The Aotearoa box-office hit Cousins will release in select theatres in the US on July 2, after being picked up by Array Releasing, the distribution arm of Ava DuVernayโs Array collective.
Edited by DEGNZ member Alex Boyd, the film debuted at number one at the box office and quickly became a local hit, earning $1.6 million. The president of Array, Tilane Jones, spoke to Deadline about the acquisition, stating how inspired they were to bring this powerful film to audiences across the globe, a โbeautiful story exploring identity, culture and family that goes beyond borders and timeโ.
Cousins will also stream on Netflix (US) from July 22.
http://degnz.sensedesign.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2.png321845admin/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DEGANZ_logo_home.pngadmin2021-06-30 15:47:442021-06-30 15:47:44Cousins Heads to the US
Members stopping work to take parental leave can contact the National Office to receive six months of free Parental Leave Membership. Members on parental leave shall continue to receive Guild communications but their access to other membership benefits will be paused until they are financial again.
i. For members on Annual Billing who have already paid their annual subscription, their remaining membership period will be pro-rated and credited as an extension when they return.
ii. Members on Monthly Billing who are part-way through their annual commitment may contact the National Office to switch to Parental Leave Membership and terminate their current term.
Please contact us if you have recently had a child or have a baby on the way to enquire about DEGNZ Parental Leave Membership.
Member Rob Sarkies, director of the 2006 film Out of the Blue, which told the story of the 1990 Aramoana massacre, sat down with RNZโs The Detail to discuss the delicate nature of filming a real-life tragedy.
The important discussion surrounding portraying a real-life tragedy was brought to the forefront, after news broke that Hollywood producers were planning a film around the March 15 terror attacks in Christchurch.
Films like these wrestle with similar questions, who should make it? Who has the right to make it? What story will actually be told and whether itโs too soon. Rob acknowledges that there is no easy answer. On his own experience making Out of the Blue, Rob said:
โI felt that, if it was to be made, it needed to be made responsibly. It needed to be made by someone who could have empathy, and basically do it right. And I felt, being from Dunedin and having some concerns about how that story might be told in the wrong hands, I trusted myself to tell it. I took on the responsibility.โ
Members of the Aramoana community worked closely with the production.
As a storyteller, Rob feels that storytelling can help a nation collectively process a tragic event. There is healing power in storytelling.
http://degnz.sensedesign.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/3-1.png321845admin/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DEGANZ_logo_home.pngadmin2021-06-30 15:21:292021-06-30 15:46:26Portraying Real Life Tragedy on Screen
On July 29, following its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, DEGNZ is excited to be hosting a screening of The Justice of Bunny King, in association with Rialto Cinemas. The film follows Bunny King (Essie Davis), a mother of two who’s a rough cut diamond with a sketchy past. While battling the system to reunite with her children, a confrontation leads her to take her niece Tonyah (Thomasin McKenzie) under her wing. With the world against her and Tonyah, Bunny’s battle has just begun.
Following the screening, audiences will be joined by director Gaysorn Thavat for a Q&A session, moderated by Lucy Wigmore.
http://degnz.sensedesign.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Justice-of-Bunny-King-2.jpeg321845admin/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DEGANZ_logo_home.pngadmin2021-06-28 15:08:492021-06-30 16:11:11Film Talk: The Justice of Bunny King
On July 24, esteemed documentary director Leanne Pooley will explore how a director crafts and communicates the tone of a film, a fine finish to our workshop series on tone for 2021, which seeks to pin down this elusive subject.
When you are dealing with the stories of real people and portraying them on screen, getting the tone wrong can lead to significant problems. Tone is part of everything a documentary director does when approaching a story. Itโs part of the narrative, the pace, the look, the music.
Tone is part of every decision a director makes, and in this workshop, Leanne will share practically using examples from her films on how directors make these decisions.
About Leanne Pooley
A documentary filmmaker for over 25 years, Leanne has directed films all over the world and has won numerous awards (including Best Documentary at TIFF). Leanne is a New Zealand Arts Laureate, a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was named an โOfficer of the New Zealand Order of Meritโ for Services to Documentary Filmmaking in the 2017 New Yearโs Honours List.
Her work includes The Girl on the Bridge on suicide survivor and activist Jazz Thornton, We Need to Talk About A.I. for Universal Pictures and GFC, animated feature documentary 25 April and acclaimed local box office success Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls.
Whoโs it for?
Documentary directors wanting to better understand tone – you’ll come away with useful ideas that can be applied to your own process, whether youโre directing on your first short film or moving onto longer content (e.g. a first feature documentary, a webseries).
Workshop Details
When:ย Saturday 24 July 2021, 9:30am – 4pm
Where:ย Saint Columba Centre, 40 Vermont Street, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011
Price:
DEGNZ member – Free Non-member – $95
Lunch, tea and coffee included.
Travel Allowances
DEGNZ Full members based outside of Auckland can apply to the Guild for travel support up to the value of $250 (incl GST). We have six grants available.
To apply you must meet these criteria:
You live outside of the Auckland region.
You are a NZ Citizen or permanent resident.
You have a confirmed place in one of the Tone workshops.
Please indicate if you wish to apply for a travel allowance when you register. For additional information and criteria, see here.
To Apply
Applications close: Tuesday 20 July, 3PM
Submit the application form below.
Email your CV or a bio with filmography to tema@deganz.co.nz. Please include links to your work.
We will then review your application and email you to confirm that you have a place. Spaces are limited and applications will be reviewed as they are received.
