The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has announced the nominees for the Samsung AACTA Awards in 2012.

Internationally awarded animator, writer and director Adam Elliot joined actors Alexandra Schepisi, Daniel Henshall and Claudia Karvan at Sydney’s National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) to announce the nominees, which confirmed the strength of Australian film and television in 2011.

Highlighting the reach and diversity of our screen industry, the nominations are spread across 14 Feature Films (out of a possible 21), 14 Documentaries, four Short Animations, six Short Fiction Films and 23 Television Productions.

The strength of Award entrants and nominees confirms the creativity, passion and vitality of Australia’s film and television industry, and we thank all entrants, and congratulate all nominees in what was an exceptionally competitive year.

Winners of the inaugural Samsung AACTA Awards will be announced at two major events in Sydney – the Samsung AACTA Awards Luncheon, presented by Digital Pictures (Sunday 15 January) and the inaugural Samsung AACTA Awards Ceremony (Tuesday 31 January).

TVNZ has announced its new season of programming. The line-up includes all the biggest returning series as well as local dramas and international blockbuster movies.

Top picks for TV1 include a brand news series of Absolutely Fabulous and our own Sam Neill starring in a new drama called Alcatraz revolving around America’s most infamous prison, as well as more stories from Beyond the Darklands and Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.

New shows for TV2 include 2 Broke Girls and Chelsea Straight Up starring Laura Prepon from That 70s Show, as well as returning series such as American Idol and Go Girls.

For the full line-up visit the TVNZ website here.

Below is a listing of the top ten programmes on NZTV, recorded as of the 18th of August 2011 via Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

The top programme being watched is still One news TV ONE, with a mixture of New Zealand drama and current affairs programmes dominating the other top spots.

To watch some of these programmes please follow this link to the TVNZ website.

Below is a listing of the top ten programmes on NZTV, recorded as of the 18th July 2011 via Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

The top programme being watched is Shortland Street, with News programmes dominating the remainder, and interestingly The Food Truck is currently rating fourth – a reality TV programme looking at the challenge of making fast food healthy.To watch some of these programmes please follow this link to the TVNZ website.

For Shadow a homeless Aucklander who has spent most of his life on the streets. Drama has been a been a positive  and life changing experience.

“Shadow”, who says he has forgotten his real name because of years of glue-sniffing, started living on the streets in his early teens because of problems at home with his mother’s boyfriend.

Yesterday, at a national conference on homelessness, he sang and played the harmonica and with five other homeless men.

He also plays a homeless man in a TV3 series called Super City.

“They had to get a streetie to play a streetie,” he said. “I hope they do another series, I wouldn’t mind doing some more work. It was cool.”

Auckland City Mission homeless worker Wilf Holt, who helped to form the drama group 18 months ago, said it tapped the skills of people such as Shadow and guitarist Jem Pauro, 41, both regular Queen St buskers.

The group worked with professionals from The Edge to put on a show called Homeless Economics in the recent Auckland Fringe Festival.

Another member, Garry, 55, said he had known most of the members for 10 years and the drama group was “the biggest positive change I’ve seen”.

“To see them come out in front of people – wow!

“For me, it’s been the greatest distraction in my life. It takes me away from my personal issues that I can’t fathom to understand. It’s an extraordinary thing, I believe this should be part and parcel of every country’s homeless policy.”

Iris Pahau, of the Coalition to End Homelessness, which organised yesterday’s conference, said homelessness was “sadly, a growing industry”.

Auckland Night Shelter manager Corie Haddock, who co-chairs the coalition, said he was advising Tauranga police, council and churches about a planned night shelter for a growing number of rough sleepers. He will meet another group in Palmerston North in June.

He said the coalition wanted a parliamentary inquiry into all aspects of homelessness, including boarding houses, overcrowding and substandard houses as well as rough sleeping.

National MP Katrina Shanks, who chairs Parliament’s social services committee, said the committee felt the whole issue was too broad and lacked adequate research, but it was considering an inquiry into boarding houses.

“We have just done a lot of legislative changes with the Residential Tenancies Act,” she said.

“So it’s a good bit of work to see whether it’s changing what we are concerned about, which is slum landlords.”

For a full listing of this story please follow this link

Jax Hamilton and Anthony McEntee and judge Simon Gault (centre) preparing dishes for Euro relaunch party .

Things heated up last night on the latest episode of NZ master chef. The challenge was to cook for 100 vip’s at the launch of Simon Gault Euro Restaurant. The top ten impressed and judges decided to reward them with no one being sent home last night. Which forms the question is there going to be a double elimination next week?

The day started well for the contestants, boarding a party bus, believing they had a day of relaxation ahead of them.

Instead, they were told by judge Simon Gault, they were about to face one of their hardest challenges yet – cooking five-star dishes for the relaunch of Gault’s restaurant, Euro.

The group was divided into five teams of two, the first time the group had been paired up in a challenge, with each team preparing a dish for the guests.

The team with the highest score would be rewarded with a dinner at Euro, prepared by Gault himself, while one member of the losing team would be sent home.

So began a stressful day of prepping, cooking and well cooking again, as contestants faced up to the reality of preparing meals in a professional kitchen.

In the words of contestant Anthony McEntee, “We weren’t just thrown in the deep-end, we were shot out of a canon into the middle of the Atlantic and expected to swim to shore.”

McEntee, who was paired with Jax Hamilton, had the challenge of preparing duck breasts with foie gras ice cream and provided one of the more lighter moments in the kitchen when he binned several duck breasts after burning them.

That left him short of several duck breasts, but he played dumb when Hamilton counted and said they were short.

He said his main memory of the day was “fright”.

McEntee said the contestants were ”duped” into getting on a party bus but the mood quickly turned to one of terror once the challenge was laid bare.

“It was a very daunting prospect.”

And he said he has an innocent explanation about the duck breasts which ended up in the bin.

“We were only ever given 35 duck breasts to begin with and then I had to go source some more.

“We were given a chef to help us catch up for a bit, so it was blind panic because I didn’t realise that I didn’t have enough duck breasts.

“Later on, who knows what happened to them. Three or so went in the bin.

“There was no covering there, when you’re under so much pressure you just forget to do the simplest things.

“I use numbers all day, everyday in my job and I couldn’t count.”

Even making the ice cream was filled with pitfalls.

“After the first effort I was told by the chef it was not good enough and was then told off for wasting Euro’s food produce.

“To be honest I was quite intimidated and when he said ”you’ll have to make do” I assumed he meant I had to use the remaining 14 eggs.

“I didn’t realise there were trays and trays of eggs out the back I could have easily gone and used.

“I used 14 eggs and tried to alter the recipe in my head but when Gault came over and asked me if I’d followed the recipe it fell apart.”

If contestants needed anymore pressure they got it in the form of Euro’s restaurant manager Robere Pothier, who seemed to terrify everyone in his path.

“My grandmother’s been dead for 10years and she’d be faster than you tonight,” he barked at one point.

McEntee said he doesn’t think the staff were trying to be hard “it’s just the way they are as professionals”.

“Robere only accepted the best and would tell us he had seen better things on the back streets of Paris. He was intimidating.”

By the end of the service McEntee said everyone had learnt so much about what it takes to be a chef.

“And the passion that we all thought we had, that was the true test of it.”

Stu Todd and Nadia Lim won the competition but McEntee and Hamilton found themselves in the bottom team, with Michael Lee and a very worried and teary Tracey Lee Hooton getting the second lowest score.

So it must have been pure relief when Gault announced nobody was going home.

“Euro’s my baby and you didn’t break it.”

To watch this episode of NZ Master Chef please follow this link

What did you think of this episode, let us know.

TVNZ launches U, a ground-breaking new channel which integrates online social networking with broadcast content for the first time on New Zealand screens. U is a commercial free-to-air digital channel which features a mix of real life and factual entertainment programming and is aimed at all Kiwis aged 15-24.

The channel kicks off with our first ever episode of U live – a live daily interactive entertainment music show hosted by Connor Nester, Rose Matafeo and Tim Lambourne. Packed with giveaways, guests and entertainment news, no two shows will be the same. U live airs every day between 4pm and 7pm.

TVNZ has worked closely with Facebook to create a truly interactive show. Fans of the U live Facebook app are able to comment on topics, post pictures, vote in polls and peek behinds the scenes of the show through a live stream “producer cam”. Comments will then be pulled into the broadcast and onto screen, giving viewers a chance to interact with the presenters and each other like never before.

TVNZ’s Head of Digital Media and Channels Eric Kearley says that TVNZ is delighted to bring New Zealand its first true “social television” experience through the Facebook integration.

“It’s the first true technology-driven integration of online social media with television in New Zealand.”

U tv, which starts tonight and airs every Sunday at 8.30pm, gives viewers another chance to interact with the broadcast. People can enter a competition to be the U programmer for a month via the channel’s website. The lucky winner will effectively “own” the slot, choosing what viewers watch and then, via a video link, present their choices to NZ.

The rest of the schedule is made up of a selection of shows new to New Zealand audiences that are sure to shock, inspire and entertain. Britain’s Missing Top Model explores the biggest taboo in modelling… the lack of disabled models. The Buried Life follows the real life adventure of four guys on an epic quest to prove that anyone can do anything and to challenge strangers with the ultimate question: “What do you want to do before you die?”. And G Girls follows the glitzy team behind Britain’s top glossy – Glamour magazine. This is the series that gives fashion fans the kind of inside access they can only dream of.

According to Kearley, U is an innovative step for broadcasting in New Zealand and fills a gap in the market.

“We had identified that there was an opportunity to extend the content available for young New Zealanders with new locally made and overseas programming. U will be the only fully localised youth channel in the market providing bespoke opportunities for New Zealand advertisers to speak to young Kiwis.”

U will be broadcast on Freeview/TiVo channel 6 and SKY/Telstra channel 016.

For more information about “u” Channel please follow this link to the TVNZ page or follow this link to their Face book page.

This could be you!

One of Maori Televisions most watched and favourite shows is about to hit our screens once again with a new season. Homai Te Pakipaki gives entertainers, wannabes and anyone willing to leave their inhibitions at the door and let loose on the stage. You are given your fifteen minutes of fame, and a chance to win $10,000.

From March 18, HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI will once again be broadcasting live from Maori Television’s Newmarket studios every Friday night at 8.30pm. The karaoke show’s producer, Erina Tamepo, hopes to see the verandah full to busting with keen and eager contestants as soon as auditions start at 4.30pm that day.

“From that moment it’s all go as we screen the wannabe contestants and select the ten or so who’ll go on to perform live on air,” says Erina. “It’s always an amazing experience as 90% of the kaiwaiata (singers) have never been in a studio before, so there are usually some emotional moments – for them and for us! Unlike many other television singing shows, most of our kaiwaiata aren’t here because they want to be stars; they just really love singing and dream of singing in front of an audience. Our show is unsanitised, spontaneous and fun.”

Again, unlike many other similar shows, contestants on HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI have no rehearsal, no coaching, no choreography and only a little prep. After being selected to sing, they’re through to make-up and in front of the cameras, where it’s up to them to show the text voting audience at home what they’ve got.

The 2011 season sees the return of hosts Matai Smith (Rongowhakaata, Ngai Tamanuhiri, Ngati Kahungungu) and Te Hamua Nikora (Te Tai Rawhiti), who have both seen a wide range of talent in their time on the show.

“One of the reasons HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI has been so successful is that you don’t necessarily have to be a fantastic singer to get on air, although we’ve had some phenomenal singers on,” says Matai. “There’s so much aroha emanating from our audience that as long as you do your best, that’s all that matters. I love that HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI is so raw and so real. It’s not fabricated and slick – it’s all about the talent.”

As in previous years, the winner of each of the 20 heats receives $1000 and the chance to compete for prizes in the two semi finals, then $10,000 in the grand final, scheduled for August 26.

The auditions are open to anyone and whanau come from far and wide to sing their hearts out on HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI, and it’s not unusual to see familiar faces turning up.

“HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI has quickly become an institution in our nation, one I am extremely proud to be a part of. To be back to co-host the 2011 season of Homai, for me, is both a privilege and an honour. I absolutely love the job and am committed to bringing my own flavour to help with the uniqueness of Aotearoa’s favourite entertainment show” says Te Hamua.

For information on how to enter, visit the HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI page on Maori Television’s website www.maoritelevision.com

Audio Description – the visual equivalent of captioning for hearing impaired audiences – begins on March 1 with episodes of Coronation Street.

Audio description is an optional additional narrative, spoken by a neutral voice, which describes the on-screen action in between dialogue. It’s a service widely available in the UK and US.

It has been made technically possible in New Zealand by developments in TVNZ’s digital infrastructure, and financially possible with a pilot grant of $500,000 from New Zealand on Air.

At this stage the service is limited to Coronation Street, which was requested as the popular choice of the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand.

At the end of a year the success of the service will be evaluated and, depending on available funding, it is expected it will be rolled out to cover more programmes.

Audio Description will be provided on the Freeview digital platform.

TVNZ’s Head of Production Services and Technology, Helen Clifton, says the new service is the result of many years of discussion with the blind community.

“We’re very proud that the technical developments in our digital broadcasting infrastructure have at last put us in a position to help. We’ve been providing captioning for those with hearing impairments for a long time, and we can now make television an experience to be really enjoyed for those with visual difficulties.”

BBC worldwide will be re-launching New Zealand’s documentary channel as BBC knowledge in March, in a major step forward in the developement in it’s global branded channels business. And also having no less than three channels on SKY TV at this point and time, BBC Knowledge will be joining the BBC family on SKY TV, BBC World news and UKTV.

BBC Knowledge is an award-winning, entertaining factual destination that is already a successful channel in more than a dozen territories around the world. It has quality content presented by talented and passionate experts such as Louis Theroux, Paul Merton, Bruce Parry, Michael Palin and Ray Mears.

“Creating a tailored factual offering specifically for New Zealand tastes and preferences is at the very core of our content strategy.  BBC Knowledge will have local flavour and local relevance,” said Tony Iffland, BBC Worldwide Australia’s General Manager.

“We look forward to engaging with the local production sector to discuss content acquisition and other opportunities to bring New Zealand content to New Zealand audiences. With three channels now in the market, this is a brilliant opportunity to showcase the diversity and depth of our content.”

“BBC Knowledge has so much in common with the Documentary Channel  – they are both the homes of challenging, trustworthy content that is as entertaining as it is informative,” said Richard Driver, owner of the Documentary Channel.

“It’s been a difficult decision to decide to sell the channel that I’ve established and cultivated to its present level of success, but I know that BBC Worldwide will only build on its achievements and audiences.”

“New Zealanders have a strong appetite for quality documentary programming, which has already been demonstrated by the success of the Documentary Channel,” added Karen Bieleski, SKY Television’s Head of General Entertainment and Prime. “We are delighted to be working with BBC Worldwide to re-launch this expanded version of the channel, with even richer content and the solid backing of the BBC’s exceptional programming output.”

This deal demonstrates BBC Worldwide’s commitment to the New Zealand market, based on a strong New Zealand affinity to its content and its long-established presence as a provider of quality channels.

It will build on the success of UKTV, the country’s most popular general entertainment subscription channel, and of BBC World News, the destination of choice for thousands of New Zealanders looking for authoritative and up-to-the-minute global news coverage.

BBC Worldwide’s distribution business continues to work closely with New Zealand networks to provide access to award-winning content across all genres. Its other established businesses in New Zealand extend across digital, live events, magazines and DVD publishing.

For further information and a full listing of this story please follow this link