Guillermo Arriaga is a world renowned Mexican author, screenwriter, director and producer. His work as a screenwriter is one of the most revolutionary and interesting in world cinema.

“I have learned that the first rule of screenwriting, or any art, is having no rules.” Guillermo Arriaga

His debut feature film AMORES PERROS (2000), starring Gael Garcia Bernal, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Feature Film in 2001. It went on to win the BAFTA Award for Best Feature Film (not in the English Language), along with a host of other Best Screenplay and Best Direction awards at film festivals around the world.

He went on to write the screenplay for 21 GRAMS (2004) starring Naomi Watts, Sean Penn and Benicio Del Toro – his second collaboration with Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu. It was nominated for a BAFTA Best Screenplay award, as well two Academy Awards for Best Actress (Naomi Watts) and Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro).

In 2005 he won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his third feature film THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA, directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones.

His next film BABEL (2006), starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, won the Academy Award for Best Score and was nominated for six others including Best Screenplay and Best Picture.

His latest feature film and directorial debut, THE BURNING PLAIN (2007), starring Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence and Kim Basinger, had its world premiere at Venice Film Festival. Here Guillermo was nominated for the Golden Lion (Best Screenplay), and Jennifer Lawrence won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Emerging Actress.

In 2010 he wrote and directed THE WELL, a short film about Mexican Revolution. In 2013 he finished directing his new short film THE GOD’S BLOOD with Oscar nominee Demian Bichir.

He is also considered one of the most influential writers in contemporary literature. He has written three novels: The Guillotine Squad (1991), A Sweet Scent of Death (1994) and The Night Buffalo (1999) along with one book of short stories: 201 Return.

“Guillermo has quite literally changed the way motion pictures are made.” Walter Parkes, Producer (The Burning Plain, Minority Report, Gladiator)

Speaker Session: Writing with Guillermo Arriaga

Keynote Address: Guillermo Arriaga: Reel Vision in a Digital World

Park Chan-wook is a Korean film director, screenwriter, producer and former film critic who has emerged as one of the most significant talents in cinema in recent years. He is best known for his films JOINT SECURITY AREA, THIRST and what has become known as THE VENGEANCE TRILOGY consisting of SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, OLD BOY and LADY VENGEANCE.

Park’s incredibly diverse body of work has garnered recognition in his homeland as well as from a number of leading international film festivals. Most recently his short film NIGHT FISHING , shot entirely with Apple’s iPhone, won the Golden Bear (Short Film) at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival.

In 2009 Park received worldwide attention for his vampire thriller THIRST, which earned him the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. This monumental film was the first Korean film ever to secure North American distribution rights and Hollywood studio investment at the production stage. LADY VENGEANCE was awarded the Cinema Avvenire and Il Leoncino d’oro awards in competition at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. This was preceded by OLDBOY, which won the prestigious Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Park’s interest in film began in college as a philosophy student at Sogang University where he founded a film club and developed a strong interest in film theory and criticism. His film JOINT SECURITY AREA became the biggest box office hit in the history of Korean cinema at the time of its release (since then, the record has been passed onto other films).

Park’s ninth and latest feature film is his first English language film STOKER starring Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode and Nicole Kidman, which released in March 2013 to critical acclaim world over. STOKER is distributed worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Workshop: Directing with Park Chan-wook

In Conversation: Robert Sarkies talks to guest Park Chan-wook

David Wenham has received critical acclaim for his diverse performances in film, theatre and television. He is one of Australia’s most respected actors.

Best known internationally as Faramir in Peter Jackson’s critically acclaimed second and third LORD OF THE RINGS instalments THE TWO TOWERS and RETURN OF THE KING in which he shared in the Screen Actors Guild Award®, Broadcast Film Critics Award and National Board of Review Award in the category of Best Ensemble. He has recently appeared in ORANGES AND SUNSHINE alongside Emily Watson and Hugo Weaving; POPE JOAN; Baz Luhrmann’s AUSTRALIA with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman and PUBLIC ENEMIES starring alongside Johnny Depp.

David’s accolades include Best Actor Awards at the 2003 Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, IF Awards, and The Film Critics Circle of Australia (FCCA) for GETTIN’ SQUARE, Best Actor nominations at the AFI Awards for Paul Cox’s MOLOKAI: THE STORY OF FATHER DAMIEN, THE BANK . and BETTER THAN SEX; and a Best Actor nomination at the 1999 FCCA Awards and AFI Awards for his haunting portrayal of a psychopath named Brett Sprague in THE BOYS alongside Toni Collette.

Some of David’s other feature film credits include 300, in which he worked with director Zack Synder, MOULIN ROUGE!, COSI, MARRIED LIFE. VAN HELSING, THE CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI and THE PROPOSITION. in 2014 David reprised his role as ‘Dilios’ in 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE.

David is well known to Australian television audiences as the loveable Diver Dan in the award winning ABC TV series SEACHANGE, a role which earned him an AFI Award nomination in 1998. He won the same award the previous year for the critically acclaimed ABC TV miniseries SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR’S BABIES. His recent television credits include KILLING TIME, DRIPPING IN CHOCOLATE and 2013 international miniseries TOP OF THE LAKE which co-stars Elizabeth Moss and Holly Hunter.

TOP OF THE LAKE is written and created by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and filmed and set in New Zealand. Top of the Lake earned international acclaim since premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The miniseries is currently nominated for 8 Emmy Awards including Outstanding TV Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, and Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or A Dramatic Special.

He featured in the SBS series BETTER MAN opposite Bryan Brown and Claudia Karvan which screened 2013.

Most recently David directed the short film COMMISSION featuring Hugo Weaving and Josh McConville. COMMISSION will screen as part of the feature film collaboration of iconic Australian writer Tim Winton’s THE TURNING. Other contributors include Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Miranda Otto, Richard Roxburgh, Simon Stone, Robyn Nevin and Mia Wasikowska.

Workshop: Acting with David Wenham

In Conversation: Robyn Malcom Talks to Guest David Wenham

Andrew Bovell is an Australian writer who writes for film, theatre and television.

In 1992 he wrote the original screenplay for STRICTLY BALLROOM and in 2001 he went on to adapt his stage play Speaking in Tongues in to the feature film, LANTANA (2001), which won a cascade of awards worldwide including the AWGIE Award for Best Feature Film – Adaptation, the AFI Award for Best Screenplay, the Harper’s Bazaar AFI Screenwriting Prize, the British Independent Film Award for Best Foreign Language Independent Film – English Language, the Film Critics Circle of Australia Award for Best Screenplay and the London Critics Circle Film Award Screenwriter of the Year Award.

His other film credits include; EDGE OF DARKNESS (with William Monahan); HEAD ON (with Ana Kokkinos and Mira Robertson); THE BOOK OF REVELATION (with Ana Kokkinos); BLESSED (with Christos Tsiolkas, Melissa Reeves & Patricia Cornelius) adapted from their stage play Who’s afraid of the Working Class.

Andrew’s most recent screenplay, A MOST WANTED MAN (Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Philip Seymour Hoffman), was adapted from the novel by John Le Carre, and was directed by Anton Corbijn in late 2012.

Andrew’s television credits include the telemovies THE FISHERMAN’S WAKE and LUST for ABC; PICCILO MONDO for SBS and DOGWOMAN for Channel 9.

Andrew’s theatre credits include Scenes from a Separation (with Hannie Rayson) which premiered at MTC in 1995; Speaking in Tongues which premiered at Griffin Theatre in 1996 and has had seasons at Hampstead Theatre in the UK (2000), Roundabout Theatre, New York (2001), West End Season (2009) and over 50 other productions worldwide; Who’s afraid of the Working Class (with Christos Tsiolkas, Melissa Reeves, Patricia Cornelius and Irine Vela) which was produced by Melbourne Worker’s Theatre (1998) and toured Australia (1999); Holy Day which had seasons at State Theatre Company of South Australia (2001) and STC (2003) won the Louis Esson Prize for Drama at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and the AWGIE Award for Best Stage Play (2002);  When the Rain Stops Falling which premiered at Brink Productions for 2008 Adelaide Festival of the Arts and subsequently toured to STC (2009), MTC/Melbourne International Festival of the Arts (2009), QTC and throughout Australia (2010).

The play won Queensland and Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards for Best Play, the Adelaide Critics Circle Individual Award, Sydney Theatre Award for Best New Australian Work and 3 Greenroom Awards including Best New Writing for the Australian Stage.

Other productions include The Almeida Theatre in London (2009) and The Lincoln Center in New York (2009) where it received 5 Lucille Lortel Awards. Andrew adapted The Secret River from Kate Grenville’s novel which premiered at the Sydney Theatre in 2013, transferring to the Perth International Arts Festival and the Centenary of Canberra.

Andrew’s play Speaking in Tongues played in Auckland at the Herald Theatre from in 2013

Speaker Session: Writing With Andrew Bovell: Why I Write

Born in 1951 in Holland, Rolf de Heer migrated to Australia with his family in 1959. He worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for seven years, then in 1977 was granted entry into Australia’s Film Television and Radio School. He has gone on to make more than a dozen films of different genres, generally low budget, and has gained substantial international recognition.

BAD BOY BUBBY won the Grand Special Jury prize and the International Film Critics Prize at Venice in 1993, and four Australian Film Institute awards in Australia. THE QUIET ROOM (1996) and DANCE ME TO MY SONG (1998) were both selected for Official Competition at Cannes, cementing de Heer’s place in the international film arena. THE TRACKER premiered to critical acclaim at Venice in 2002. ALEXANDRA’S PROJECT was invited into Competition at Berlin, 2003, while TEN CANOES won the Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2007.

Rolf’s recent project, CHARLIE’S COUNTRY with David Gulpilil, released in 2013.

Directing with Rolf de Heer: Size Does Matter – The Cinema of Engagement

Moderator: Cinematic Vision on a Shoestring

Cezary Skubiszewski (“scoobee shesky”)is one of Australia’s leading film composers whose work has claimed numerous awards.

Cezary’s first film score was for LILIAN’S STORY (1996), directed by fellow Pole Jerzy Domaradzki and staring Toni Collette. This was followed by BOOTMEN (2000) and LA SPAGNOLA (2001), for which he collected Best Original Music awards from the Australian Film Institute. His other early works include BLACK & WHITE (2002), THE BRUSH OFF (2004), THE BOOK OF REVELATION and BLESSED.

His work on the 1999 film TWO HANDS saw Cezary collect the Best Film Score Award from APRA at the annual Screen Music awards. This was followed in later years by the mini-series AFTER THE DELUGE (2003) starring Hugo Weaving and Rachel Griffiths, and DEATH DEFYING ACTS (2007) for which he also received Best Film Score Awards.  He then went on to compose scores for THE BOOK OF REVELATION (2006) and BLESSED (2009).

His latest work composing for NIGHT (2008) BRAN NUE DAE (2009), RED DOG (2011) and THE SAPPHIRES (2012) – which received critical acclaim at an international level, have seen him win awards from Inside Film and the Film Critics Circle of Australia.

Cezary’s has also composed music for a number of adverts,including SYDNEY 2000 OLYMPICS, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL FINALS, MELBOURNE 2006 COMMONWEALTH GAMES, CARLTON DRAUGHT BIG AD campaign and the VB BOTTLE SYMPHONY which became a worldwide hit.

For the past four years he has been the Musical Director of APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards and has a number of upcoming projects including SERRANGOON ROAD (2013) and THE BROKEN SHORE (2014).

“I still think that I’m on a journey to discover more about myself, about what I can come up with. With every job, you feel like you are always challenging yourself” Cezary Skubiszewski

Score Composing with Cezary Skubiszewski: Composing for the Screen and the Functions of Film Music

Mexican filmmaker Dana Rotberg has lived and worked as a director, writer and producer in Mexico, France and Bosnia & Herzegovina. She is currently living in Auckland, New Zealand.

While still living in Mexico Rotberg directed her first film, the feature length documentary ELVIRA LUZ CRUZ: PEMA MAXIMA (1985).  It was awarded Best Documentary by the Mexican Film Academy and the Bochica de Oro Award for Best Latin-American Documentary, Colombia.

Following this she directed her first feature film INTIMIDAD (INTIMACY) in 1989, which screened at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival. She went on to write, direct and produce her second feature ANGEL DE FUEGO (ANGEL OF FIRE). She is best known for this film as it was selected as the opening film for Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Director’s Fortnight) at the Cannes International Film Festival in 1992.  The film was well received and went on to screen at film festivals around the world.

Following this success, Rotberg spent the next few years in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina where she co-produced two films that also secured the opening spot at Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Cannes International Film Festival).

The feature length documentary MGM SARAJEVO. MAN, GOD AND THE MONSTER (MGM Sarajevo –Covjek, Bog, Monstrum) opened Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in 1994, and the Bosnia, France and Netherlands co-production THE PERFECT CIRCLE took the same opening spot in 1997.

THE PERFECT CIRCLE won the François Chalais Award and the Cannes Junior Prix at Cannes that year.  After this attention the film went on to win many other awards: Special Jury Prize, Paris Film Festival, Best Director Award and Tokyo Grand Prix, Tokyo International Film Festival, FIPRESCI Prize – Special Mention, Valladolid International Film Festival, Wim Van-Leer prize, Jerusalem International Film Festival.

She moved back to Mexico in 1997 and in 2000 she directed and co-wrote the feature film OTILA RAUDA which won the NHK Filmmaker’s Award at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.

Dana has recently written and directed WHITE LIED – TUAKIRI HUNA, adapted from the novella Medicine Woman by renowned New Zealand author Witi Ihimaera (Whale Rider). The film was released in New Zealand in June 2013.

Dana is a member of the European Film Academy and the Mexican Council for the Culture and the Arts.

Case Study: Cultural Integrity and White Lies – Tuakiri Huna: An Open Dialogue with Dana Rotberg & Kararaina Rangihau

Kasia Karwan has been working as a sales executive in Premium Films since March 2012.

Premium Films is a sales agent and theatrical distribution company based in France. The company was created in 1998, and initially specialised in short film distribution. They represent many internationally acclaimed Academy Award and Palme d’Or winning shorts films. Over the last two years the company has expanded their activity to include acting as a sales agent for feature films, aiming to release films from their catalogue in theatres; OXYGEN by Hans Van Nuffel, LEONES by Jazmin Lopez, SOLDATE JEANNETTE by Daniel HOESL – Tiger award winner at Rotterdam 2013, CRAWL by Hervé Lasgouttes – Best European Film Venice Days 2012, BOY EATING THE BIRD’S FOOD – Ektoras Lygizos. Most recently, Premium Films partnered with Garance Capital to co-produce REALITY by Matteo Garrone which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012.

Alongside her work in Premium Films – Kasia is also involved into the production of documentaries with the company Alea Films.

Originally from Poland, she now lives in Paris and has a Masters in Cinema, Television and New Media Production from La Sorbonne.

Speaker Session: Round Table with Sales Agent Kasia Karwan

Philippa Campbell is the producer of Jane Campion’s Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning series TOP OF THE LAKE. She has produced six feature films, including the acclaimed RAIN, which premiered in competition in Cannes, Sundance award winner NO.2, comedy-horror hit BLACK SHEEP and Florian Habicht’s genre-busting RUBBINGS FROM A LIVE MAN. She is currently Executive Producer of Jackie Van Beek’s debut feature THE INLAND ROAD and in prep for UK/NZ co-production CROAK. In 2015, she was dramaturg of Emily Perkins’ first play, a contemporary reimagining of Ibsen’s A DOLL’S HOUSE, directed by Colin McColl for Auckland Theatre Company. Philippa is a partner in the new production company Field Theory.

Annie Goldson has been producing and directing award-winning documentaries, docudramas and experimental film/video for 25 years in the United States and New Zealand. Her best-known titles include PUNITIVE DAMAGE, GEORGIE GIRL, ELGAR’S ENIGMA, AN ISLAND CALLING and BROTHER NUMBER ONE.

All titles have also garnered major awards at international film festivals and have screened widely throughout broadcast outlets, including PBS, ADR, HBO, Channel 4 and Canalplus and through educational institutions.

She produced and directed her current film HE TOKI HUNA (THE HIDDEN ADZE), which explores New Zealand’s role in Afghanistan, with Kay Ellmers from Tumanako Productions. HE TOKI was commissioned by Maori Television that aired a broadcast version the day before ANZAC Day 2013. Annie has just completed editing a feature version which is screening at the current New Zealand International Film Festival. She has just returned from a shoot in Tonga where she is in development on an historical docudrama, William Mariner, that she is producing with Rebekah Kelly and Nikki Mariner.

Annie is also a writer and has published articles in books and journals such as The Listener (NZ), Landfall,  Screen, Semiotext(e), Social Text, and others. Her book Landscape, Memory, Dad and Me published by Victoria University Publications. Annie has also been director of the biennial New Zealand International Documentary Conference that has run since 1996, is a trustee of the New Zealand International Documentary Festival, DocEdge and was the President of the Screen Directors’ Guild of New Zealand for three years.

She received her PhD in Film and Television Studies from The University of Auckland and is currently a Professor at the Department of Film, Television and Media Studies at that institution. In 2006 she received an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to film.

For more information about Annie’s films:

www.op.co.nz

www.brothernumberone.co.nz

www.nzinafghanistan.com

Workshop: Documentary with Annie Goldson

Daniel Joseph Borgman has forged a unique path as a New Zealand filmmaker, making his films both there and in Europe. The films are influenced by both environments and filmmaking histories, and he has gained recognition for his emerging talent at the most prestigious festivals in the world. He has been innovative with approach and format, but the films all share a mature sensitivity and strong visual aesthetic.

Daniel Studied film science at Otago University in New Zealand before moving to Europe where he worked in post production, first as an assistant and later as a colourist and VFX artist.

His first film THE MAN AND THE ALBATROSS is remarkable for the arresting visuals on a small budget and premiered at ‘The Leopards of Tomorrow’ Competition at Locarno 2008. His second film LARS AND PETER is a sensitively told drama and screened In Competition at the Festival de Cannes in 2009. In 2009 Daniel was admitted into the Danish Alternative film school Super16 (www.super16.dk).

His next short film BERIK, is a remarkable and confronting film shot in Kazakstan with a small crew. This film was selected for Critics Week at Cannes 2010 and won the Grand Prix for Best Short Film. Also in 2010, Daniel’s debut feature film project THE WEIGHT OF ELEPHANTS was selected for development at the Cannes Cinefondation’s The Residence program in Paris, France.

BERIK was nominated for the European Film Academy Award in 2011.

In 2012 Daniel completed production on THE WEIGHT OF ELEPHANTS, a Danish/New Zealand co-production set in New Zealand. At the same time he completed his studies at the Danish alternative film school Super16 with his graduation project, an experimental live film/theatre/happening, entitled HOW TO SAY GOODBYE.

Co-Pro Case Study – The Weight of Elephants: What Scandinavia does right with Leanne Saunders and Daniel Borgman

Wonjo Jeong is a producer working at Moho Film, a production company owned by the acclaimed Korean filmmaker, Park, Chan-wook.

Jeong was born and raised in Korea until the age of twelve when his family immigrated to New Zealand where he completed his school education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and Administration with majors in Marketing and Commercial Law.

Along with a keen interest in filmmaking, his Korean born New Zealander background and bi-lingual skills earned him the position of producer’s assistant on ANTARCTIC JOURNAL (2005) directed by Yim Pil-sung, which was filmed in New Zealand. He followed this with THE HOST (2006), a feature film directed by Bong Joon-ho, and the Korean television series QUEEN OF THE GAME serving as Production Coordinator for the New Zealand elements in these Korean productions.

In 2008 he was a Visual Effects Coordinator on the film THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM directed by Rob Minkoff, starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan.

Not long after, Jeong started working with Director Park, Chan-wook, and produced his short film NIGHT FISHING (co-directed with brother, Chan-kyong), shot entirely with Apple’s iPhone, which was the winner of the Golden Bear (Short Film) at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival.

Most recently, he worked as a Co-Producer and translator on Park’s first English feature film, STOKER (2013).

Session: Working with Korea

Kararaina Rangihau (aka Karlite) is of Tūhoe and Te Arawa ancestry and lives in Waikaremoana. She is a dedicated Tūhoe tribeswoman committed to the preservation, protection and restoration of Tūhoe epistemology, and devoted to ensuring that Tūhoetanga continues as a living practice in her community. After 20 years of involvement in various projects as an actress, writer, singer, composer, director and producer for Māori children’s television, film, Māori radio, theatre, and community development, Kararaina made her first short film – TAKU RAKAU E (2010).

She is currently studying a Masters in Applied Indigenous Knowledge at Te Wānanga o Āotearoa while continuing to write and direct films.

“White Lies, or Medicine Woman as it was to me, has helped to awaken a sleeping giant that has been laying dormant within me for almost a decade. The wonderful world of film collides with the deeply mystical universe of Tūhoe, and my job is to continue to strive in the most truthful way to bring that magic to life on screen.”  Kararaina Rangihou

Case Study: Cultural Integrity and White Lies – Tuakiri Huna: An open dialogue with Dana Rotberg & Kararaina Rangihau

Michael Stephens is a leading New Zealand film and entertainment lawyer and executive producer. Michael has been closely involved supporting the development of New Zealand’s film production and digital entertainment sector and its links with Asia. He is the founding principal of Stephens Lawyers, and has a personal and professional interest in the future of Asia Pacific Film co-productions, and funding for film, documentary, animation, games and other digital media projects.

Michael’s current interests include acting as legal counsel and a director for a number of New Zealand film and digital entertainment companies, and as the Chairman of the Korean Cinerama Trust New Zealand. He is also a Board Member of the NZ Film and Literature Board of Review, Honorary Adviser to the New Zealand/China Film Festivals, and an International Delegate for the Shanghai International Film Festival.

In addition to on-going legal work on a number of film related matters, completed film and media projects Michael has been involved producing include the recent NZ/HK film ETERNITY, feature documentaries US AND THE GAMES INDUSTRY and MOVING as well as BLACK SHEEP, I’M NOT HARRY JENSON, LAST OF THE LIVING and, WHEN NIGHT FALLS.

Wellington NZ based Law Office Stephens Lawyers www.stephenslawyers.co.nz provides a full range of legal support and advice to NZ and international business and private clients including a number of  Film and other Screen and Digital Content Sector Production, Animation, Games, VFX and Post Production Companies.

Email Michael.stephens@slaw.co.nz

Phone +64-4-472 9632

Mobile +64-21-635 798

Session: Working with Korea

Quinton Hita’s work on TV, radio and film has seen him on both sides of the camera. After winning fans on MAI TAIME and SHORTLAND STREET, he went behind the scenes on SHORTLAND STREET, and these days is better known in the industry as a prolific producer with company Kura Productions.

Hita’s prowess in Te Reo played a part early in his career, when he balanced work teaching Māori with a gig writing Māori news for Palmerston North bilingual station Kia Ora FM.

In 1996 Hita was in at the launch of influential Māori youth show MAI TIME. The show began with a team of five presenters, and Hita stayed on board for two years. He was also writing and presenting show KA HAO TE RANGATAHI for Māori radio broadcaster Ruia Mai.

After leaving MAI TIME, a publisher approached Hita with the idea of him writing a basic guide to Māori language. When Q’s Course in Māori was released in time for Māori Language Week in 2001, NZ Herald writer Maggie Thomson called Hita “the kind of tour de force who is just the figurehead Te Reo needs among young people“. The book was updated in 2004, this time with an accompanying CD instead of a cassette tape.

The years between the book’s first and second edition saw Hita balancing multiple broadcasting gigs, and adding acting into the mix. He joined the on-air team at Auckland’s Mai FM, made radio shows for Ruia Mai and started a six year term as youth rep on the Māori Language Commission. After joining long-running Māori children’s series PUKANA as presenter, he also worked on the show as writer, director and Te Reo Māori consultant.

He made his screen acting debut in 2001 with CROOKED EARTH, a film he had first auditioned for four years before. Hita played Api, who romances the screen daughter of Temuera Morrison’s character (played by Jaime Passier-Armstrong). “He was a very cool character to play,” Hita told Pavement. “He rides the horses, he gets the chicks.”

After a small role in Harry Sinclair comedy TOY LOVE, Hita joined the cast of SHORTLAND STREET in 2002. Playing ambulance driver Nelson Copeland, he found himself falling for the manipulative Layla Cornwall (Louise Harris) and saving lives in the earthshaking 2003 Christmas cliffhanger, before departing for the Solomon Islands with Hannah Tolich’s character.

Hita had by then moved behind the scenes to become part of the SHORTLAND STREET writing team, and also became the show’s Māori script editor.

2004 saw the launch of Kura Productions, a joint venture with company South Pacific Pictures. As Kura’s manager, Hita has executive produced or produced over 250 hours of TV, much of them for Māori Television. The shows include PUKORO and multiple seasons of both bilingual game show KUPUHUNA and five-nights-a-week language series TOKU REO. Hita can also be seen on KOWHAO RAU, talking to kaumātua about lives lived far from the beaten track.

Hita has also worked on a number of films with actor turned director Tearepa Kahi. Their first short, tagging tale THE SPEAKER(2005) was invited to top-rated film festivals in Berlin and Clermont Ferrand. Two years later Hita produced Kahi’s second short TAUA – WAR PARTY, which travelled even further, and won the best short award at National Geographic’s All Roads Festival.

Leanne Saunders gained a foothold in the industry with Working Title Films and attached sales company Manifesto Film Sales, UK. On return to New Zealand she worked as an in-house and freelance production manager before establishing herself as a producer of short form drama, commonly known as TV commercials.

She launched as a feature film producer under her newly formed company Severe Features with micro budget digital film CHRISTMAS (2003) directed by Gregory King, which was selected for Toronto, Locarno, Edinburgh, and Melbourne. She then set up low budget feature scheme, Headstrong with business partners Ant Timpson and Paul Swadel, looking to energise opportunities for filmmakers to make feature films, recognising international trends around digital acquisition and distribution. Through the scheme she executive produced THE DEVIL DARED ME TO (2007), World Premiere at SXSW and sold in the UK to Wild Bunch and to BollAG for ROW and A SONG OF GOOD (2008), World Premiere at Rotterdam 2008; other festivals include Warsaw, Durban, Karlovy Vary, Gijon and Philadelphia.

She partnered with Curious Film to produce Stephen Kang’s feature film DESERT (2010), which premiered at Pusan and was released in NZ/Australia by Curious Distribution. She also came on board with Curious and AKA Films to co-produce Kang’s short film BLUE (2011) Winner Grand Prix Critics Week Cannes 2011.

She produced Paul Campion’s low budget horror THE DEVIL’S ROCK (2011) as an unofficial co-venture between UK and NZ, which was has sold to 30 territories including UK (Metrodome) and US/ Canada (Entertainment One) as well as screening in many leading genre festivals including Fantasia, San Sebastian and Yubari.

Currently in release is the debut feature of Daniel Joseph Borgman, THE WEIGHT OF ELEPHANTS, a co-production with leading European production company, Zentropa Entertainments5 and Sweden’s Film I Väst. It premiered in Forum and Generation sections of the Berlin Film Festival 2013.

Co-Pro Case Study – The Weight of Elephants: What Scandinavia does right with Leanne Saunders and Daniel Borgman

NZ born Chris Sinclair is a freelance sound editor and mixer. Having spent much of the last fifteen years living and working in the UK, Chris was instrumental in the design and construction of Britian’s first accredited Dolby Premier mixing theatre at ‘Savalas’ in Scotland. His film mixing credits include THE MAGDALLEN SISTERS, ASYLUM and VALHALLA RISING as well as New Zealand films WHEN A CITY FALLS, THE LAST OCEAN and WHITE LIES.

Workshop: Sound Design with Steve Finnigan and Chris Sinclair

Steve Finnigan is co-owner and Head of Sound at Auckland-based post-production facility Images & Sound.

His credits as Supervising Sound Editor and ADR recordist are extensive in both film and television, and include award winning New Zealand TV series’ OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE, GO GIRLS and KAITANGATA TWITCH as well as feature films MY WEDDING AND OTHER SECRETS, SIONE’S 2, KIWI FLYER, INSATIABLE MOON and most recently WHITE LIES. 

He also has ADR recording credits on international features including STAR WARS – EPISODE I AND II, FROST/NIXON and the 2009 STAR TREK.

Workshop: Sound Design with Steve Finnigan and Chris Sinclair

Oscar Kightley is a critically acclaimed writer, actor, director and television presenter renowned for his comedy work, particularly with BRO’TOWN and The Naked Samoans.

Oscar started writing for the stage in 1996 with A Frigate Bird Sings (co-written with David Fane), which gained success at the 1996 New Zealand International Arts Festival. Oscar’s first solo venture as a playwright, Dawn Raids, premiered in Auckland a year later and in 1998 he was awarded the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award. In 2004, Oscar wrote Niu Sila with Dave Armstrong, which played to sell-out crowds. In 2006, Oscar was made a Laureate by the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.

Oscar wore two hats as the lead actor and co-writer of 2006 hit film SIONE’S WEDDING which reached the number one position in the New Zealand box office in its first week of release, and had the biggest opening weekend of any New Zealand-made film. SIONE’S WEDDING grossed over $4 million at the New Zealand box office and it is still in the all-time’s top five most popular New Zealand films.

Oscar is a member of the Naked Samoans comedy group, who have performed all over New Zealand since 1998. Oscar co-hosted TV3’s coverage of Super 12 Rugby and the weekly sports show, SPORTZAH, as well as being a writer/performer for SKITZ and TELLY LAUGHS for TV3. He’s also a presenter on Nui FM’s breakfast show. Oscar is also one of the creators and writers of the animated TV3 comedy phenomenon BRO’TOWN, which has won several Best Comedy prices at the NZ Screen Awards.

In 2007 Oscar was appointed as a member of Creative New Zealand’s Arts Council by then Prime Minister and Minister for the Arts – Helen Clark and in 2009, he featured in the Listener’s list of New Zealand’s 50 most powerful people. More recently, Oscar has featured in the TV3 series RADIRADIRAH, reprised his role of Albert in the sequel of  SIONE’S WEDDING, which he wrote with James Griffin, as well as being the director on Series 2 of SUPERCITY.

His most recent role was as lead police detective Harry Anglesea in TV3’s HARRY.

Case Study: We Need to Talk About Harry

Steven O’Meagher is the Founder and Managing Director of Desert Road, an award-winning film, drama and documentary production company based in Auckland, New Zealand, which has earned a reputation for delivering audiences original, high-end, quality storytelling.

Steven formed Desert Road in 2005, and a year later the company’s debut feature film OUT OF THE BLUE (which he originated and co-produced) premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. OUT OF THE BLUE became New Zealand’s 10th most successful film of all-time on its domestic release (tipping Heavenly Creatures into 11th spot), and picked up a fistful of Qantas Film Awards in 2008 for Best Picture, Screenplay, Actor, Supporting Actor, Cinematography and Editing. The Weinstein Company acquired OUT OF THE BLUE for international theatrical distribution in Europe, the UK, Brazil, and in the US.

Desert Road (with Steven as series co-owner and Executive Producer) made its foray into television drama in 2009 when the company co-produced New Zealand’s most expensive drama series, THIS IS NOT MY LIFE (13 x 1 hour) for TVNZ. This primetime series launched in August 2010 and worldwide distribution and format rights were bought by Lionsgate (the producers of the Emmy-winning series Mad Men). A current US-remake of the series is being prepared.

Steven created the original television drama series HARRY (Oscar Kightley, Sam Neill) for Desert Road which screened on TV3 in 2013 to universal acclaim.

Case Study: We Need to Talk About Harry

Chris Dudman is a highly accomplished and respected writer and director. He has gone on to work extensively in film, television and advertising, collected armfuls of awards and accolades along the way, including Qantas Film and Television Awards, a British Television Society award and numerous short film festival awards. He currently has two feature film projects in development and also wrote and directed major TV drama series HARRY (Oscar Kightley, Sam Neill) in 2012. The series aired on TV3 in 2013.

Chris Dudman’s Royal College of Art (London) film BLACKWATER SUMMER was nominated for an Oscar and went on to win Best European Short Film at Cork, Best Film at the Munich International Student Film Festival, the Young Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, and Best Director and the Public Prize at Tours.

During the 1990’s, based in London, Chris wrote and directed WINGS OF WOOD and SANDMAN, two arts documentaries for Thames Television; the latter nominated for a British Television Society Award. He also directed the documentary LIDO, which became the most popular documentary in the BBC 10×10 series.

Chris also researched and outlined INTIMATE STRANGERS, an original six-hour thriller series about a forensic pathologist, commissioned by BBC Scotland, and co- wrote the pilot episode entitled, THE CONFESSOR

In 1995 Chris returned to New Zealand where he wrote and researched the final two episodes of NEW ZEALAND AT WAR and wrote the feature screenplay THE DOLPHIN OF DINGLE BAY.

In 1998 Chris directed two INSIDE NEW ZEALAND documentaries, ZOO and PROTECTING THE BORDER, for TV3.

Since then Chris has directed numerous award-winning television commercials around the world and now co-owns Robber’s Dog Films, a New Zealand leading commercials production company.

Chris’ love of drama is a strong as ever. The New Zealand Film Commission short film he directed, THE GRAFFITI OF MR TUPAIA, starring Rawiri Paratene, won best screenplay, best actor and best film at the Qantas film and TV awards in 2008, and Best Film against Violence at the Berlin Film Festival in 2010.

Chris’ CHOICE NIGHT, another NZFC funded short film, was selected for last year’s BFI London Film Festival, Valladolid’s SEMINICI, Melbourne’s International Film Festival and Switzerland’s Cinema dus Ecrans Festival. The short was also at Cannes’ Short Film Corner in 2010. in 2013, the short screened at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France and at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival.

In 2012 Chris developed and wrote TV series HARRY (Oscar Kightley, Sam Neill) with Auckland production company Desert Road. The series debuted on TV3 in 2013.

Chris currently has a feature film in development with the NZFC, WE WILL NOT CEASE, Archibald Baxter’s extraordinary pacifist struggle against the military machine of World War One who were determined to break his will and make him fight.

Case Study: We Need to Talk About Harry

Neil Grimstone is a former Detective Senior Sergeant who served 28 years in the police, all of his time served being in South Auckland.

He was the lead investigator in many high profile cases prior to him taking retirement in late 2007.

Some of these cases included the murder of Chris Currie, killed by a teenager dropping a concrete block on him from a motorway overbridge; the Pukekohe intruder rape; the Asian kidnapping for a $1 million ransom; and the murder of Darunee Apiromlek whose body was found bound and gagged in the Waikato river.

He is currently working in a regulatory compliance role after managing Matrix Security for four years after he finished in the police.

He was a co-writer for the series HARRY and worked full time on the project for 12 months from November 2011. He has been the Technical Consultant on the series for the four years that it took to get the project onto the screen.

Case Study: We Need to Talk About Harry

Dr Ian Hassall was New Zealand’s first Commissioner for Children from 1989 to 1994. He is a paediatrician and children’s advocate and has campaigned for children’s health, safety and rights. He was prominent in the campaign that ended legally-sanctioned physical punishment of children in New Zealand in 2007. In 2010 he received the biennially awarded international Aldo Farina prize for child rights advocacy.

Ian was in clinical practice in Auckland hospitals as a paediatrician from 1971 to 1981.

He was a medical advisor to the Plunket Society from1978 to 1989. Notable campaigns during that time were for adaptation of services for mothers and children to a low income urban area, mothers’ groups, support centres, measles immunisation and fencing of home pools to prevent toddler drowning.

During his term as Commissioner for Children he reported on various matters including child maltreatment, child homicide, searching of school children for drugs and police sweeps for youth offenders and oversaw the introduction of the provisions of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989, notably the innovative Family Group Conferences.

He was a founder member from 1993 and chair from 1999 of the lobby group for children, Children’s Agenda, and involved in the establishment in 2004 of the child advocacy coalition, Every Child Counts. In 2002 he helped set up the national children’s helpline, Whats Up?

He convened an international child abuse prevention conference, the 12^th ISPCAN congress, in Auckland in 1998.

From 2001-3 he was Manager – Health Sector at the Domestic Violence Centre (now S.H.I.N.E.) during the introduction of screening for intimate partner violence in health care services.

From 2002-9 he was Senior Lecturer/Researcher at the Institute of Public Policy at the Auckland University of Technology where he introduced a Masters course in Children and Public Policy.

He is at present a research associate at the Institute of Public Policy, AUT University, a Trustee of the New Zealand Children’s Screen Trust and a panel member in the Confidential Listening and Assistance Service.

He and his wife Jenny live in Auckland and enjoy the company as circumstances permit of their four children and seven grandchildren.

Panel: Where are Kids in the Big Picture?

Tom Hern is a New Zealand producer best known for his recent feature films THE DARK HORSE (2014) starring Cliff Curtis, and EVERYTHING WE LOVED (2014), directed by Max Currie.

Starting his career in the screen industry as an actor on various TV productions, Tom eventually followed his yearnings to tell stories that he believed in, and in 2007 co-founded production company Six String Pictures with his old acting buddy (turned writer-director) James Napier Robertson. Together the pair independently developed, financed and produced their debut feature, the micro-budget, whodunnit thriller I’M NOT HARRY JENSON. INHJ was released theatrically in New Zealand to strong reviews, off the back of sell out screenings at the New Zealand International Film Festival, and went on to play at a number of other festivals.

In 2010 Tom co-founded Four Knights Films Ltd, again with Napier Robertson, and Australasian entrepreneurs Tim and Sasha Wood. That year, Tom produced a short film entitled LAMBS, written and directed by Sam Kelly, which was invited to screen at a number of prestigious international film festivals including Clermont Ferrand, Berlin, Melbourne and Raindance, and won the Madman Grand Jury Prize and the Peoples Choice Award at the 2012 New Zealand International Film Festival.

2013 ad 2014 have been huge for Tom and Four Knights with the release of two feature films. The micro-budget arthouse drama EVERYTHING WE LOVED, written and directed by Max Currie, and THE DARK HORSE, a drama inspired by the colourful life of bipolar-suffering Maori speed-chess-genius Genesis Potini. The film was directed by James Napier Robertson and stars Cliff Curtis and James Rolleston.

Tom is a passionate, creative-producer who loves cinema.

Session info: Secrets of The Dark Horse with Tom Hern and James Napier Robertson

Session info:  In Conversation with Alix Madigan 

Fergus Barrowman has been the Publisher of Victoria University Press, New Zealand’s leading publisher of new fiction and poetry, since 1985. His publishing highlights include Emily Perkins’ debut Not Her Real Name, The Vintner’s Luck by Elizabeth Knox, and Eleanor Catton’s The Luminaries, which received the 2013 Man Booker Prize.

Fergus founded and continues to edit the literary magazine Sport. His book Great Sporting Moments: The Best of Sport Magazine 1988-2004 (edited by Damien Wilkins) won the 2006 Montana New Zealand Book Award for Reference and Anthology. Fergus also edited The Picador Book of Contemporary New Zealand Fiction (1996), and has contributed to the teaching and assessment of the VUW creative writing programme for 30 years. He is married to the novelist Elizabeth Knox.

Session: Optioning Source Material – Publishers Present their Picks

Award-winning film and television director Yvonne Mackay began directing television drama in 1974.

She emerged as one of Television New Zealand’s most prolific directors, with over one hundred hours of programming. This included fifty episodes of the local soap opera CLOSE TO HOME, numerous episodes of COUNTRY CALENDAR and the four part documentary series NOT SO LONG AGO with Les Cleveland.

She left Television New Zealand in 1976 to co-found Gibson Film Productions (now the Gibson Group) with Dave Gibson. Recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading independent film and television production companies, the Gibson Group built an international reputation for projects that span range of genres, including primetime drama, children’s drama, comedy, documentaries, arts magazine and information programmes. From 1994 they have worked with international co-production partners from Australia, Canada, Britain and Sweden.  The Group’s programmes have won numerous awards, both in New Zealand and around the world.

While with the Gibson Group Yvonne directed numerous documentaries, adult drama series and telefeatures such as CLARE. She directed the award-winning feature film THE SILENT ONE,, the first New Zealand feature film directed by a woman. Amongst the children’s series she has directed is Margaret Mahy’s CUCKOO LAND which won a gold medal in the 1986 New York Festival.

Her recent credits include THE INSIDERS GUIDE TO LOVE and THE INSIDERS GUIDE TO HAPPINESS and the documentaries, ASPIRING, LEO’S PRIDE and PAINTING WITH LIGHT: BRIAN BRAKE REDISCOVERED.

In early 2006 Yvonne formed a production company of her own, ProductionShed.TV, bringing with her all the expertise gained from many years in the film and TV industry. Her first production was TE KOHA O WHAEA IRIHAPETI, a documentary for Maori Television in 2006.  She has since filmed a 70 minute documentary on Margaret Mahy, A TALL LONG FACED TALE. Yvonne also directed and produced the author reading her own work in MARGARET MAHY’S RUMBUSTIFICATIONS. Continuing with her love of high quality family and children’s drama ProductionShed. TV has gone on to create the multi-award winning series KAITANGITA TWITCH for Maori Television and STORYTREE for KidZone24 on SKY Television.

Panel: Where are Kids in the Big Picture?

Lisa Chatfield is the Short Film Manager at the New Zealand Film Commission. She manages all aspects of New Zealand short films working closely with short filmmakers. Her role encompasses career development, festival strategy, sales, marketing and promotion of short films in New Zealand and internationally. Lisa’s background in the film and television industry is as a producer of short films, TVC’s and feature films and her credits include SCARFIES and SIGNING OFF, both directed by Rob Sarkies. She is a previous member of the NZFC Board.

Facilitator: Round Table with Sales Agent Kasia Karwan

Dr. Ruth Zanker teaches and researches at the New Zealand Broadcasting School, CPIT Christchurch. She was the founding chair of the Children’s Television Foundation, a group that was instrumental in ensuring funding for local children’s television after deregulation of the industry in the late 1980s. Her recent publications focus on young people’s media use and local provision, in particular the opportunities and challenges presented by digital media. She is a trustee of the recently formed New Zealand Children’s Screen Trust.

Moderator: Where are Kids in the Big Picture?

Graham Dunster grew up in London, England and after leaving school in 1972 fell into the world of media working at the sales office of HTV (formely Harlech Television) in London’s West End. From working ‘on the boards’ recording the sales and placement of tvcs for the Welsh ITV licence holder he progressed to deputy manager of the Traffic Department before decamping to New Zealand at the end of 1977, traveling on one of the last passenger ships making this trip. A relaxing four weeks at sea and a further nine months exploring NZ caused him to fall in love with the country and after a further nine months in Sydney and a five year period with STV (Scottish Television) back in London he returned to NZ in 1984.

For the next two years he once again explored the country, interspersed with a six month stint at the Gibson Group which included roadshowing THE SILENT ONE around the central North Island, screenings being held in town halls, maraes and other similar venues.

Newly wed, he and his wife Margot spent 1986 living on a narrowboat and touring the inland waterways of England with 1987 being similarly spent exploring Europe in a VW Kombi van. 1988 was a year for retiring debt and a timely return to NZ by Christmas of that year.

In 1989 Auckland Actors was set up and continues to the present day. The agency has been fortunate to be involved with most of the successful NZ films and television dramas since then, providing half the core cast for SHORTLAND STREET at its inception for example.

Becoming an actors agent has given Graham the opportunity to work with innumerable talented individuals across the industry and to represent many actors and actresses, some of whom have been fortunate to go on to reap national and international acclaim. Amongst these are Lucy Lawless, Karl Urban, Erik Thomson, Keisha Castle-Hughes and Antony Starr. Graham was privileged to be working with Keisha Castle-Hughes at the start of her career and thus experienced the Oscar madness surrounding her nomination.

Panel: Stepping up to the International Stage

Robert Sarkies made his first film when he was 10. By his early 20s his shorts were winning accolades at international festivals. He made his feature debut with SCARFIES, following it with OUT OF THE BLUE, an acclaimed dramatisation of the Aramoana murders. Both features earned 1.2 million at the NZ box office and won best film at the NZ Film awards of their respective years.  His latest film, black comedy TWO LITTLE BOYS starring Bret McKenzie was released in New Zealand in 2012.

In Conversation: Robert Sarkies talks to guest Park Chan-wook

Mika X is an award-winning artist, television & film producer and mentor. He is the founder and executive director and founder of the Mika Haka Foundation. His film credits include; THE PIANO, THE BAR (NZFC), AHI ATAAHUA (NZFC) as well as his own works as a writer, performer and producer on ORCHIDS AND ROSES (Auckland Museum) plus eight Television series, docos, 20+ music videos and installations. His largest filmed event was his Rugby World Cup MIKA’S AROHA MARDI GRAS (TV special). Mika is the current chair of Ngā Aho Whakaari.

“An essential part of my charity work is the nourishing and supporting of future generations. I developed my emerging leaders program with this year’s focus on ‘global’ vision in screen. I have created an environment that allows creative talents, abilities and skills to flourish.” Mika X

Facilitator: Distribution Case Study Mt Zion: Reaching your audience

Debra Millar is the General Manager of Publishing with Penguin New Zealand.

Having spent more than 25 years working in senior roles in New Zealand’s magazine publishing industry, Debra made the move to books in 2009. She joined Penguin in late 2010, where she is responsible for the company’s New Zealand fiction, children’s and non-fiction title lists.

Session: Optioning Source Material – Publishers Present their Picks

Robyn Bargh founded Huia Publishers in 1991 with a vision of increasing the Māori voice in New Zealand literature. HUIA has since published Māori writers of novels (Ocean Roads by James George, Bugs by Whiti Hereaka, The Scent of Apples by Jacqui McRae and Zhu Mao by Mark Sweet), short story collections by Alice Tawhai and Tina Makereti, non-fiction (Hīkoi: Forty Years of Māori Protest by Aroha Harris), and books in Māori language (Ngā Waituhi o Rēhua by Katerina Mataira).

The biennial Pikihuia Awards has helped identify emerging Māori writers and collections of their stories are published as HUIA Short Stories: Contemporary Māori Fiction. The HUIA vision has recently been broadened to include Pacific writers, including Albert Wendt and Karlo Mila.

Session: Optioning Source Material – Publishers Present their Picks

Imogen Johnson has worked in the film & television and PR industries for over twenty years. She is owner and senior agent at Johnson & Laird Management which was set up by her to provide pro-active and creative representation for their exclusive clientele – many of the country’s best actors, presenters, MC’s/Entertainers & voices including Anna Hutchison, Rose McIver, Danielle Cormack, Robyn Malcolm, Melanie Lynskey, Robbie Magasiva, Sara Wiseman, Alan Dale, Craig Hall and Karl Urban.

One of her known specialities is the international placement of J&L’s clients, sharing many with major agencies in Sydney, LA and London. Many of these actors are now highly recognisable and sought after performers in these territories. Currently J&L clients can be seen in lead roles in productions such as UNDERBELLY, WENTWORTH, RAKE, UPPER CLASS BOGAN, PLACE CALLED HOME, PACKED TO THE RAFTERS, ONCE UPON A TIME, HOT IN CLEVELAND, ALMOST HUMAN, CARRIE DIARIES and many more.

Imogen is also very active in lobbying for better terms and conditions for all performers in New Zealand and is a supporter of NZ Actors Equity and a founding member of the AAANZ (Actors Agents Association).

Panel: Stepping up to the International Stage

Rachel House is both an actor and director and has performed in many NZ films including Nikki Caro’s WHALE RIDER and Taika Waititi’s EAGLE VS. SHARK and BOY (in the role of Auntie Gracie).  On BOY Rachel also worked behind the scenes as the kids’ acting coach. She has also been part of numerous television productions including the BBC co-production of MADIGAN’S QUEST the award-winning comedy SUPERCITY.

Rachel has been awarded a number of Wellington Theatre Critics’ Chapmann Tripp Acting awards: Best Newcomer, Best Supporting Actress for Ibsen’s Enemy of the People, and Most Outstanding Performance for Witi Ihimaera’s Woman Far Walking.

In 2002, she directed Have Car Will Travel by emerging Maori playwright Mitch Tawhi Thomas. She was awarded Director of the Year at the Wellington Theatre Awards and has continued to direct both theatre and television. Highlights include Neil La Butes Mercy Seat; the Canadian, Cambridge (UK) and Brisbane tour of Frangipani Perfume by Makerita Urale; the national and Australian tour of award-winning Hinepau for children; Tusiata Avia’s internationally toured one woman show Wild Dogs Under my Skirt and Briar Grace Smith’s When Sun and Moon Collide for Maori television.

She graduated from the Prague film school in 2008 and her first short film THE WINTER BOY by Kylie Meehan has travelled throughout NZ, France, Japan, Canada and America.

Her most recent work includes playing Maraea in WHITE LIES and being on the core cast of Gaylene Preston’s HOPE AND WIRE; directing the premiere production of the Mitch Tawhi Thomas play Hui at the International Arts Festival in Auckland and the Maori Troilus and Cressida that performed at the Globe Theatre in London as part of the cultural Olympiard in 2012, for which she was awarded Director of the Year and Production of the year at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. That same year she was awarded an Arts Laureate as an investment in excellence across a range of art forms for an artist with prominence and outstanding potential for future growth.

Session: White Lies – Tuakiri Huna and Cultural Integrity

Sue May is a publicist specialising in film, working as both unit publicist and release publicist. Her most recent project was the release of UTU REDUX in the NZ International Film Festival.

She managed the publicity for MT ZION from unit publicity during the shoot to Sony Pictures’ NZ cinema and DVD releases and assisted with the Australian cinema release. She had a similar level of involvement with BILLY T: TE MOVIE, transitioning from unit publicist to release publicity, also for Sony Pictures.

She manages publicity for all films released in NZ by 20^th Century Fox, which currently includes STOKER and THE WOLVERINE and major past releases include LIFE OF PI, AVATAR, BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, ICE AGE and BLACK SWAN.

She was unit publicist for MR PIP and HOME BY CHRISTMAS. Other New Zealand films include unit and release publicity for RIVER QUEEN (20^th Century Fox) and THE TATTOOIST (Disney NZ), THE MAORI MERCHANT OF VENICE, SPOOKED and prepared publicity materials for RAIN OF THE CHILDREN and THE STRENGTH OF WATER.

Offshore productions include unit publicist for THE WARRIOR’S WAY, WITHOUT A PADDLE, BOOGEYMAN and VERTICAL LIMIT as well as NZ media liaison for XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS AND HERCULES, THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS.

She was the founder (with Graeme Cowley) of Onfilm magazine (1983) and initiated The Data Book (1988). The idea for Onfilm magazine grew out of her committee work for the Academy of Motion Pictures, the forerunner of today’s industry organisations. At the time she had been working as production manager for several years. She has been a member of WIFT since almost the beginning and was awarded Unsung Heroine of the NZ Screen Industry in 2007. A member of AFTA since its earliest incarnations, she publicised the NZ Film & TV Awards for several years and has publicised the SPADA conference many times.

Distribution Case Study – Mt Zion: Reaching your audience with Quinton Hita, Sue May & Andrew Cornwell

Curtis Vowell has had a diverse career; working as a director, assistant director and in production as well as being an actor and casting director.

in 2013 Curtis completed his debut feature film FANTAIL.

FANTAIL was funded through the New Zealand Film Commission’s Escalator initiative and premiered at this year’s New Zealand International Film Festival. FANTAIL was also selected for the Breakthru screenings at Melbourne International Film Festival’s 37° South.

In 2012 Curtis finished runner-up in the Make My Series international competition for his pilot EPIC GIRLFRIEND. He is currently directing the play Dragonlore as part of Young and Hungry festival of new theatre.

Curtis trained at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and is a 2012 alumni of Melbourne Film Festival’s Accelerator directors programme.

Panel: Cinematic Vision on a Shoestring

Matthew Horrocks has worked in film and television production for over fifteen years.

His began his career directing for TV3’s ICE TV and producing documentaries and short films in Auckland. In the UK he worked on 28 DAYS LATER and CALENDAR GIRLS. He has produced and executive produced seven short films, all of which were selected for A-list film festivals.

From 2003-2006 Matthew worked as a Development Executive with the New Zealand Film Commission and managed their training and industry infrastructure programs. Films funded during this time included RIVER QUEEN,THE WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN, NUMBER 2, SIONE’S WEDDING, EAGLE VS. SHARK, and OUT OF THE BLUE.

Matthew was the instigator and the designer of the Big Screen Symposium and is a board member of Script to Screen.

As a producer his current feature film projects include THE LAST SAINT (Writer/Director Rene Naufahu), BEYOND THE KNOWN WORLD (Director Pan Nalin – Samsara) which he is producing with French producer Ilann Girard (March Of The Penguins, Kolya, Renaissance, Goodbye Bafana, Lebanon, I, Anna). BEYOND THE KNOWN WORLD is a French/Indian/NZ co-production.

Current television projects include COSTELLO, a documentary on NZ’s most famous suspected Cold War spy, for NZ On Air and Prime Television.

As a writer his projects include BURN OUT, a teen drama in development with the NZFC (Producer Karl Zohrab).

Session: The Weight of Elephants: What Scandinavia Does Right.

Briar Grace-Smith is of Ngā Puhi descent, and is an award-winning writer of short fiction, stage plays and feature films. 

Her plays include Ngā Pou Wāhine, Purapurawhetū and When Sun and Moon Collide. She is an inaugural Arts Foundation Laureate and was the writer in residence at Victoria University in 2003. She has also worked as a Development Executive for the New Zealand Film commission and taught ‘Writing for Theatre’ at IIML (2015).

Briar is a Sundance alumni and the writer of the feature films THE STRENGTH OF WATER and the horror comedy FRESH MEAT. Her television credits include FISHSKIN SUIT, BEING EVE, KAITANGATA TWITCH and the Māori Television drama THIS IS PIKI. She was a director and co-writer of the short film, NINE OF HEARTS, and recently wrote and directed CHARM for the collaborative feature project WARU (BSAG Productions), which brought together the work of eight Māori women directors.

Gaylene Preston’s award-winning work has screened extensively at international festivals including Venice, Sundance, Toronto, London, Chicago, Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand.

Her last feature film, HOME BY CHRISTMAS, won critical and popular acclaim and is one of the top 15 grossing New Zealand films of all time at the NZI box office.

She recently made HOPE AND WIRE, a six-part television drama focusing on the social and psychological upheaval during the Christchurch earthquakes.

Gaylene’s career has spanned three decades, and her generosity of spirit and her powerful mentorship and advocacy skills have been central to the development of New Zealand’s filmmaking community.

Panel: Who Gives a Damn About New Zealand Films?

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in London and graduating from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business with an MBA degree, Tim Brooke-Hunt moved to Australia in the mid 1970’s.  He began working in the Film and TV industry in 1983 and, over the next 20 years he was extensively involved in the financing and production of animation for film and TV.

During this period, Tim held senior positions with the Australian production companies Beyond International and Yoram Gross Film Studios (now Flying Bark).  He co-founded Sticky Pictures in 2002.  His Executive Producer credits include the animated TV series BLINKY BILL, FLIPPER & LOPAKA, OLD TOM, YAKKITY YAK, PEARLIE and DENNIS & GNASHER.

In 2007, Tim was appointed Executive Head of Children’s Content for ABC TV, and became Controller of Children’s in 2010.  In these roles, Tim led the launch of the digital school-age channel ABC3 in 2009 and the re-launch of pre-school channel ABC4Kids in 2011.  Both channels have become the clear market leaders for their target demographic.  Tim was also responsible for ABC TV’s Educational programs and on-line content for children, including two dedicated portals.

Tim left the ABC in September 2013 to pursue new opportunities in children’s entertainment.

Panel: Where are Kids in the Big Picture?

After graduating from drama school Toi Whakaari in 1987, Robyn Malcolm worked extensively in theatre for the first 5 years, performing in over 30 plays. In 2003 she won an International Actors Fellowship to study Shakespeare in performance with Mark Rylance at the Globe Theatre in London.

Malcolm first came to the attention of television audience in 1995 when she joined the staff of SHORTLAND STREET. As nursing manager and mother Ellen Crozier, she quickly lost a husband, accidentally burnt the house down, and soon found herself caught up in a complicated love-life – not to mention the complications which ensued when an ex-boyfriend got married to her psychotic sister. The writers of the show lovingly called her “the slut in the cardy” Malcolm earned her first screen nomination for Best Actress at the 1998 Television Awards.

In 1999 Malcolm founded the New Zealand Actors’ Company with Tim Balme, Katie Wolfe and future OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE director Simon Bennett. The company produced and toured successful stage productions of Shakepeare adaptations and NZ works throughout the country to huge audiences.

She gained another nomination 3 years later for the film for television CLARE, based on the cervical cancer experiment at National Women’s Hospital. The film’s inspiration was Clare Matheson, whose book Fate Cries Enough chronicles how over 15 years she became an unwitting participant in a medical experiment where carcinoma in situ was often left untreated.

Over this time Malcolm had smaller roles in movies PERFECT STRANGERS, ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE, THE LAST TATTOO, and LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS.

In 2004, Malcolm travelled to France to front her documentary OUR LOST WAR: PASSCHENDAELE. She followed her Great Uncles footstep’s from the hills of Central Otago, to the UK and France to then Belgium where he eventually was killed in 1917.

She would score her first actual screen award in 2005 for a show which surely drew some inspiration from SHORTLAND STREET: satire SERIAL KILLERS, in which she played a stressed out scriptwriter.

2005 was also the year that she first played Cheryl West, in OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE. The show would go on to become the longest running and most successful drama in New Zealand TV history.

Bringing her substantial experience to the part, Malcolm helped created an iconic character on New Zealand television: feisty, flawed and cleavaged to the hilt, the straight-talking Cheryl tried to keep the West whanau on the straight and narrow, while trying to sort her affections for her criminal husband Wolf (Grant Bowler) and policeman Wayne Judd (Kirk Torrance). By the show’s third season, women were turning up in Kiwi hair salons asking for a “Cheryl West”. Malcolm argued in 2007 that audiences liked the character “because she’s so fallible… no one wants a two dimensional hero. We want messed up struggling people.”

The final episode of OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE aired in November 2010 and rated better than any in the show’s six season run. Over those 5 years Malcolm has stacked up an unprecedented run of awards for her role.

In 2010 Malcolm took another centre stage role with THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF GAZZA SNELL, the first feature from award-winning INSIDERS GUIDE director Brendan Donovan. She was nominated again for best actress for this role. She then went to Australia for feature films DRIFT starring Sam Worthington, and THE BURNING MAN. She also began her association with the much acclaimed and loved Aussie TV series RAKE. Her recurring character the mad and hilarious Kirsty Corella, wife of jailed gangster gained her much praise in Australia.

Malcolm pitched her idea for her “tragi-comedy” AGENT ANNA, which debuted on television in January 2013. She was intrigued by the idea of basing a show around a middle-class mum “with no hint of hero about her,” who is forced to enter the highly competitive world of selling real estate whilst in a state of growing internal collapse.

She features in Jane Campion’s acclaimed mini-series TOP OF THE LAKE as a messed up American chimpanzee owner seeking healing down under and was voted Best Supporting Actress by Indiewire at the Berlin Festival.

Robyn featured in the hugely popular Melbourne comedy UPPER MIDDLE BOGAN and the second series of critically acclaimed political thriller THE CODE.

Through these years of film and television she has kept up regular theatre work. Most notably in recent years as the buried Winnie in Samuel Becket’s in HAPPY DAYS for Silo Theatre, the title role in Auckland Theatre Company’s production of MARY STUART and again for that company the roles of Shen Te and Shui Ta in Brechts THE GOOD SOUL OF SZECHUAN.

Robyn’s most recent work has included her role in the feature film HOSTILES (2017) starring Christian Bale, and as the star of the 2017 short film GOODNESS GROWS HERE. She has been kept busy with her roles in various new television series including Season 1 and 2 of WANTED (2015/2016), WAKE IN FRIGHT (2017) and HARROW (2017).

She is slowly becoming a fixture at the Big Screen Symposium as a regular interviewer of guests because “I love talking to people about this business, it’s a never-ending treasure trove of experience and story.”

See Robyn in the following session:

Case Study: THE CHANGEOVER – Sunday 1 October, 1.20pm.

Zoe McIntosh first won attention for a documentary on mail order brides, made while she studied film at Canterbury University. In 2010 LOST IN WONDERLAND, her hour-long doco about idiosyncratic barrister Rob Moodie, won the Qantas award for Best Popular Documentary and the following year she was awarded the SPADA new film maker award.

Currently directing commercials, McIntosh has been given notice of her talent for drama, with the award-winning 2010 short DAY TRIP and in 2013 she won the Cannes Lions young directors award. In 2013 she completed a feature film called THE DEADLY PONIES GANG as well as a documentary called KING OF CARAVANS. Both premiered at the New Zealand international film festival.

Panel: Cinematic Vision on a Shoestring

After graduating with a Masters from Elam School of Fine Arts, Tim Van Dammen showed at such prestigious galleries as Artspace and The Film Archive. His work A TENSION SPANNED opened the 2007 NZ Fashion Week for Lonely Hearts Club. In the meantime he self funded and shot two low budget feature films with good friend Thomas Sainsbury.

In 2008 his band Collapsing Cities was signed to London based management company Supervision Management (Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Crystal Castles, White Lies) and he toured major music festivals throughout the UK while at the same time used his skills as a visual artist to create music videos for his own and other bands.

Since arriving back in NZ in 2009 he became one of NZ’s most prolific music video directors working with almost every top New Zealand artist. He has produced and directed over 140 music videos to date through his production company Blur and Sharpen.

In 2009 he was nominated for best director for his video TURN AROUND for Sola Rosa. In 2010 Tim was nominated for 6 Juice TV Video Awards for which he won Best Electronic Video for the Kids Of 88 song Just A Little Bit. This video also went on to win Tim the best director ‘Tui’ that year at the Vodafone NZ Music Awards.

In 2010 Tim was approached to adapt 38 songs adapted from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet into a feature film. Tim adapted the songs into a screenplay and produced and directed the film now titled ROMEO AND JULIER: A LOVE SONG. An early cut of the film sparked the interest of legendary Oscar winning editor Jamie Selkirk (Lord Of The Rings, King Kong) who took Tim under his wing and mentored him through the post production of the film.

Panel: Cinematic Vision on a Shoestring

Russell Brown is a busy and eclectic journalist, broadcaster and blogger. He is the host of TV3’s Media3 show and the publisher of the respected group blog site Public Address. For the past five years he has served on the Digital Media Trust, which oversees the NZ On Screen and Audioculture internet projects on behalf of NZ On Air. He writes and talks about media, music, culture, business and technology.

Panel: Who Gives a Damn About New Zealand Films?

Graeme Mason has been CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission since May 2009.

A native Australian, but based primarily in London, Graeme’s early career involved seven years with PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, culminating as Senior Vice President for over three years. In this role he acquired or oversaw the production of films to augment in-house projects including THE USUAL SUSPECTS, TRAINSPOTTING, LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS, SPICE WORLD – THE MOVIE, and WHEN WE WERE KINGS.

At PolyGram, Graeme had active involvement with the international licensing and distribution of films such as PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT, NELL, DEAD MAN WALKING, and FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL.

After PolyGram, Graeme was President of Acquisitions at Universal Pictures for three years, based in London and Los Angeles.

In 2003, Graeme joined Channel 4 Corporation. Channel 4 is one of the UK’s leading media entities with multiple TV Channels, radio, web and publishing functions. Channel 4 operates under government ownership with a full public service remit but is completely funded by commercial means. Initially Graeme was Head of Media projects where he provided a dedicated link between the creative and commercial arms both internally and externally. He was involved in establishing a new Film Division, re-launching the Channel 4 Film Library and supervising the completion of production, sales and distribution of Film 4 titles including THE MOTOR CYCLE DIARIES and TOUCHING THE VOID. Later he was Managing Director of Rights for Channel 4.

Panel: Who Gives a Damn About New Zealand Films?

Born and educated in the United Kingdom, Harriet Allan graduated with an MA Hons in English literature and language from the University of Edinburgh in 1985 and immigrated to New Zealand the following year.

After working for a medical publisher and with Oxford University Press, she moved to Century Hutchinson and remained with the company through its various mergers and transformations, working as an editor and subsequently managing editor, also commissioning a wide range of titles: fiction and nonfiction, adult and children’s.

For the last two decades, she has been the fiction publisher, publishing many award-winning and best-selling books for the Random House New Zealand imprints of Vintage, Black Swan, Bantam and Arrow.

Session: Optioning Source Material – Publishers Present their Picks

Kelly Rogers is a specialised film distributor who has distributed a wide range of films during his time in the business. He was a founding investor and former CEO of the Rialto Cinemas in NZ, which at its peak had 26 screens nationwide. Kelly is also a co-owner of the highly successful Bridgeway Cinemas in Auckland; the recently opened 5-screen boutique cinema complex in Howick, Auckland, The Monterey; and the 3-screen upmarket Rialto Tauranga.

The first film Kelly bought was GHOSTS OF THE CIVIL DEAD, followed by SHALLOW GRAVE. Now 20 years later, he is still a specialised film distributor with offices in both Melbourne and Auckland.  Given that independent distribution entities can rarely last more than a few years in this risky business, this staying power is testament to his considerable knowledge and market savvy abilities in assessing and releasing independent film in a tough and uncompromising market.

Over the years Kelly has distributed, across all platforms, a variety of successful titles including AMAZING GRACE, AMERICAN SPENDOR, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, ELEPHANT, THE EXPERIMENT, THE FIRST GRADER, GET LOW, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, HEADHUNTERS, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, THE MACHINIST, MEAN CREEK, MOZART’S SISTER, MRS. PALFREY AT THE CLAREMONT, NO MAN’S LAND, THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP, THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES, STEP INTO LIQIOD, TSOTSI, THE VISITOR, YOUNG@HEART and most recently the Swedish language MILLENNIUM TRILOGY which has grossed over $15M at the Aus/NZ box office, with THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO being the highest grossing DVD result of all time for a foreign language film in Australia.

Kelly also acquired the NZ productions SCARFIES, which took $1.3m at the local box office, and TOPP TWINS: UNTOUCHABLE GIRLS which grossed $2m locally. In 2013 he worked on two NZ productions: GISELLE, directed by Toa Fraser, and BEYOND THE EDGE, the Sir Edmund Hillary project directed by Leanne Pooley.

Kelly is currently in the process of setting up a new VOD-only distribution company in the UK.

Panel: Who Gives a Damn About New Zealand Films?

Tina Cleary is a New Zealand based casting director and actor who has been working in the film & television industry for 18 years.  She founded the The Casting Company with co-director Miranda Rivers in 1999.

Her most inspiring projects to date are Jane Campion’s TOP OF THE LAKE, for which she has received an Emmy nomination, and NZ no 1 box office hit BOY by Taika Waititi & Ainsley Gardiner. Driven by the power of a good story, Tina is always chasing the allure of ‘that moment when an actor transforms the audience‘, suspending them in the art of their creativity.  She is passionate about working with actors to capture those moments on camera.

Tina’s casting credits include; HOME BY CHRISTMAS by leading director Gaylene Preston, Paul Murphy’s SECOND HAND WEDDING and LOVE BIRDS, and Lippy Pictures award winning tele-features; UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT and TANGIWAI as well as the yet-to-be-released, PIRATES OF THE AIRWAVES and FIELD PUNISHMENT NO.1.

Tina was also responsible for the casting of New Zealand actors for Peter Webber’s film, EMPEROR and has worked on THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN (post mo-cap NZ casting), Taika Waititi and Loren Taylor’s EAGLE VS. SHARK, and RAGE, a tele-feature by Tom Scott and Danny Mulheron, based on the contentious 1981 Spring Boks tour of New Zealand.

In 2014 she worked on a feature film for the acclaimed See Saw Films, on WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS by Jemaine Clement & Taika Waititi, and on THE CHANGEOVER by Stuart McKenzie.

Tina is a tutor at the NZ Film School, Toi Whakaari, and also works as a short film script assessor for NZ Film Commission.  She draws much inspiration from her Celtic origins and Aotearoa where she lives with her two children and very handsome partner!

Panel: Stepping up to the International Stage

Facilitator: Acting with David Wenham

John Barnett is Chairman of South Pacific Pictures, NZ’s leading film and TV producer. South Pacific Pictures is dedicated to telling New Zealand stories to New Zealand audiences and to the world.

It would be hard to find any New Zealander who hasn’t watched a South Pacific Pictures’ production – from SHORTLAND STREET to OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE, GO GIRLS to ALMIGHTY JOHNSONS, from NZ IDOL to the CAPTAIN COOK documentary series, and from SIONE’S WEDDING to WHALE RIDER.

South Pacific Pictures is proud to present audiences with New Zealand stories that resonate with all of us.

Session info:  Te Reo and Tikanga Māori, Whose Voice is it? With Tainui Stephens, Waihoroi Shortland and John Barnett