Wednesday, June 30, 2010

No More Heroes / New Zealand Mountain Film Fest



No More Heroes




Hi folks,


There will be an outdoor screening (weather permitting) of
Andrew Moore's movie No More Heroes , which show cases the history of skateboarding in New Zealand at the Twilight,Outside Theatre @ Lone Star on Sunday 4th July.
Movie starts 5:45pm - 7:15pm.
Gold coin donation to Treble Cone Search Dogs,(remember ,you may need them some day!).
Dress warm :Cancelled if Raining.



FILM FESTIVAL SET TO LAUNCH – TICKETS ON SALE



The New Zealand Mountain films is set to go this Friday (2 July) with a five day-and-night programme packed with talented international and New Zealand made films, passionate adventure speakers, workshops, adventure trade show and art exhibition
 
Festival goers can view a diverse mix of over 50 films featuring the most daring, the most exhilarating, to adrenaline fueled escapades, taming nature to discovering new worlds. With multiple three to four hour sessions daily, with some including a speaker, the festival will inspire and entertain all age groups, friends and families and there are tickets still available for all sessions.
The festival will kick off Friday with live music from local musicians Hound Lounge, viewing of the art exhibition and trade show. This will be followed by awards and previews of the festival films and then viewing of several thrilling films including the Winner of Best New Zealand Made Film, Into Perpetual Ice.
A highlight for the festival is a presentation from Canadian Will Gadd, a fanatical ice climber, paraglider and kayaker, titled “Ice, rock, rivers, clouds and grizzly bears”. His Saturday night talk will feature pictures, videos, comics, profanity and attempted profundity, high and low humor, generally good entertainment for an hour; followed by four films including the NZMFF’s Grand Prize winner; Mount St.Elias.
Other speakers include Adrian Lang from Australia who climbed a 1000m rock face in Pakistan with Wanaka climbers Bruce Dowrick, Jon Sedon and Scott Standen. He will talk on Sunday night at 8pm and the following night at the same time is Martin Jones from Christchurch who is talking on skiing in Northern India. Kylie Wakelin rounds out the four keynote speakers and will talk on Tuesday night about her recent trip to become the first New Zealand woman to ski to the South Pole (900km). 
The interactive workshops will educate the mind and relax the body: Featuring a free community avalanche awareness course with Peter Bilous, a yoga session with Rosie Cox, a digital film making workshop with award winning film maker Corrie Francis, a ski/snowboard tuning workshop, or listen in on a climbing literature reading by Christchurch writer Paul Hersey.
“The full to the brim programme features some truly spectacular films this year, the entrants seem to have stepped up a level which made the judging that much harder,” said festival director Mark Sedon. “There is hot demand for the 5 day Festival Passes as usual, and there will be ample single session tickets sold from the venue, the Lake Wanaka Centre at 89 Ardmore St, from 4pm Friday and throughout the festival. Tickets cost between $15 and $25.
The New Zealand Mountain Film Festival runs from 2 to 6 July. 

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Lots Of Stuff.

Hi all-
Lot's going on so i'll get straight into it.
First off, Wanaka Film Trust now has a YouTube Channel and a Facebook page so hit the links and subscribe/follow etc.
YouTube Badge on the left of the page there should take you right there anytime. Facebook badge too.

Next up, Heather (who kindly set up the WFT Facebook page) has bought herself a lovely Panasonic DVX102b and now needs a  decent sturdy tripod and a good fluid head.But as the camera blew the budget has anyone out there got a spare or unused tripod going cheap? - if so perhaps you could give Heather a holler on facebook or email me wanakafilm @ gmail . com  and I will pass on info.

Next on agenda,
Reel Dreams Productions, that's Darren and Topher to us WFT folks have a new website and a nice piece written about them on Business.Scoop .
The guys are bringing more eyes to Wanaka as a production hotspot which benefits us all,so I wish them good luck with their venture.

Finally,as mentioned in previous post , THE INTERNATIONAL 2010 NZ MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL is approaching and below is the latest press release with info.

That's it for now.
Thanks folks for your time,
Please feel free to add a comment on the left there and stay warm!

Cheers
Robert.


PRESS RELEASE – 16/06/10
NZ MADE FILMS FEATURE HEAVILY IN FINALISTS FOR
THE INTERNATIONAL 2010 NZ MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL
Conquering fear, discovering new worlds, nurturing nature and gaining great heights are some of the elements featured in the winning films of this year’s New Zealand Mountain Film Festival in July.
The five-day festival programme, being launched today, is packed with 53 films finalists of inspiring, scenic and entertaining stories offering the armchair explorer unique adventures across the world from the comfort of their seat. There were 93 entrants in this years film makers competition, with a record 20 of them made in NZ.
Of these, 13 ‘made in NZ’ films have been selected as finalists to be shown in Wanaka at the festival July 2-6.  
Into Perpetual IceDirected and Produced by Jared Meehan of Mount Maunganui wins the title of Best New Zealand-made film including receiving the prestigious Hiddleston/MacQueen Award. When informed of his award and $1000 Meehan replied “I don't know quite what to say. Thats amazing news. NZ has some incredible film makers these days so I really didn't expect it to do so well.” The 20 minute film follows five international kayakers on a journey to the birthplace of their sport; an expedition to explore and paddle some whitewater rivers in Greenland. The group get marooned on an ice berg and eaten by bugs in their quest for a first descent in their kayaks. Into Perpetual Ice gives a brief insight into Greenland's culture and the nature while following these paddlers on their difficult mission. The obstacles faced make for an exciting trip and eventually all the hard work pays off with rewards of white gold.
The Grand Prize and $1000 award has been given to Mount St.Elias, produced and directed by Gerald Salmina of Austria. It is an epic story about four very different characters – three of them men, one a mountain. A dramatic and awe-inspiring adventure film following three of the world’s greatest ski mountaineers to Alaska’s Mount St. Elias in their attempt at the the longest ski descent on earth. 
Set against the backdrop of Alaska’s dangerous beauty, Mount St. Elias is about a visionary but borderline experience where unparalleled physical and mental pressure pushes them to the absolute limit. Two Austrian ski alpinists Axel Naglich and Peter Ressmann as well as the American freeski pro Jon Jonhston are facing this breathtaking challenge! 
The Asgard Project (UK, Directed and produced by Alastair Lee) is the winner of the Best Film on Climbing. The film was also the runner up to the Grand Prize and follows top climber Leo Houlding’s ambitious expedition to make an ascent of Mt Asgard’s daunting north face, regarded as one of the most difficult big walls in the world. 

To reach Mount Asgard the climbers sky dive into the heart of Baffin Island, in the Arctic Circle. The story gets off to a spectacular start as the plot twists and unforeseen problems come thick and fast in this unrelenting epic. Once the team commit to the wall the drama only increases.....
Nature Propelled (USA, Directed and Produced by Seth Warren) won the Best Film on Mountain Culture & Environment. Seth embarks on a petroleum-free adventure with his nature powered fire truck named Baby, tracking the life cycle of water through the seasons. Featuring stunning and often daring footage, Nature Propelled demonstrates the connection between the elements, renewable energy, adventure sports, and practical ways that individuals can use these elements to power their lifestyles. 
The Best short film went to Snow Tramp (Canada) The lure of the mountains is powerful indeed so when our modern day ‘Tramp’ chances upon a newspaper photo of a ski resort, he knows in his heart what he must do..... The obstacles are many. Will he do it? Can he do it? And, most importantly, will he get the girl? 
Take a Seat (UK) won the best film on Adventurous Sports and Lifestyles; which follows Dominic Gill’s mission is to cycle 32,000 kilometres from the north coast of Alaska to the southern tip of South America, on a tandem push bike, picking up strangers on the way. 
REV: A Buried Treasure (Canada) won best Snow Sports Film and is a unique documentary about “a town that skis.” A heartfelt and raw story about people who ski, live and visit the place of their dreams, now in transition from a historic quiet mountain town to a world-class ski area. 
“The diversity of films to be screened at this year’s film festival is outstanding," said festival director Mark Sedon. "The different emotions, senses and imagination to be stirred by the collection of films is quite unreal. The viewer will gain an insight to many different worlds, challenges and experiences and be entertained at the same time.”
All winners and 53 film finalists will be screened during the festival, which runs July 2 to 6. Festival Passes and Single Session tickets are available now through the website and then at the Lake Wanaka Centre from 2 July.
Details of all films are listed in the programme which will be available from stores in Wanaka and on the web site www.mountainfilm.net.nz

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

NZ Mountain Film Festival



NZ Mountain Film Festival’s film makers competition closes.
The 2010 NZ Mountain Film Festival’s film makers competition closed on June 2nd with 75 entries from film makers in places as far away as Brazil, Peru, India, Europe, Russia and the USA with another 6/7 late entries expected this week. “The number of entries is less than last year” says Mark Sedon, the festival Director, “but the quality is far higher and our ‘throw out’ box is very small” he continues. Especially noticeable is the level and number of NZ made films. There are several vying for the top prize of $1000 and the Hiddleston/MacQueen Award. A group of local film enthusiasts will help pick the best NZ made film later this week and together with the 40 or so other film finalists, will be screened at the festival from July 2nd to 6th in Wanaka.
The speaker lineup is the biggest ever with four keynote speakers and five workshop speakers. Will Gadd is coming all the way from Canada just to do a talk at this year's festival. Will is a prominent Canadian ice climber and paraglider pilot. He formerly held the paragliding world distance record, with a flight of 423 km. His talk is titled "Canada Exposed" and features: Ice, rock, rivers, clouds, grizzly bears and some other stuff from the last 30 years of non-stop Canadian adventures. Pictures, videos, comics, profanity and attempted profundity, high and low humor and generally good entertainment. 
Also visiting Wanaka during the festival is Adrian Lang from Australia talking on his trip to the Karakoram Range in Pakistan with his Wanaka mates Bruce Dowrick, Jon Sedon and Scott Standen for some high altitude rock climbing. Their audacious goal was an all free first ascent up a remote 1000m high granite pillar. In his video and photo presentation Adrian takes us into a spectacular region of the Karakoram to experience their highs and lows of the trip, and their ultimate success in establishing a ground-up all free ascent with difficulties up to grade 25 at altitudes above 5000m. 
Kylie Wakelin from Twizel became the first Kiwi woman to ski all the way to the South Pole with six other members of the Commonwealth Antarctic expedition after 50 days of trekking through some of the most challenging terrain on earth.
Martin Jones is the fourth keynote speaker who’s talk will appeal to the skiers and snowboarders. Its about skiing and also setting up a ski business in India to help the local Kashmir people learn how to cater for foreign and domestic ski tourists, acquire the equipment, develop their skills, and establish the infra-structure for on-going sustainable ski tourism at Gulmarg Village in the Kashmir Himalaya. 
As well as the speakers, workshops and viewing of the film finalists, the festival also features art displays, ice sculpturing, live music and an outdoor trade show. Tickets will go on sale June 18th when the festival programme will be launched Watch the web page for updates or sign up for the newsletter at www.mountainfilm.net.nz





Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Ride Share For Dunedin Seminar

Anyone going to Dunedin needs or wants a lift please email me wanakafilm at Gmail and I will try to put drivers and travelers in contact with each other.


Thanks


Robert

Rolf de Heer Seminar in Dunedin


Rolf de Heer in the South

Seminar in Dunedin for screenwriters, directors, and producers with internationally acclaimed Aussie low budget film-maker Rolf de Heer on June 4th.

Venue: Room G106
Otago Polytechnic
cnr Union St & Harbour Terrace
Dunedin
Friday June 4th, 2010 1pm - 5pm


There will be a Christchurch seminar on June 3rd at NZ Broadcasting School.

Rolf is known for his avowedly independent approach to film-making, especially with Australian aboriginal communities, and he has a string of international awards. (Bad Boy Bubby, The Tracker, Dance Me to My Song, Ten Canoes)

Rolf has shown it's possible to regularly write, direct, and co-produce feature films outside the industry norms  on a modest budget (from $500,000 to 2.5 million), while defining his own cinematic voice.
Using his own work as case studies Rolf will share his filmmaking philosophy, from the writing process to delivery to an audience, with particular focus on the relationship between budget and story ideas and the crafting of low budget cinema for the international marketplace.

There will be a question and answer session.


You need to register by email:
Christchurch: richard@shuriken.co.nz

Open to students and anybody interested.
Koha at the door to cover afternoon tea.

The Dunedin session is being hosted by Screen Dunedin
&
Otago Polytech Design School,
in association with
Script to Screen.
Funding support from the NZ Film Commission.

For those unfamiliar with Rolf's work, Bad Boy Bubby won the Grand Special Jury prize and the International Film Critics Prize at Venice in 1993, and four Australian Film Institute awards in Australia. The Quiet Room (1996) and Dance Me To My Song (1998) were invited into Competition at Cannes. The Tracker premiered to critical acclaim at Venice in 2002. Alexandra's Project was invited into competition at Berlin, 2003, while Ten Canoes won the Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes.