Friday, July 31, 2009

DETAILS OF SINA WALKERS - "A RUNNER"


(Brian Kilkelly plays Colin Molloy, the main character in "A Runner".)


(Some of the toga party getting ready.)

(Matt Tane and Nigel Waters play the other 2 cabbies "Bullsy" and "Rob". Nigel also wrote "A Runner"!)

A Runner

An aging cabby defies all expectations in the struggle to reclaim his dignity.



A Runner
Written by Nigel Waters
Directed by Sina Walker
Starring Brian Kilkelly

“As yet another customer does a runner, and alarmed at the prospect of fading away in a retirement village; an aging cabby defies all expectations in the struggle to reclaim his dignity.”

“A Runner” is one of the short films made under the auspices of Short Film Otago. It is totally written and produced in Dunedin, and features all Dunedin actors.
Because “A Runner” is all about a taxi driver, the crew had to create three cabs from the fictional “Taxiland” company. However, they were so realistic, members of the cast and crew were stopped several times over the course of shooting by people wanting to hire a cab.
90% of the filming was done at night, which meant spending a lot of time on Dunedin streets after dark. The crew witnessed one police chase, quite a number of drunken passers-by wanting to feature in the film, a drunk loudly abusing a taxi-driver (a case of life imitating art), and pretty much every boy racer in Dunedin.
Friends and family were called in to help out in all sorts of ways, from lending a car trailer to dressing in togas to holding onto large lights during gale-force winds to being stunt drivers.
“A Runner” has been made on a shoe-string, and this was only possible because of the incredibly keen and dedicated cast and crew, who gave their time and energy voluntarily.
We hope you enjoy it.

Writer: Nigel Waters

Nigel was born and raised in Invercargill, moving to Dunedin in the mid-eighties. He has lived in Port Chalmers for the past several years. After having the opportunity to experiment quite freely at Allen Hall Theatre at the University of Otago, he has made a living combining various jobs, including being a postie, a stonemason and now a primary teacher, with working in local theatre for the past twenty years. Apart from a couple of short plays written in the early-nineties, in recent years Nigel started taking a more serious interest in writing. His first full-length length play Hymn was performed at Silo Theatre, Auckland, in 2001 and at the Playhouse Theatre, Dunedin, in 2003. His second The Whole Sun has had professional readings at the Fortune Theatre in 2006 and the Court Theatre, Christchurch in 2007. Short Film Otago’s initiative enticed a first attempt at screenwriting – A Runner.

Actor: Brian Kilkelly

Brian has appeared in 'As You Like It' and 'Children of the Poor' at the Globe and at Wellington's Fringe Festival. He has also played Capulet in 'Romeo and Juliet". Brian was in the highly successful 'Jerusalem Jerusalem' which played to capacity houses at Dunedin's Globe and Fortune Theatres and Wellington’s Circa Theatre before travelling with that play to Edinburgh, Belfast and Cheltenham in the United Kingdom.
Brian played in Equus at the Fortune Theatre and in more recent times has appeared in 'Man for All Seasons', 'Daughters of Heaven', 'The Seagull', 'Glide Time' and 'Proof' at Dunedin's Globe Theatre. He played Mr Frank in 'The Diary of Anne Frank' at Dunedin's Playhouse Theatre and most recently played the part of Charles Dean in a new play about Minnie Dean.

Brian made his film debut in the acclaimed 'Out of the Blue'.

Director: Sina walker
Dunedin based Sina Walker is a writer, director and sometimes editor. She currently works as a post director and associate producer for documentary producers NHNZ.
'A Runner' by Dunedin writer Nigel Waters is her second digital short made with SFO. Her last digital short 'Paradise' has been selected as one of 6 shorts in the 'Homegrown Drama on Video' programme for the NZ International Film Festival.
Paradise will also screen on Thursday.
Her current independent projects include writing a script about James MacKenzie and a producing a series of short documentaries about quirky Dunedinites.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

DETAILS OF IAN LAWTON & HIS FILM - "SHUT THE FUCK UP"

Director Ian Lawton


Still from Shut The Fuck Up.



Director bio:

Name: Ian Lawton

Coming from a background in animation for television and short film, Ian currently works as a freelance producer, director and editor for television. His knowledge of animation filmmaking techniques has been an invaluable asset to his work in postproduction.

His eclectic workload covers anything from drawn animation, commercials directing, radio advertising, documentary to short film, as well as corporate video and also music videos. As a screenwriter, his work has been short-listed on several occasions; has doctored scripts for advertising, copywriting & movie trailers. His work as a director has also been screened in many International Film Festivals.

• A member of the Irish Screenwriters & Playwrights Guild.

• Alumnus of Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope Screenwriting course.

• Has had tenure at producing promotional content for television broadcast, one of which earned a prestigious Shark Award for his campaign for the US TV series: Friends for Channel 6 in 2007.

• Holds an honors degree in Film from IADT and also a graduate of DLCAD



In a previous life Ian was an animator, worked on many tv shows, shorts and commercials. He won a couple of awards for his trouble, yet still spending his free time making music videos for mates bands, eventually becoming more fluent in the world of live-action and has since went on to direct commercials, promo’s, corporate videos and even more music videos (some of which earned awards for his trouble), anything at all really to earn his chops as a director.
Ian, sick of jumping through hoops for the funding of his films, invested in some gear, collaborated with actor friend and "soap celebrity" Tom O’Leary and shot "Shut the Fuck Up" early one morning in Bray with no crew and no money.
Ian got the idea for the short while on location in Bray shooting yet another f**king music video, seeing the lone phone booth by the car park, he was inspired.
Enthused by the result, Tom and Ian decided to dust off an old script, (previously short listed but ultimately refused funding) put together a small crew and spent three days with cheap German processed food and shot The Other Marty, which is currently in post-production. The food still hasn’t gone off.

Trailer For Shut The Fuck Up and IMDB Entry



Check back this time tomorrow for next profile.

Cheers

Robert

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Programme of Movies for 6th August Screening at Paradiso

Hi Folks , below are the films to be screened at the next WFT movie night .
Over the next week or so, I will post up some details on each film - 1 film/1 post per day.
Please pop by each evening for a new update.

Also , I hope you folks are thinking about your movie ideas for GONE IN 60 SECONDS !

I hope to see you all next week .

( Click On The Below Picture For A Larger Image)


Short Film Otago funded films

Fishy Tales
NZ 2009. Director: Darren Simmonds: 11 mins
A comic cat and mouse tale about Granddad and Riwi as they attempt to outwit Kent, an overzealous Fisheries officer.

The Somniloquist
NZ 2009. Director: Stephen Downes : 14 mins
Somniloquism:the affliction of talking in one's sleep

Eden
NZ 2009. Director: Rebecca Tansley : 14 mins
The story of two itinerants, each damaged by a troubled past, who re-learn how to trust again.

A Runner
NZ 2009. Director: Sina Walker : 14 mins
An aging cabby defies all expectations in the struggle to reclaim his dignity.

Also screening

Paradise
NZ 2008. Director: Sina Walker : 10 mins
A rite-of-passage tale about a young boy on the opening day of the duck shooting season.

This film made last year with SFO funding is also playing as part of the 'Homegrown' short film selection in this year's NZ International Film Festival.

And to give the night a bit of international flavour we have two foreign films to add to the programme .


Mi Mujer (English title: My Woman)
Argentina 2009. Director: Maria Arnoletto : 14 mins :(Spanish Language with English subtitles).
"How the level of love rises among people at wakes."

And from Ireland,

Shut The Fuck Up
Ireland 2009. Director: Ian Lawton : 3 and a half mins
A kidnapping goes a bit wrong...

Now , if you're good,we will also screen the first film, in what is sure to be a cult new series of films *, featuring Heinous Enis

Pick Up
Somewhere 2009. Director: Robert Holt : 7 mins
..Stranger Danger! , Stranger Danger!..
( * may not actually become a cult new series of films - but we can hope!)

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Films , Film Makers and Making Films!


Still from A RUNNER


Hi folks,

Hope you are all well .

I've just finished the first draft of the script for the sequel to Pick Up. It's called Heinous. It's taken on a bit of a more sinister direction than the first instalment,but I just let it take me there.I'll give it a bit of a polish, and hopefully we can get the Pick Up crew back together sometime in the near future and shoot it .

So , like I mentioned in the previous post,on the 6th of August WFT will be having a screening night.Look on it as Wanaka's own mini version of the International Film Festival.Well actually the headliners will be the four films made with funding from Short Film Otago.So they are pretty local actually.

These are, Darren Simmonds Fishy Tales,Sina Walkers A Runner,Rebecca Tansleys Eden and Stephen Downes The Somniloquist, (more details on these films soon). There will,however,be some international flavour ,with the inclusion of a short from Irish filmmaker Ian Lawton called Shut The Fuck Up (more details soon) and ,hopefully,WFT friend Maria Arnoletto will allow us to screen her Argentinean short,Mi Mujer, (again,more details to come).
We hope to have one or two other little things to show also.

We will also take the opportunity,on that night ,to announce the details of the "Gone In 60 Seconds" film making jamboree .

Basically, though, this is going to be an opportunity for anyone who has ever wanted to to make a movie and see it on the big screen at the cinema,to do so.

Imagine,you will legitimately be able to announce to your friend ,"Yes , I am going to my film premiere tonight".

And all you have to do is make a 60 second movie on any subject you like , on any equipment you can get your hands on and you will have roughly a month to do so.

Then,after I have a chance to organise and collate the material,there will be a gala premiere night at the Paradiso cinema,where you can come and watch your movie (along with everyone elses) on the big screen and you get to vote on the best movies , not some judging panel.

Okay, so that's it for now.
Stay tuned for more details and start thinking about your movie idea .

Cheers all,

Robert

Friday, July 17, 2009

Brett Gaylor on RIP : A Remix Manifesto National Radio Interview

Interesting radio Interview with Brett Gaylor , film maker behind RIP : A Remix Manifesto .
WFT hopes to screen this movie very soon.

AUDIO



Trailer for RIP

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Next Screening Night


Hi folks ,
Okay , some updates for you .

WFT board met up last week to chat about stuff .

First up, keep 6 pm , August 6th free . WFT will screen a short film programme at Paradiso that Thursday evening .

This should be a nice event with a Q&A session afterwards (some of the film makers will be present) .

The screenings should run about an hour and a half and we will then convene in the Paradiso cafe for some chatting etc.

In addition to the screening , this night will also be the official announcement of the "GONE IN 60 SECONDS" film making
jamboree .

All details of "GONE IN 60 SECONDS" will be announced and any questions you may have about this will be answered then.

There will be a small cover charge of $5 on the night to cover costs .

Please bring along anyone you think may be interested .

Keep an eye on the Messenger closer to the date for a reminder .

Please feel free to comment over there on the left .

Don't forget to sign your comments to be in to win a prize .

In the meantime , I recommend you watch some classic movies this week .I mean films that are your own personal classics .

This week I will be watching from my personal collection the following...(trailers may not be safe for work)

River's Edge

The Breakfast Club

Ghosts of the Civil Dead

and Henry : Portrait of A Serial Killer

(These take me back to late 80's / early 90's)

Friday, July 3, 2009

May E Machine

Check out WFT friend May E Machine for all your film related engineering needs


Some photos from the "Pick Up" shoot.

Please excuse the low quality and subliminal flash frames , I need a new mac!.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

New Look For Now!

Hi all , I had to make some adjustments to the blog so that I could post larger videos and so the comments (now over there on the left) would fit in the template .

Change can be tough to adjust to , so if you are feeling a little odd due to the different look , here is a calming picture to relax you .

New Zealand Mountain Film Festival


Hi all ,
A quick reminder that NZ Mountain Film Festival begins tomorrow , the 3rd , and runs until Tuesday 7th July.
Venue is the Lake Wanaka Centre, 89 Ardmore Street , Wanaka.

What to expect? well , to quote the official website

Activities scheduled include

Viewing of the 51 film finalist
Awards night with films, winning film previews and live Music
NZ & International Guest speakers
Workshops
Auction to get Quentin Smith back on skis
Free Adventure gear trade show
Art exhibition
Ice Sculpturing Demonstration
Heaps of giveaways
And of course, lots of general socialising

The programme for the festival can be downloaded from HERE , which will also link you to the main website .

Ticket prices are very reasonable and you should find some time to fit in a viewing .

Oh , and incase you haven't looked outside...it's snowing right now! yay !

chat later.

Robert