Millie Lies Low, Lying Low No More!

,

Feature film Millie Lies Low, directed by Guild member Michelle Savill (DEGANZ Incubator 2018), will be hitting cinema screens around the country on September 29!

Millie Lies Low screened internationally at renowned festivals, including NZIFF, Berlinale, SXSW, Māoriland, Sydney, Melbourne and Edinburgh. The team is excited to bring the film back home for Aotearoa audiences to enjoy.

The film follows anxiety-ridden Millie who, after a moment of panic, misses her flight from Wellington to her internship at a prestigious architecture firm in New York. When she doesn’t have enough money to buy another ticket and can’t face the shame of telling her friends and family, she hatches a plan.

As she hunts for another ticket, Millie lies low in her hometown and uses her wits and carefully crafted social media posts to convince everyone that she is successfully living it up in NYC. As the facade begins to crumble and options run out, she resorts to taking increasingly desperate measures to stay afloat.

You can catch Millie Lies Low in a theatre near you on September 29.

Last updated on 8 September 2022

/by

Mary Mary Features in Someday Stories 2022 Series

Someday Stories has released the first four films of its 2022 series, featuring Mary Mary. Congratulations to the editor, DEGANZ member Sam Small.

The short film, written and directed by Gabriella Gilbert, is set in 1963 and based on true events. It follows eighteen-year-old Mary as she faces an unplanned pregnancy. She is forced to take things into her own hands when her relationships and future are at stake, changing the course of more than just her own life.

Additionally, DEGANZ 2018 Incubator alum Michelle Savill was the project’s production mentor.

Someday Stories focuses on six sustainability-themed shorts by young kiwi filmmakers each year. From drama to documentaries to music videos, the series sparks ideas and stimulates conversation about the future and sustainability. This year’s series concentrates on stories based on true events that portray issues that permeate current society and how our choices affect us and future generations.

You can watch Mary Mary here.

Last updated on 8 September 2022

/by

Jaspers Spreads Feel-Good Moments in Milk and New Project, The Polycees

DEGANZ member Celia Jasper’s short film Milk launched online on 29 August after a hugely successful festival run! With 98 international selections (including the Oscar-qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival), 56 nominations, and 42 awards under its belt, Celia is excited to finally make this mahi accessible as a thank you to everyone who helped make it possible.

Milk is a true labour of love. Inspired by the shift towards kindness she saw in her small town of Martinborough, Celia channelled these sentiments into a small but powerful moment where a young girl forgoes her hard-earned treats at the local dairy to help an elderly gentleman.

Celia credits the film’s community efforts, generosity of industry crew and suppliers, and wide success to its universal message of compassion. She believes that sometimes, “We just need to feel something nice for a change.”

Currently, Celia continues to follow these feel-good moments in her new project, The Polycees, a tongue-in-cheek political comedy-drama starring Cohen Holloway, Jed Brophy, and puppets! The high-concept family short is shooting in Wellington this September.

Congratulations to Celia and the team for the fantastic success on Milk, and we look forward to seeing The Polycees come to life!

Watch Milk here

Last updated on 8 September 2022

/by

Meng Foon: The Symbolic Bridge between Māori and Chinese Communities

Meng is a new, bilingual documentary co-directed and co-produced by Steven Chow (DEGANZ) and Julie Zhu (DEGANZ) and edited by fellow member Josh Yong. It highlights how titular subject Meng Foon’s mahi in the NZ Human Rights Commission offers “a particular kind of hope.” His fluency in both Cantonese and Te Reo Māori lead many to call him a symbolic bridge between Māori and Chinese (or tauiwi) communities.

The insightful documentary follows the former Gisborne mayor and current Race Relations Commissioner through a year in his life. Audiences gain insights into how he navigates the public role at a national level after 18 years in local politics. Meng displays unfaltering determination to promote the rights of tāngata whenua as he engages with human rights issues and racism.

While focusing on his professional career, the documentary does not shy away from his personal ups, downs, and transformations.

Meng premieres at 8:30 pm, Monday 12 September, on Whakaata Māori and will be available online on MĀORI+. The documentary was made with funding from Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air.

Watch the trailer

Last updated on 9 September 2022

/by

Tansley Finds Success in Future and Past Projects

DEGANZ member Rebecca Tansley’s second film for the New Zealand Opera, The Strangest of Angels, is currently in pre-production. While her first film with NZO, Semele, was of the titular opera’s live performance, this new project will be filmed on location.

The Strangest of Angels is a new opera inspired by the life of internationally renowned New Zealand author Janet Frame. Set in Seacliff Mental Hospital in 1945, this story sheds light on mental health from the past and present. The story contrasts the experiences of a traumatised nurse torn between power and empathy with that of a calm, rational person trapped in the asylum.

Semele was well received internationally; Naxos/Opus Arte picked up the DVD rights, and audiences can stream it on Marquee TV.

Additionally, Rebecca’s narrative short film The Finding adds two more international festival selections to its list. It was screened in Vermont on 24 August at the 8th annual Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, a festival dedicated to celebrating first or second-time filmmakers. The 14th annual Lady Filmmakers Festival, which celebrates women filmmakers, will feature the project in Los Angeles in September.

Congratulations, Rebecca! We wish you all the best for your upcoming project.

/by