Sunday, February 27, 2011

Flicks To Fix Christchurch

As I write this, there are a confirmed 147 deaths from the February 22nd earthquake that struck near Christchurch.
Sadly and surely, this number will increase.
As I write this, there are families waiting for news they don't want to hear.

When I first came to New Zealand, it was Christchurch that welcomed me into it's heart.
I lived there for 3 years and made many, many, friends .

It's where I met my partner and where I made the decision that I wanted to live permanently in New Zealand.

Knowing that it's only a matter of time until I hear a name or see a photograph of someone I know , who hasn't survived or who has been badly injured , is horrible.

The city itself, the buildings, the streets, the very character that is Christchurch, has been changed forever.
A day hasn't gone by since that fateful Tuesday, that I haven't shed a tear for Christchurch and it's residents .

The city faces a huge uphill struggle.
Businesses will disappear, jobs will go and so will residents . 

I, like many, feel useless down here.
I, like many, want to help,in some way - in any way I can.

It's not much but every little helps, so I'm organizing a movie night, proceeds of which will go to Red Cross NZ .

Full billing / dates / venues to be confirmed but below are some of the few details I have for now.

Ari Gold is a very funny , talented and generous filmmaker, actor, musician and champion air drummer!
Ari contacted me after the earthquake ,expressing his concern for me and mine and when I mentioned that I wanted to raise funds and spirits for those 
affected by the earthquake, he offered a no strings attached screening of his hilarious first feature film "Adventures Of Power".

It's thanks to his great offer that I can bring you an awesome evening of cinema , here in Wanaka , where all box-office takings for the night will go to help our Christchurch friends.

Check out the trailer, starring Ari Gold himself , Entourage’s Adrian Grenier and Glee's Jane Lynch and the great Michael McKean .


Wanaka local, Topher Straus has also kindly offered his short The Attackmen for the screening evening.Check out some clips below.

My good mate from Ireland , Ian Lawton, has a new short film too. It's called The Other Marty and it's a crack up! - that's on the bill too! 


More details etc. as and when I have them.


Thanks folks!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

It's on people!!

V48HOURS Furious Filmmaking Contest


Okay , so it's that time of year again, where we start to think about a weekend of no sleep, caffeinated beverages and frantic filming - yes,  the V48HOURS Furious Filmmaking Contest has
a start date ( kinda ).
Registration opens on March 1st  with the actual filmmaking weekend 99% set for May 20-22nd .

Like all good things , dates , details rules etc are subject to change , so for the latest news , check the V48Hours website / Facebook group / or Twitter feed 

Lets see if Wanaka can crush the competition! get your team together now!


Queenstown Film Society is on the hunt for local talent!

"Queenstown Film Society is inviting local film-makers to get in on the action and submit a short film to be screened as part of their 2011 season, which kicks-off at Dorothy Browns Cinema on 3rd May.
The Society would like to hear from anyone keen to have their original work screened as part of our 2011 line-up. The invitation is open to everyone from experienced film makers to those who have never made a film before; the only proviso being that the short film must have some sort of local link.
The idea is to recreate the glory days of the silver screen when ‘shorts’ were shown before each feature film. We also want to showcase local talent and provide our members with some unique film moments with a local twist. We know there are a number of locals who have made short films over the years, many of which have never been seen publicly and by starting the search now, we’re also giving any novice film makers the push to pick up a camera and start filming.
The Society is looking for short films, no longer than 15 minutes in length. The genre and subject matter are completely open. The film could be fiction or non-fiction, humorous, action-packed or thought-provoking. We’re sure there’s some great talent out there and we’d love to see it!
Anyone interested in submitting a film to be considered for the programme should contact Tracey Cunningham via email at imakeshortfilms@gmail.com for more details and advice.
Films need to be submitted in DVD format by the end of April 2011.
For further information please contact Tracey Cunningham on 0210761800."


(From the QFS website)

Good for Nothing 
You may remember we posted about an ambitious, Kiwi , low budget western - referred to as a Pavlova Western - a while back.
Well it's got a name now , "Good For Nothing" , and those guys had their world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and got some
great reviews from some big names in the movie world.
Check out their website here and embedded below is the amazing looking trailer ( see if you can spot any of the local locations used in the film).




REQUEST
I recently had a request from a young film student at S.I.T , Sam White :

"Hi, for an assignment this year I have to work as an intern in the media industry.
Wanaka/Invercargill/Dunedin would be easiest but it can be anywhere. Do you know of anyone who could help out with this?"

If anyone reading this can help Sam out or would like to speak with him about any opportunity that may help with his assignment, just drop me a message and I can pass on 
your contact details to Sam.

(to email , click me )



NEXT SCREENING NIGHT


I have a couple of films lined up for another WFT evening of short film screenings.
I have a few details to sort out but will let you know when I have details to give.


Cheers folks,


Robert







Friday, February 4, 2011

Coming to a screen near you soon!

Hi all,
A quick reminder -

"Good Girl" , my new short that I made this past week, screens tonight at the Paradiso as part of THE
RUBY ISLAND CABARET show. Now the show has sold out so if you are coming along, great , see you there! - If not , well I hope you'll get a chance to see "Good Girl" in the near future - details tbc.


ALSO

Legendary Wanaka short film, " RABBITS " (dir. Greg Von Heraud Parkerscreens in Dunedin on 12th of Feb as part of the "SHORT FILMS ON A TALL WALL" program (details of which are 2 posts down )


It's wicked fun , so if you are in Dunedin that weekend , do yourself a favour and check it out.


Need convincing? - then check out the trailer.


Catch you all later.


Cheers


Robert