Script to Screen and the New Zealand Film Commission have partnered on the development of 16 short films. The teams behind the films were selected from a very competitive round of 106 applications; and will attend a three-day residential development lab this November as part of the Fresh Shorts initiative.
The Fresh Shorts programme offers grants of up to $15,000 to six new or emerging filmmaker teams to make a short film. The selection also includes experienced filmmakers in new roles. As part of the selection process, each team will attend a three-day development lab in the Auckland region where they will receive tailored script feedback from industry mentors and participate in group workshops to further develop their scripts and strengthen their skills for future projects.
Following the lab and submission of the re-worked projects, six teams will be selected to receive a grant of up to $15,000 to make their short film. An announcement will be made early February 2020.
The 16 selected teams and their projects are (L-R):
Fresh Shorts is a New Zealand Film Commission initiative run in partnership with Script to Screen.
Senior executives, producers, showrunners and writers of internationally acclaimed shows, including American Horror Story, Better Call Saul, Bloodline, Glee, Glitch, Marcella, Please Like Me, Succession and Supergirl, will arrive in New Zealand next week to be advisors in an intensive week-long Series Drama Lab designed to develop strong New Zealand projects for the international and domestic market.
The Series Drama Lab is part of Raupapa Whakaari: Drama to the World, a new initiative from the New Zealand Film Commission and NZ On Air delivered in conjunction with Script to Screen. The initiative supports ten talented New Zealand writer/producer teams to develop distinctive, high-end scripted series with international and domestic appeal.
The advisor line-up includes Caitlin Parrish creator, writer and producer (The Red Line, Supergirl); Chris Loveall Vice President, International Programming for AMC, SundanceTV and BBC America (EP Fortitude, Please Like Me); Chris Oliver-Taylor CEO of Fremantle Media Australia; Christine Bartlett a writer, creator and producer (Five Bedrooms , The Wrong Girl); multiple Emmy award winning producer Dante Di Loreto (Temple Grandin, American Horror Story, Glee); Jonathan Glatzer writer, producer, director (Succession, Better Call Saul, Bloodline); Louise Fox co-creator, writer, producer (Glitch, Broadchurch); Nicola Larder co-creator, executive producer (Marcella).
Annabelle Sheehan, CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission, said, “The excellence and high profile credits of the international advisors will provide significant inspiration for our New Zealand creative teams regarding their work with the global marketplace. The week focuses on the commercial and creative drivers for producers and showrunners and will help shape the next wave of New Zealand series drama for New Zealand and the rest of the world.”
NZ On Air CEO, Jane Wrightson said, “The combined brainpower of a stellar lineup of international advisors with outstanding local talent and their ideas has great promise – we are very much looking forward to seeing the next stage of these Raupapa Whakaari projects. ”
Script to Screen Executive Director Jackie Dennis said, “This hasn’t happened in New Zealand before. The writers and producers coming to the Series Drama Lab will develop their projects with advisors who have worked on exceptional shows that have found dedicated audiences all around the world. I can’t wait to see the results.”
The international advisors will take part in panels, conversations and case studies and provide feedback on participating teams’ series drama concepts in story and market meetings.
The ten teams have received initial development of $10,000. Following the Series Drama Lab and submission of the re-worked projects, four teams will be selected to receive additional development funding of up to $80,000 each.
The ten Stage 1 projects selected for Series Drama Lab in 2019:
(*Not Her Real Name)
Pip Hall / Carmen J Leonard / Deborah Cope
All of Me
Daniel Musgrove / Natalie Medlock / Shoshana McCallum / Peter Salmon
Chasing Pure
Carey James Carter / Gavin Strawhan / Rachel Lang / Steven Ivan Zanoski
Dreamhunter
Roxane Gajadhar / Angela Littlejohn
Drunk Poetry
Briar Grace-Smith / Victor Roger / Desray Armstrong
O
Donna Malane / Paula Boock / Carthew Neal
Rockburn
Hannah Marshall / David de Lautour / Gareth Williams / Kelly Martin
Ruatoria
Kath Akuhuta-Brown / Greg McGee / Philippa Rennie / Robin Scholes / Lee Tamahori
The Different Girl
Alison Maclean / Philippa Campbell
The Harder They Fall
Matthew Saville / Luke Sharpe / Gerard Johnstone
The four projects selected for Stage 2 further development funding:
All Of Me – Shoshana McCallum, Natalie Medlock, Dan Musgrove, Peter Salmon
Depressed and ready to end it all, Lauren orders an illegal clone to replace her. But when she messes up the process and gets three unsatisfactory duplicates, she is forced to stick around and deal with herselves.
Ashes and Prophets – Kath Akuhata-Brown, Greg McGee, Philippa Rennie, Robin Scholes, Lee Tamahori
Arson, kidnapping and murder engulf a small New Zealand town, as a Māori rastafarian sect exacts revenge for historical land theft.
Rockburn – Hannah Marshall, Gareth Williams, David de Lautour, Kelly Martin
Trauma experienced as a teenager on her family farm, Rockburn, reverberates throughout three distinct ages of Celia Ray’s life. Now, a social worker in her 50s, she must confront her past to save a young girl’s future.
Drunk Poetry – Briar Grace-Smith, Desray Armstrong, Victor Rodger
Newly separated and in her forties, Lizzie discovers she has the emotional brain of a fourteen-year-old. Now she has to grow up all over again.
What does a successful Fresh Short film look like? Check out three Freshies screening at the New Zealand International Film Festival 2019 along with a selection of other top Kiwi shorts. Watching short films is a great way to examine story, performance, voice and vision – all of the elements required for a Fresh Shorts submission.
The Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts programme features LILIU (pictured) by director Jeremiah Tauamiti, and WAYS TO SEE directed by Jessica Sanderson. Liliu is a period film set in colonial Samoa, where a court interpreter risks everything to help a wrongfully convicted matai. The film comes home to Aotearoa following its world premiere at Berlinale 2019. A young Māori girl meets a mysterious otherworldly woman in Ways To See. This is the film’s world premiere.
Short Connections features MEMORY FOAM directed by Paloma Scheideman, about a challenged relationship, and four other Kiwi shorts.
Kiwi icon Jane Campion selected six new short films for the prestigious New Zealand’s Best Shorts programme, all well worth seeing.
Book now because these popular sessions usually sell out.
Ngā Whanaunga Māori and Pasifika Shorts:
Auckland – Sun 21 Jul and Weds 24 Jul
Wellington – Fri 2 Aug and Sat 3 Aug
Short Connections:
Auckland – Wed 24 Jul
Wellington – Sat 10 Aug
New Zealand’s Best:
Auckland – July 27 and 29
Wellington – Wed 31 Jul and Thu 1 Aug
Refer to the NZIFF Website to find your local screening sessions and to buy tickets.
Put your best foot forward! Start work on your application NOW. It’s just over six weeks until the Fresh Shorts portal closes on August 19 and the deadline will come up fast.
A great application takes lots of hard work and attention to detail. Last minute applications are often rushed and sloppy. Sign up to the portal now and start the application – you don’t have to finish it in one go. And remember there is a wealth of information to help you. FIND IT HERE
FRESH SHORTS is a New Zealand Film Commission initiative run in partnership with Script to Screen.
A great short film can launch a career. Check out these top five tips to put your best foot forward in your Fresh Shorts application.
1. DON’T LEAVE IT TO THE LAST MINUTE! Start work on your application NOW. It’s just 24 days until the Fresh Shorts application portal closes on August 19 and the deadline will come up fast. A great application takes lots of thought and attention to detail. Last-minute applications are often rushed and the readers can tell. Put your best foot forward and begin the process now.
2. SIGN UP FOR THE ONLINE APPLICATION PORTAL
Fresh Shorts applications must be submitted via the Script to Screen online portal. Sign up today, familiarise yourself with the portal, and take a look at the online application form. Things can and do go wrong when registering or filling in your application and you definitely don’t want to be dealing with technical problems at the last minute.
3. READ ALL THE ONLINE MATERIAL
There’s a wealth of information to help you at the Script to Screen website. Read the guidelines, pointers, samples and other information before starting your application. It will help you focus on what matters. If you have questions after you’ve read all the information you can contact the Fresh Shorts Facilitator at fsfacilitator@script-to-screen.co.nz.
4. PROOF READ YOUR APPLICATION
Know the different between “it’s” and “its”? (Hint: one is a contraction and the other is a possessive.) Not everyone’s great at this and that’s ok, but your application will shine that little bit brighter if you get a grammar/spelling nerd or proofreader to check your work before you push the button. Our shortlist readers will be looking for unique voices, but spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and typos indicate you are not paying attention to detail which is crucial when it comes to film production.
5. SCORE AN “A”
Fresh Shorts is a highly competitive fund which means your script and application must be exceptional. Make yourself a checklist that might include questions like: is it a fresh 😉 idea, is it cinematic, does our director have a clear vision that has been well articulated, have I described how talented our team is, is the budget feasible? Around 10% of applicants will be funded to make their film and the 90th percentile get there by talent, hard work and persistence. Be one of those!
The 2019 round of Fresh Shorts is now open. Guidelines, pointers and other supporting documentation can be found at the Script to Screen website. Applications are made via the Application Portal.
Applications close 1pm, Monday 19 August.
The Fresh Shorts programme offers grants of up to $15,000 to six new or emerging filmmaker teams to make a short film.
As part of the Fresh Shorts development process, shortlisted teams of filmmakers will be supported to attend a three-day residential lab 8-10 November, and to receive mentoring while they refine their scripts and proposals. Filmmakers who have attended previous development labs have been overwhelmingly positive about the experience.
Script to Screen is delighted to have Karin Williams join the Script to Screen team as Fresh Shorts Facilitator. Karin was Development Executive for the New Zealand Film Commission 2015 to 2018 and is an independent producer. She brings extensive experience as a producer and script assessor, and is passionate about supporting the next generation of filmmakers.
The 2019 round of Fresh Shorts is now open. Guidelines, pointers and other supporting documentation can be found at the Script to Screen website
Applications are made via the Application Portal
Enquiries can be directed to Fresh Shorts Facilitator Karin Williams
Applications close 1pm Monday 19 August
Image used is from Fresh Short film Shadow Cut
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FRESH SHORTS is a New Zealand Film Commission initiative run in partnership with Script to Screen.
The NZFC is pleased to announce a partnership with Script to Screen to deliver the Fresh Shorts programme.
The Fresh Shorts programme offers grants of up to $15,000 to six new or emerging filmmaker teams to make a short film. More experienced filmmakers can apply for $90,000 grants through Catalyst He Kauahi.
As part of the Fresh Shorts development process, shortlisted teams of filmmakers will be supported to attend a three-day residential lab, and to receive mentoring while they refine their scripts and proposals. Filmmakers who have attended previous development labs have been overwhelmingly positive about the experience and the NZFC is pleased to be able to continue offering this with Script to Screen.
Short films remain an important part of career progression for new and emerging filmmakers and are a valuable stepping stone to longform storytelling.
Script to Screen has a proven track record developing the craft of storytelling for the screen and the careers of talented individuals, and the NZFC welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with this key industry organisation.
The 2019 round of Fresh Shorts funding will open on 14 June, with online application portal available via either the Script to Screen website, or the NZFC website. Applications close 1pm 19 August.
A Fresh Shorts Facilitator will be appointed to oversee the smooth running of the programme and any enquiries can be directed to fsfacilitator@script-to-screen.co.nz.
New Zealand funding agencies, NZ On Air and the New Zealand Film Commission have partnered on the development of ten series ideas with international and domestic appeal.
The initiative, Raupapa Whakaari Drama to the World, will support each writer/producer team to develop distinctive, high-end scripted series with an initial grant of NZ$10,000. Each team will also attend a Series Drama Lab, held in conjunction with Script to Screen, where international advisors will give feedback on story and market to assist the teams to further develop their concepts and strengthen appeal to the international marketplace.
Following the Series Drama Lab and submission of the re-worked projects, four teams will be selected to receive additional development funding of up to NZ$80,000.
New Zealand Film Commission CEO Annabelle Sheehan said “There really has never been a better time to tell stories than now, thanks to the global expansion of mega platforms such as Netflix, Amazon and now Disney with Disney Plus and then its takeover of Hulu this week. Drama to the World will support New Zealand writers and producers to develop distinctive projects and stand-out in a crowded global competitive landscape. “
“NZ On Air is thrilled to be supporting local creatives to potentially tell their stories on an international stage through this initiative. The incredibly high quality of the applications received spoke clearly of the depth and breadth of talent we have working in New Zealand” says NZ On Air Chief Executive Jane Wrightson.
“Script to Screen is delighted to be delivering the Series Drama Lab, supporting New Zealand screen makers to tell extraordinary stories. The Lab will connect, upskill, and energise the participants and foster international pathways for their stories, and our industry” says Executive Director Jackie Dennis.
The ten successful projects are:
More information on the teams and projects, can be found here
Script to Screen is proud to award eight filmmakers a place on the 2019 FilmUp Mentorship Programme.
FilmUp is our high-end development programme for writers, directors and producers who have already shown considerable talent and tenacity in their work.
Each participant is matched with a filmmaker mentor, and will attend a series of FilmUp hub days that include round tables, workshops, and group work as part of the eight-month programme that is tailored to their individual needs.
The participants of the 2019 FilmUp Mentorship Programme are:
– writer/director, Briar March
– writer/director, Catherine Bisley
– writer/director, Chris Dudman
– writer/director, Claire van Beek
– producer, Jane Holland
– writer/director, Jeremiah Tauamiti
– writer/director, Judah Finnigan
– writer, Lani-rain Feltham
Read the participants’ biographies here.
We had an unprecedented number of applications this year and the standard was high. We would like to thank all of the filmmakers who applied.
FilmUp is made possible thanks to financial assistance from New Zealand Film Commission.
Eight new scripted stories by, for and about Pasifika and Asian peoples have been selected for development under a new initiative from NZ On Air . The teams selected will participate in a development programme run by Script to Screen, including follow up mentoring to guide them as they prepare to submit production funding applications.
The successful projects going into development are:
QUEEN STREET – Crystal Vaega, Mario Faumui, Leki Jackson-Bourke
SIS – Hanelle Harris, Gaby Solomona, Maiya Thompson, Destiny Momoisea, Leki Jackson-Bourke
BRUTAL LIVES – Sandra Kailahi, Vela Manusaute
RUMBLE – Danny Aumua, Elizabeth Koroi
THE MACKENZIE BROTHERS – Mayen Mehta, Benjamin Teh, Hweiling Ow, Calvin Sang
SOME LIKE IT – Tema Pua, Julie Zhu, Callum Freeman
INKED – Zijun Yang, Mingjian Cui
LULLABIES – JJ Fong, Ally Xue, Michelle Ang, Rachel Fawcett
Script to Screen looks forward to working with these creative teams as they develop their projects to submit to NZ On Air for production funding.
About the initiative:
NZ On Air recently issued a Request for Proposals for projects meeting a brief to extend the range of Pacific and Asian storytelling available to New Zealanders. In particular NZ On Air were looking for newer storytellers. The initiative is one of six funded with the one-off extra allocation to NZ On Air in Budget 2018 to support the production of diverse local content that will reach under‐served audiences.
Scripted Pasifika and Asian Storytelling is brought to you by NZ on Air and Script to Screen.
Script to Screen and Show Me Shorts Film Festival are proud to announce the names of eight screenwriters who have been selected from 72 applicants, to participate in the 2019 Aotearoa Short Film Lab.
Congratulations to:
Gary Davies (Waikato)
Grace Goulter (Auckland)
Mia Maramara (Auckland)
Stef Harris (Nelson)
Sarah Harpur (Kapiti)
Steven Chow (Wellington)
Victoria Thompson (Australia)
Michael Kam (Singapore)
Aotearoa Short Film Lab is a prestigious hothouse mentoring scheme for screenwriters and aspiring screenwriters to workshop new ideas for short film. Established in 2010 as a partnership between Show Me Shorts and Script to Screen, the Lab offers six New Zealand short film makers the opportunity to develop their short film concepts and scripts with the guidance and advice of experienced industry mentors during a full-day workshop.
Two international short film makers will also participate in the workshop. Victoria Thompson from Australia and Michael Kam from Singapore will fly to Auckland to develop their scripts with the expertise of local mentors.
Festival Director of Show Me Shorts, Gina Dellabarca, who was among the selection panel commented: “After reading this year’s Lab applications, there is no doubt that our short film screenwriters are leading the way in putting forward an increasingly diverse range of types of story. Hollywood could learn a lot from these bold and talented filmmakers. It is heartening for the industry that screenwriters and aspiring screenwriters are working on such a variety of stories. I only wish we could include more of them in our Lab.”
The mentors guiding participants to develop their stories are experienced short film and feature film screenwriters: Michael Bennett (Cow, Matariki), Shuchi Kothari (Coffee & Allah, Apron Strings), Zia Mandviwalla (Nightshift, Amadi, Eating Sausage), Dianne Taylor (Apron Strings, Beyond the Known World), Matthew Saville (Hitch Hike, Dive) and Alyx Duncan (The Tide Keeper).
Previous Short Film Lab participants have described the interactive workshop as “invaluable” and many projects have gone on to be funded and produced. Films developed with the assistance of the Lab have premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival (I’m Going to Mum’s), NZ International Film Festival (Charmer, Tree) and Show Me Shorts Festival (Zinzan, Baby?).
The Aotearoa Short Film Lab is possible thanks to support from Pub Charity Ltd, the Media, Film and Television department of the University of Auckland and New Zealand Film Commission.
Aotearoa Short Film Lab 2019 is brought to you by Script to Screen and Show Me Shorts Film Festival.