More News About ‘More Than Gold’

Dame Valerie Adams: More Than Gold, edited by Margot Francis (DEGANZ) and produced by fellow member Leanne Pooley, continues its successful international film festival run with the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (GZDOC). The film will screen in cinemas in Guangzhou and Shenzhen this December, hosted by the NZ Consulate General in Guangzhou.

Now with over 20 years under its belt, GZDOC is a highlight event for China’s documentary industry and is the only state-level professional platform for documentary financing and traditions functions. The festival integrates competition, screening, pitching, training, forums, and marketing for international filmmakers to take part in.

The 90-minute documentary tells the inspirational story of Olympic champion, Kiwi icon, Tongan leader, mother, daughter, sister, and survivor Dame Valerie Adams. She shares her story with profound honesty and vulnerability which is rare among professional athletes. Both funny and gut-wrenching, Dame Valerie shows us what it means to be a world-class competitor and someone for whom winning means more than gold. The film speaks to anyone who has faced hardship, loss, or pursued a dream.

If you’d like to check the film out (but won’t be in China this December), you can watch More Than Gold on NEON or Sky Go in Aotearoa now!

Last updated on 21 November 2024

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Eady and Redmond Take Home Bronze and Silver at the NZCS Awards

DEGANZ members Dan Eady and Tyler Redmond received kudos at this year’s New Zealand Cinematographers Society’s (NZSC) Cinematography Awards.

NZSC created the festival in 2016 as a way for cinematographers’ mahi in Aotearoa to be evaluated and recognised to help boost their profiles and progress their careers. With a variety of categories from music videos to features to news and current affairs, the awards recognise productions of any genre and budget level, with bronze, silver, and gold awarded per category.

Dan won Bronze in the Web Series category for Sandwich, which he directed, produced, and shot.

Tyler brought home the Silver in the Student Films category for Bring Me Home, a short he was DOP for while studying.

Congratulations Dan and Tyler for the recognition of your hard work!

 

Last updated on 21 November 2024

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Trumped… Again

View from the Top banner

Well, it’s done and dusted. We have another Trump presidency. So what does that mean for our screen industry?

Unfortunately, it would seem we have a volatile future in store.

As Trump has been telling us pretty much from Day 1, he wants to ‘Make America Great Again’.

He’s clearly indicated he wants to put tariffs on exports into the US market. For New Zealand, that could mean a 10 – 20% tariff on our NZ$8.8 billion exports to there. That will hurt our economy further and it’s already fragile. Shifting to other export markets may not be enough. The current government has instituted many cuts, including to a number of our cultural funding institutions, in its efforts to turn the economy around. With our exports suffering, we can expect little support and possibly more belt tightening in the arts and culture sector.

The Hollywood studios will benefit from the touted reduction in US corporate taxes from 21% to 15%. And they already have the ability to immediately write off the full cost of film and TV productions that a Trump bill introduced last time. But Hollywood hasn’t proven itself a friend to Trump, with many high profile celebrities and guilds openly backing Harris. We know Trump can be vindictive, as evidenced by his threats and or actions against CNN, Disney’s ABC and CBS. Many in Hollywood and the entertainment industry will undoubtedly be seeking shelter as he lashes out at anybody who went against him this election. Instability in the US entertainment sector means instability in the global entertainment sector, including for us.

The New Zealand Film Commission has a planned LA Showcase coming up in the next month. With so much uncertainty about to ensue in Hollywood, now may not be the best time to head there to drum up business.

Undoubtedly, one aim of any NZFC visit to LA would be to encourage more runaway production to New Zealand. However, one thing that may result from a Trump presidency is more studio production staying stateside, to help ‘Make America Great Again’. The international production pipeline in New Zealand from the second quarter of next year is already looking dicey. If the majority of now reduced US production stays there, a drop in internationals coming to NZ combined with an already slim funding stream for domestic production doesn’t bode well for us.

It’s hard at this point to see any upside for the New Zealand screen industry from a Trump win. Our best hope at this point is that we don’t experience a downside, even though there are signs that it may well be in the offing.

 

Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director

Last updated on 7 November 2024

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Vision Feast Your Eyes on DEGANZ Members!

Six DEGANZ Members have their projects nominated for awards at this year’s Vision Feast.

Vision Feast is an annual short film and music video festival that acknowledges filmmakers with a creative passion, technical skills, and what they call a ‘stroke of madness’. The festival accepts both domestic and international submissions. This year’s international entries are from the USA, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Canada, and Europe.

Check out the list below!

Planet 13

In a harsh, burnt-out planet that is rapidly dying, a young couple roam the land in search of a way to buy their survival.

Directed by Joe Murdie

Nominated for Best Aotearoa Project, Best NZ Short Film and Visionary NZ Cinematography

 

The Balloon

On her birthday, an earnest, young girl finds unexpected solace when her mother seemingly fails to make any plans.

Directed by James Fink-Jensen

Nominated for Best NZ Short Film and Visionary NZ Cinematography

 

Oops, I Murdered the Person the Person I Like Likes

When Horatio learns that his crush, Princess Bellimperia, already has a boyfriend, he joins the army so he can murder him. Based on The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd, this movie is made entirely out of cardboard.

Directed by Ross Ozarka

Nominated for Best NZ Feature Film

 

The Bostrom Scenario

Alice Wonder grieves for the murder of her brother but nobody knows he ever existed. Alice searches for answers, unravelling the story of a supernatural photographer and the film crew of a cursed documentary.

Directed by Ricky Townsend

Nominated for Best NZ Feature Film

 

Snapped Up (By The Boss)

Directed by Ashley Pitman

Nominated for Best NZ Music Video

 

Dear Future Generation

Macey lives carelessly in a world blind to climate change, but not for long… The spirit of a girl from the past haunts Macey and leads her to a discovery that will change her perception of the world forever.

Directed by Yana Chernova

Nominated for Best NZ Student Live Action Work

 

Dive

A coming-of-age drama that follows a young competitive swimmer named Paula, who is trained by her father Troy. Despite her dedication and hard work, Paula’s results don’t meet her father’s high standards. Meanwhile, Troy struggles with financial problems and the possibility of losing their home. As the national swimming competition approaches, tensions rise between father and daughter, and Paula begins to question her passion for the sport.

Directed by Tyler Redmond

Nominated for Best NZ Student Live Action Work

 

Congratulations to our members on the nominations! Check out the full list here.

 

Last updated on 7 November 2024

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Rainbow wins at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival

Sasha Rainbow (DEGANZ) has won the Dark Matter Jury Award for Best Director at the 2024 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival for her film Grafted.

The feature follows Wei, a brilliant but disfigured Chinese scholarship student who is shunned by her classmates at a prestigious New Zealand university. She decides to achieve the popularity she desperately craves by putting her science studies to new and terrifying use.

The Dark Matter Jury Award is presented annually at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, celebrating innovative filmmakers who push the boundaries of the horror genre. Sasha’s film stood out for its bold direction and chilling atmosphere, earning praise from both the jury and audiences alike.

Congratulations to Sasha on this recognition!

Last updated on 7 November 2024

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