Edited by DEGANZ member Luke Haigh, American romantic comedy The Royal Treatment premieres on Netflix today. Shot in Dunedin, the film follows hairdresser Izzy, played by Laura Marano (The Perfect Date), as she takes on a job working at the wedding of a charming prince played by Mena Massoud (Aladdin), but things get complicated when sparks between them fly.
Watch the trailer below and make sure to add it to your weekend watch-list.
Script to Screen have announced the 12 participants selected for their initiative Strength in Numbers, including two of our members. Congratulations to Becky Kuek and her company Mooncake Ltd and Matasila Freshwater (DEGANZ 2021 Incubator alumna) of Tomorrow, Rain!
Strength in Numbers is a series of workshops running from February to June 2022. Its aim is to arm participants with the tools they need to build a sustainable screen business.
The course is led by David Court who founded the Compton School, Australiaโs first creative business school. He is the former Head of Screen Business at AFTRS, and worked on the Jackson/Court review of the New Zealand Film Commission.
Shows Rลซrangi, Educators and Homebound 3.0 promise entertainment and comic relief for Kiwis with funding from NZ On Air.
The award-winning Rลซrangi has been greenlit for a second season (5 x 22 mins) with recent funding from NZ On Air. DEGANZ member Max Currie directed and co-produced the first season, which tells the story of a transgender activist who returns home to the remote, politically divided dairy community of Rลซrangi in hopes of reconnecting with his estranged father.
Season 2 will screen on Prime and Mฤori Television. Hulu picked up the first season for distribution in the US, among other international sales to Australia, the UK and France.
Rลซrangi is a finalist in the 2021 New Zealand Television Awards for NZ On Air Best Drama Series.
The series was also cut into a feature film that screened at NZIFF in 2020 and the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco, winning an Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. The film recently took home the award for Best International Feature at the Melbourne Queer Film Festival.
Returning for a third season is the hit improvised comedy show, Educators. Set in a secondary school, the show centres around the dysfunctional teachers in charge of educating the next generation.
Entirely unscripted and featuring some of New Zealandโs top comedians, Educators is directed by Jesse Griffin (DEGANZ) who also co-writes the storylines. Recently, we hosted an online talk with Jesse and Educators editor Stuart Boone, delving into their process of writing, directing and editing the series. The talk was recorded for the DEGANZ podcast so if you missed it, you can catch it online or wherever you get your podcasts!
DEGANZ 2021 Incubator alumna Hweiling Ow is part of the team behind new comedy Homebound 3.0, written by writer/actor Sam Wang. The project won the South Pacific Pictures Big Pitch at the 2019 SPADA Conference and will now become an exciting reality produced by Kevin and Co for Three.
The half-hour comedy revolves around a struggling 30-something unpublished writer forced to move back home and deal with the disappointment of his Chinese parents.
Our congratulations goes out to the team of Being Chlรถe, which has received production funding through NZ On Air! The 90-minute documentary will be directed by member Charlotte Evans (DEGANZ Incubator 2020), produced by Letisha Tate-Dunning (DEGANZ) with executive producers Mark McNeill (DEGANZ) and Philippa Campbell. The film will be edited by Simon Coldrick.
Set to appear on Three after the next election, Being Chlรถe will explore the political and personal life of Chlรถe Swarbrick, currently New Zealandโs youngest MP. The project was earlier on granted NZ Film Commission script development funding.
In the meantime, audiences can watch OK Chlรถe, a 9-minute film made by Charlotte and Letisha through Loading Docs, for a taster of the documentary to come.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
15 December 2021
The Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ) welcomes the review of the New Zealand Governmentโs Investment in The Screen Sector.
โThe screen industry is rapidly changing,โ said DEGANZ President Robyn Paterson, โso it is timely that the Government is looking to better leverage its investment in the New Zealand screen industry to improve outcomes for Aotearoaโs screen workers, businesses, and our own stories.โ
In 2018 the Sapere Report, โEvaluating the New Zealand Screen Production Grantโ, highlighted a gross additional economic benefit of $542 million directly attributable to NZSPG. This was later confirmed in a review of the Sapere Report by Infometrics.
The Infometrics evaluation also supported Sapereโs findings that the NZSPG has contributed greatly to the development of the film and television industry and all of the associated activities.
โThe economic benefit of the NZSPG to New Zealand is undoubtedโ, added Paterson. โAs is the positive impact it is having on the development of parts of the New Zealand screen industry.โ
โThe real opportunity with this review, however, is to determine how to make it more effective for the development of local IP including with our Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations, the creation of New Zealand stories for the international market place, and the sustainability of Aotearoaโs creative workers. This includes prioritising New Zealand-led productions for the international market, and looking at ways in which international productions that choose to film here may be encouraged to employ and develop our local directors, editors and other creatives.โ
Infometrics questioned the long-term sustainability of the New Zealand screen sector without the NZSPG, and pointed to the need for indirect benefits to accrue, such as skills development, technology transfer, tourism and cultural benefits.
โA revised NZSPG with an emphasis on developing and growing our domestic capability while protecting its attractiveness to international productions, can deliver increased economic, cultural, technical and employment benefits for New Zealand well into the future,โ Paterson went on to say; โItโs important that we build a stronger, less vulnerable, and more sustainable local sector.โ
ENDS
For further information contact:
Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director, Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand
tui@deganz.co.nz
021 659 950
Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand is a not-for-profit Incorporated Society and Union that represents Directors, Editors and Assistant Editors in the New Zealand screen industry. This includes Directors, Editors and Assistant Editors of feature drama and documentary; television drama, documentary and factual programmes; short films; video art; animation; commercials and web content.
DEGANZโs two primary roles are advocacy and professional development. We:
DEGANZ is Auckland-based with an office in Grey Lynn.
Contact Details:
Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa NZ
Level 2, 66 Surrey Crescent
Grey Lynn
PO Box 47294, Ponsonby
AUCKLAND
admin@deganz.co.nz
+64 9 360 2102
+64 21 659 950