Cornerstone has launched world sales at the 2021 European Film Market (EFM) for marriage-in-crisis comedy Nude Tuesday, directed by DEGNZ member Armağan Ballantyne and written by and starring Guild member Jackie van Beek.

Performed entirely in gibberish, the NZ-Australian co-production will be available with two deliverable sets of subtitles, written by prominent local comedians. However, distributors are also encouraged to engage local comedians to create their own subtitled version of the movie.

Nude Tuesday tells the story of a couple who, in an effort to rekindle the spark in their marriage, head to a couples’ retreat. Upon arrival, the path to their reconnection is met with hilarious farce, including Jermaine Clement’s sex guru, as they seek to find themselves and each other through their newfound sexual liberation.

Alison Thompson and Mark Gooder of Cornerstone expressed their enthusiasm for the film, “Jackie, Aramagan and the team are creating a wildly entertaining movie. It’s bold, inventive and achingly funny and we can’t wait to introduce Nude Tuesday to buyers for the first time.”

Berlin’s EFM was held virtually on 1-5 March 2021.

Read more

Last updated on 12 March 2021

Congratulations to the many DEGNZ members who have been selected as finalists for Doc Edge Pitch 2021. DEGNZ members accepted as finalists include, Vanessa Wells with The Climate Canary, Gwen Isaac with Siouxsie & The Virus, Paul Wolffram with Sanguma, Kim Webby with Ratman and the Whales, Tom Burstyn with Iggy in Love and Mark McNeill with Being Chloe. Finals run at the end of April, best of luck to you all. Next, the finalists will participate in pitch preparation workshops to work towards their live and online pitches.

Previous Doc Edge Pitch winners include DEGNZ members Julia Parnell and Jan Oliver Lucks for Wilbur Force (2016) and Robyn Paterson for In Zone (2015).

Read more

Last updated on 12 March 2021

Congratulations to Mia Maramara (writer-director) and Hweiling Ow (writer-producer) who received funding from the NZ On Air and Te Mangai Paho co-fund initiative. Their episode titled, Albularyo: The Witch Doctor, is one of six in a new TVNZ anthology series, which sets to explore supernatural stories of Māori, Pasifika, and Filipino cultures. Each episode will be 22 minutes.

Albularyo: The Witch Doctor:

When a Kiwi-Filipino doctor discovers that her deceased grandmother has become a manananggal, a corrupted witch, she must face up to her troubled youth and make peace with her estranged brother before they both suffer the bloody consequences.

Read more

Last updated on 11 March 2021

A Girl Called Elvis

Wellington filmmakers Miles Wilson (DEGNZ) and Lindsay Christopherson are hoping to raise funds for their project A Girl Called Elvis. The short film about two siblings growing closer through a family quest is expected to begin filming in mid-April 2021.

When 10 year old Ellie hears that her father is back in town, she convinces her half-sister Carol to help her reconnect with him. Together with Carol’s boyfriend Dion, they set off on their journey.

Funds raised through Boosted will pay for cast and crew wages, gear, locations, production design and rentals. Supporting the filmmakers through donations or by sharing the project is appreciated!

You can find out more on Boosted here.

Last updated on 11 March 2021

Loner is a six-part web series, directed by DEGNZ member and Incubator alumna Lauren Porteous, that explores friendship, love and loneliness and reminds us that the only way things change is through action. Loner is now available on NZ On Screen. The series won Best Narrative Director at the 2020 NZ Web Fest Awards. 

Extrovert Mel (Lucinda Hare from Auckward Love and SMOKO) convinces her friend Charlotte (Gloria Faesen-Kloet from Three Wise Cousins) to head out to a party. Their nights end very differently. Charlotte bumps into a kimono-wearing man writing a screenplay. But there are more surprises in store.

Watch now

Last updated on 11 March 2021