The New Zealand International Film Festival 2011 (NZIFF) will screen 20 short works as part of the MIC Homegrown Short Film Programme.

2011 has been a successful year for NZ short films and many of the films selected have screened to acclaim at international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Berlin and Tribeca in New York.

Deborah Lawler-Dormer, the Short Film Programme curator said “This year it’s great to support such a diversity of voices. Alongside the NZFC funded films we have independent films that have been created purely by passion and commitment to the art form.”

NZIFF has also expanded its support of emerging film-makers this year through a new initiative in Auckland at the Wintergarden (under The Civic Theatre) which will be utilised as The Film Café. Additional historic short film collections, film maker discussions and panels are all being programmed to give local film makers a chance to get even more out of the International Festival.

The New Zealand International Film Festival opens in Auckland on July 14^th, for more information see www.nzff.co.nz. The MIC Homegrown programme will run in Auckland on July 15^th and 16^th before travelling with the festival nationwide.

Twelve of the films selected have been funded through the NZ Film Commission – details below:

KORO’S MEDAL, directed by James Barr, travels to Edinburgh International Film Festival next week for its International Premiere. As a film made for children it will screen at the NZIFF in front of a (currently secret) children’s feature film.

BLUE, directed by Stephen Kang, has just won the Best Short Film Prize at the Semaine de la Critique in Cannes. Stephen is travelling to Shanghai International Film Festival on Friday to raise interest in his next feature film.

MEATHEAD, directed by Sam Holst, was one of nine films selected to compete at Festival du Cannes this year. Meathead has also been selected for the Melbourne International Film Festival.

EBONY SOCIETY, directed by Tammy Davis, has screened at Sundance, Berlin and Message Sticks in Australia. Tammy has attended all three festivals and has been funded for his next short film which is in pre-production now.

GO THE DOGS, directed by Jackie van Beek, had its World Premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. Jackie is currently in post-production on two more short films and developing a feature film to be shot in the Mackenzie country.

PREFERABLY BLUE, directed by Alan Dickson, has screened at SXSW, Tribeca and Stuttgart Film Festivals. Alan has been short listed with the NZFC low Budget scheme ‘Escalator’ with an animated feature film he is developing.

HAURAKI, directed by Kirsten Green, had its World Premiere at Tribeca earlier this year. The film stars Kirsten’s daughter Coco Lovatt and was initially self-funded.

MENISCUS, directed by Maria-Elena Doyle, is about to have its World Premiere at Annecy International Animated Film Festival. It’s the first NZ film to be selected for this prestigious festival. Elena has also been funded to produce her next short film entitled ‘INORGANIC’ this year.

EELING, directed by Peter McCully, has recently been selected to screen at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival in Korea, Asia’s largest genre film gala.

BIRD, directed by Jane Shearer and Steve Ayson, has been selected by Sydney International Film Festival and Palm Springs in the US. This film is the third in a highly successful collaboration between the directors which started with The French Doors in 2001 and was followed by NATURE’S WAY which was selected for Cannes in 2006.

MONIFA, directed by Luke Savage, is hot off the press and has been completed just in time for the NZIFF so this screening will mark the film’s World Premiere.

ELAINE RIDES AGAIN is directed by Michelle Savill, who has just completed a 3 month internship with leading independent film company Killer Films in New York.

And the winners are…

Best Actor – Short Film (Aotearoa Audience Award)

HARLEN HOANI THOMPSON IN “KORO’S MEDAL” DIRECTED BY JAMES BARR

Best Male Actor – Feature Film (2011 Aotearoa Drama)

RANGIMOANA TAYLOR IN “HOOK LINE AND SINKER” DIRECTED BY ANDREA BOSSHARD & SHANE LOADER

Best Female Actor – Feature Film (2011 Aotearoa Drama)

MABEL WHAREKAWA-BURT IN “MATARIKI” DIRECTED BY MICHAEL BENNETT

Best Short Film (2011 Aotearoa Audience Award)

“TAKU RAKU E” DIRECTOR KARARAINA RANGIHAU PRODUCER MERATA MITA

Best International Indigenous Entry (2011 Festival)

“LANI’S STORY” DIRECTOR GENEVIEVE GRIEVES (AUSTRALIA)

Best Aotearoa Feature Drama or Documentary (2011 Festival)

“MATARIKI” DIRECTOR MICHAEL BENNETT

Mana Wairoa Festival Prize (Best Overall Entry Festival 2011)

“OCTOBER 15″ DIRECTOR KIM WEBBY PRODUCER PIETRA BRETKELLY

WIFT Mana Wahine Award 2011

KATIE WOLFE

Katie Wolfe (Ngati Tama, Ngati Mutunga, Pakeha) is a film maker, actor and director, having completed two short films (“THIS IS HER” and “REDEMPTION”) and most recently directed her first feature “NIGHTS IN THE GARDEN OF SPAIN” which is screening next month at Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco.

International Indigenous Entry

“LANI’S STORY” is the true story of a young woman surviving abuse and addiction. Lani Brennan, the subject of the film, is of both Aboriginal and Maori descent.

Mana Wairoa Festival Prize

“OCTOBER 15.” The film profiles the day, October 15, 2007, that New Zealand Police launched anti-terrorism raids on the people of Tuhoe, in Ruatoki Valley and beyond. The Mana Wairoa Festival Prize recognises the most outstanding entry to the year’s festival and also has a kaupapa of supporting film makers whose work contributes to the advancement of the human rights of indigenous peoples.

The Wairoa Maori Film Festival is a non-political not-for-profit community event presented annually by Te Roopu Whakaata Maori Inc. Parts of the programme are travelling on to screenings in Auckland, Invercargill and Raglan.

Go to www.manawairoa.com for more information.

NZ Short film 'Poppy'

NZ short Film Poppy awarded for its innovation of motion capture and flawless facial animation. Poppy has been awarded the Computer Animation Festival’s Jury Prize ahead of the SIGGRAPH 2010 International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, which is being held in Los Angeles on the 25th – 29th July.

Poppy is a CGI drama set on France’s Western Front during World War I. Based on true events, two NZ soldiers trapped behind enemy lines find a crying baby while trying to make their way to safety. Directed by James Cunningham and produced by Paul Swadel, the film’s writer, David Coyle, is a great grandson of one of the soldiers. This is the first time a NZ film has won an award at the Computer Animation Festival.

The film was chosen from 750 submissions from around the globe, presented by both professional studios and students alike. In announcing the award, the Festival Jury said Poppy was an innovative combination of motion capture with exquisite facial animation.

Director James Cunningham said “I have attended SIGGRAPH about four times since 1998. To have something selected to screen there is a dream of mine and to win an award is phenomenal. The Jury’s acknowledgement of the hand key frame facial animation is a testament to the great actors we had to work with. Congratulations and thanks to Matt Sunderland, Paul Glover, Camille Keenan and Marek Sumich; and also to Weta Digital’s incredible motion capture team. The body movements they recorded were superb and I was so lucky to be able to work with them on Poppy.”

In all, 100 films will be shown during the Computer Animation Festival. Some of the year’s top visual effects for feature films are featured in the Computer Animation Festival including Avatar, The Last Airbender, Sherlock Holmes, Iron Man 2, Prince of Persia, 2012, and Alice in Wonderland.

Poppy was made in association with the Short Film Fund of the New Zealand Film Commission.

For more information on Poppy please visit the film’s website:

http://www.poppyfilm.com/index.html

To view the trailer please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyUWxV2rY-c

'Warbrick' NZ short film honoured in Montreal

New Zealand short film ‘Warbrick’ honoured in an international film festival in Montreal, Canada.

New Zealand film making brothers Meihana and Pere Durie have been awarded the TEUEIKAN prize at Montreal First People’s Film Festival.

Warbrick is a short drama based on the true story of Joe Warbrick and the 1888 New Zealand Natives rugby tour of Great Britain. Set in London 1889, Joe Warbrick – the captain of the physically exhausted New Zealand Natives rugby team – must inspire his side to play, or risk forfeiting the test match against England.

The Teueikan award, which refers to a sacred shamanic drum in the Innu language, is 2nd prize overall, where short films and features are awarded in the same category. It is awarded based on the jury’s judgement of the artistic and creative quality of the film

Warbrick is written and directed by Meihana and Pere Durie and produced by Mina Mathieson.

The Montreal First People’s Festival celebrates indigenous cultures and their stories with the aim of encouraging first nation artists to represent their cultures to a wider national and international community.

The judges commented that though in Montreal they were not familiar with the characters of Warbrick they could associate strongly with the universal themes common to many first nation cultures ’Resilience, in spite of the odds, obstacles, difficulties, exhaustion, unfairness, inequity.’

Warbrick won ‘Best Short Film’ at the 2009 Wairoa Maori Film Festival in New Zealand.

Warbrick was made with finance from the Short Film Fund of the NZ Film Commission. International sales are handled by NZ Film, which is the sales arm of the NZFC.

For more information on the Montreal First People’s Film Festival visit their website: http://www.nativelynx.qc.ca/10/en/index.html

Warbrick- short film excerpt Link- warbrick

SIx Dollar Fifty Man - Andy

The Six Dollar Fifty Man seems to be doing well.

Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland’s short film The Six Dollar Fifty Man has taken out the top prize at Flickerfest 2010 19th International Short Film Festival in Australia which qualifies the film for consideration for the 2011 Academy® Awards.

The film has won the ‘Cooper Award’ for ‘Best Short Film’ at the International Film Festival which is based in Bondi Beach, Sydney. Flickerfest 2010 received a record 1500 entries in its 19th year as Australasia’s only Academy® Award accredited Short Film festival.

This award follows The Six Dollar Fifty Man’s recent selections for the upcoming Berlin and Sundance film festivals as well as the world’s most important short film festival in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The film has gone from strength to strength after having its world premiere and later gaining ‘Special Distinction’ at Festival de Cannes in France in May 2009.

Written and directed by Wellingtonians Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland and produced by Wendy Cuthbert, The Six Dollar Fifty Man tells the story of a gutsy 8-year-old boy who retreats into a make believe world to deal with playground bullying.

The 15 minute short won a slate of awards at the 2009 Qantas Film and Television Awards, which included: Best Short Film, Best Performance in a Short Film and Best Screenplay for a Short Film. It also won the ‘Black Pearl Award 09’ for ‘Best Narrative Short’ at the Middle East International Film Festival in the United Arab Emirates and Best Short Fiction Film in the official competition of Expresion En Corto International Film Festival in Mexico.

The Six Dollar Fifty Man was made with finance from the Short Film Fund of the NZ Film Commission. International sales are handled by NZ Film, which is the sales arm of the NZFC.

Flickerfest 2010 19th International Film Festival took place from 8th – 18th January. For more information visit www.flickerfest.com.au

SIx Dollar Fifty Man - Andy

For the second year running Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland have taken out a short film award at Cannes.

The New Zealand short film The Six Dollar Fifty Man has been awarded the Special Distinction in the Short Film Competition of the 62nd Festival De Cannes in France yesterday.

This is the second time that Wellington writer/directors Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland have been awarded the Special Distinction at Cannes; the first time was in 2007 for their acclaimed short film Run.

“It’s a huge honour to twice receive the Special Distinction in the Short Film Competition, particularly as Cannes is the world’s most important film festival.” says New Zealand Film Commission Short Film Manager, Juliette Veber.

The Cannes Short Film jury awarded João Salaviza’s Arena from Portugal the Palme d’Or. The Six Dollar Fifty Man competed with seven other international short films selected for the Competition programme, including the New Zealand/Danish co-produced short Lars and Peter.

Cannes Director of Film, Christian Jeune said that in the history of the event, New Zealand has had more short films chosen for Cannes than any other country in the world apart from France.

The Six Dollar Fifty Man tells the story of Andy, a gutsy 8 year-old boy who retreats into a make believe world to deal with playground bullying. The film was made with finance from the NZ Film Commission, produced by Wendy Cuthbert and executive produced by Shuchi Kothari and Sarina Pearson of Nomadz Unlimited. Mark Albiston, Louis Sutherland and Wendy Cuthbert attended the festival to present their film.

Cannes took place from 13 – 24 May and combines a festival and market, offering a mix of international participants more diverse than any other film event. For more information on the Cannes Film Festival visit www.festival-cannes.com

PAST NEW ZEALAND SHORT FILMS SELECTED BY CANNES:

2009 The Six Dollar Fifty Man (directors Mark Albiston, Louis Sutherland) – Special Distinction-In Competition, Cannes
2009 Lars and Peter (director Daniel Borgman) – In Competition, Cannes
2007 Run (director Mark Albiston) – Special Distinction-In Competition, Cannes
2007 Fog (director Peter Salmon) – Critics’ Week, Cannes
2006 Nature’s Way (director Jane Shearer) – In Competition, Cannes
2005 Nothing Special (director Helena Brooks) – In Competition, Cannes
2004 Closer (director David Rittey) – In Competition, Cannes
2003 Turangawaewae (director Peter Burger) – Critics’ Week, Cannes
2002 Cow (director Michael Bennett) – Special Programme, Critics’ Week, Cannes
2000 Infection (director James Cunningham) – In Competition, Cannes
1996 The Beach (director Dorthe Scheffmann) – In Competition, Cannes
1996 This Film is a Dog (director Jonathan Ogilvie) – In Competition, Cannes
1996 Planet Man (director Andrew Bancroft) – Best Short Film, Critics’ Week, Cannes
1995 Despondent Divorcée (director Jonathan Ogilvie) – In Competition, Cannes
1994 Sure To Rise (director Niki Caro) – In Competition, Cannes
1994 Lemming Aid (director Grant Lahood) – In Competition, Cannes
1994 The Dig (director Neil Pardington) – Official Selection, Cannes
1994 Stroke (director Christine Jeffs) – Official Selection, Cannes
1994 The Model (director Jonathan Brough) – Official Selection, Cannes
1994 A Game With No Rules (director Scott Reynolds) – Official Selection, Cannes
1994 I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (director Michael Hurst) – Official Selection, Cannes
1994 Eau De La Vie (director Simon Baré) – Official Selection, Cannes
1993 Lenny Minute (director Glenn Standring) – In Competition, Cannes
1993 The Singing Trophy (director Grant Lahood) – Special Mention-In Competition, Cannes
1991 Mon Desir (director Nicky Marshall) – Un Certain Regard, Cannes
1989 Kitchen Sink (director Alison McLean) – In Competition, Cannes

“Edinburgh is one of the UK’s premiere festivals, so we are thrilled to have three New Zealand short films selected this year. This Is Her, Careful with that Axe and New Educational Series: Canaries In Colour are very different films but each share a subversive sense of humour. This fits perfectly with Edinburgh’s reputation for exposing cutting edge new talent,” says NZFC Short Film Manager Juliette Veber.

This Is Her is a 12 minute black tale directed by Katie Wolfe about the bitter aftertaste of love. As she watches her younger self in the throes of childbirth, Evie’s devastatingly wry commentary reveals exactly what life has in store for her, her loving husband, and the six year old bitch who will one day steal his affections and destroy her life. This is Her is written by Kate McDermott and produced by Felicity Letcher and Rachel Lorimer.

Careful with that Axe is a two minute black comedy written and directed by Jason Stutter about a young boy who tries his hand wood chopping firewood with his father’s razor sharp axe. Finding the axe heavy, he rests his bare foot on the chopping block… The short film is inspired by the song Careful with that Axe, Eugene by Pink Floyd and it screens before the “darkly witty” British feature film Mum and Dad.

New Educational Series – Canaries In Colour is an animated pastiche of found graphic material from AV learning programs of the 1970s by Jill Kennedy. The viewer is taken on a psychedelic journey through a book of canaries, with animated excursions to scrolling landscapes of the Scottish Highlands and back again. Canaries In Colour will screens in Black Box shorts, a section dedicated to new experimental work.

This Is Her was funded by the Short Film Fund of the New Zealand Film Commission. Careful with that Axe and New Educational Series – Canaries In Colour were funded independently by the filmmakers. Jill Kennedy will travel to Edinburgh to attend the screenings with assistance from the New Zealand Film Commission.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival is one of the UK’s most significant and valued cultural institutions. The festival aims to stand internationally as a festival of discovery, a celebration of cinema, a centre of debate and a catalyst for new films.

The 62nd Edinburgh International Film Festival runs 18 – 29 June 2008, for more information see www.edfilmfest.org.uk

Fans of New Zealand short film have two free nights of entertainment to look forward to thanks to Rialto Channel. As part of the country’s premier film and television Awards, The Air New Zealand Screen Awards 2007, Rialto Channel is hosting two nights of exceptional New Zealand Short Film screenings at Bar3, SkyCity, Auckland.

What: Air New Zealand Short Film Screenings brought to you by Rialto Channel

Location: Bar3, SKYCITY Level 3, Atrium End Cnr Victoria & Federal St’s, City Central

Date/s & time/s: TWO dates only – Tuesday 17 & 24 July, 7.00 – 9.00pm (both sessions)

Admission: FREE entry (R18 restricted entry due to Bar3 licensing)

Screening details:

Tuesday 17th July- Humorous/Animation
Films screening include:
USO Brother, Big Bad Wolves, The Hit, Pearl Florrie & The Bull,
The Paselode Story, A Very Nice Honeymoon

Tuesday 24 July – Drama
Films screening include:
The Memory Booth, The King Boys, Shadow Over The Sun, Hawaiiki, Fish n Chip Shop