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The film had its world premiere at the 2018 New Zealand International Film Festival, and last month, director Heperi Mita was awarded...
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New Zealand Film Commission releases Annual Report for 2017-18
NewsIssue date: 28 Nov 2018The New Zealand Film Commission’s Annual Report 2017/18 was tabled in Parliament. Releasing the report, Film Commission Chair Kerry Prendergast said, "In January we welcomed Annabelle Sheehan to the NZFC as our new CEO. Annabelle comes to us with a...
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125 Fund Recipients Announced
NewsIssue date: 20 Nov 2018At the recent Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA) Conference held in Wellington, New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) CEO, Annabelle Sheehan announced funding of three feature films through the NZFC’s 125 Fund. Launched in June this year...