Join Script to Screen and the New Zealand Film Commission for a live webinar on Tuesday 17th October 5:00-6:00 pm. You will hear about what’s needed to apply for Whiringa Tauatahi – Stage One of Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts and get a complete overview of the application process and the selection criteria.
Register for the webinar in advance and submit a question to help shape the discussion. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions during the webinar or you can email webinar questions to communications@script-to-screen.co.nz.
Webinar now available to watch on Youtube:
Image from I am Paradise written and directed by Hiona Henare 2021.
Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is now open for Whiringa Tauatahi – Stage One applications. Applications are made via the Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts Funding Portal which is open until 1pm, Monday 6 November 2023.
The full criteria and requirements for the assessment of both Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One and Whiringa Tuarua – Stage Two can be found on our website. Any enquiries can be directed to Emma Mortimer the Script to Screen Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts Programme Manager: freshshorts@script-to-screen.co.nz
If you are unable to join the discussion live, the Webinar will be available for you to refer to afterwards on Script to Screen’s YouTube and Facebook page.
KEY DATES
WHIRINGA TUATAHI – STAGE ONE
APPLICATIONS OPENED: Wednesday, 27 September 2023 (Apply via Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts Portal)
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 1 pm, Monday, 6 November 2023
ANNOUNCEMENT OF SHORTLISTED TEAMS: Early January 2024
WHIRINGA TUARUA – STAGE TWO
APPLICATIONS OPEN: Monday 15 January 2024
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 1 pm, Monday 26 February 2024
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUNDED TEAMS: Late April 2024
DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP DATES: 8-9 June 2024
MENTORSHIPS: 10 June to 19 July 2024 (Six weeks)
Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is a New Zealand Film Commission Short Film Fund and Script to Screen manages the reading, assessment, workshop and mentoring aspects of the Fresh Shorts Development Programme.
Spend a day with Pip Hall (One Lane Bridge, Jonah, Why Does Love?) as she guides participants through her process when developing story ideas for TV series.
Throughout the day Pip will look at character and character function, theme and story engine as well as constructing an outstanding pilot script and pitch document. This workshop will be craft based and combines practical elements, presented content, group work, discussion and case studies.
Promising to be both interactive and engaging, this is a terrific opportunity to spend a day focusing on your craft as a writer. You’ll be working on your ideas as well as taking notes, so bring your notepad or preferred writing device.
When: 9am – 5pm, Saturday 4th November 2023
Where:H D Skinner Annex, 361 Great King Street North, North Dunedin, Dunedin 9016. The room for the workshop is upstairs.
Wheelchair access is available. If you require special assistance, please let us know.
Cost: General Admission $30 (incl. GST & Booking Fee) via Humanitix.
Who is it for? Anyone 17+ currently working on a story idea for the screen. This workshop would be particularly beneficial for those writing for TV Series and will be a mix of teaching and writing exercises.
What to bring? Please bring a new or existing idea to work on. Also a notebook & pen or note-taking device, a water bottle and your lunch. Script to Screen will provide snacks, tea and coffee. There are café’s in the area if you prefer to buy your lunch.
Travel Grants Available for residents of Otago and Southland: Film Otago Southland will provide up to 5 travel grants of up to $100 each for participants who reside outside of the Dunedin City Council boundaries and have their permanent residence in the Otago or Southland region. The grants are allocated on a first-in basis. Please get in touch with Film Otago Southland Coordinator Stefan Roesch via email to secure your travel grant: stefan.roesch@dcc.govt.nz
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ABOUT PIP HALL
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| Pip Hall is an award-winning scriptwriter and playwright. She works extensively in television as a creator, writer, developer, story liner, script consultant and executive producer. She has written over forty million dollars’ worth of content including three series of One Lane Bridge, Why Does Love, Runaway Millionairesand The Brokenwood Mysteries.
“I love telling stories because I want to share the human condition, so that we know we are not alone in this big, crazy world; so we can celebrate our similarities and our differences.” – Pip Hall
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📸 Photo by Evie Mackay
Spend a day with James Napier Robertson (The Dark Horse, Whina) as he guides participants through his approach to screenwriting and developing story ideas for film.
Throughout the day James will look at what makes a great story, discuss the stages of development, the fundamentals of character creation and connecting character to story. He’ll also explore structure and how this can continue to take shape throughout development and how all these elements combine and contribute to ‘the larger truth’ of your story. James will also devote some time to talk about career progression and approaches to developing your own work.
Promising to be both interactive and engaging, this is a terrific opportunity to spend a day focusing on your craft as a writer. Bring a notebook or device and be ready to take notes.
Who is it for: Anyone 17+ with a story idea they want to develop into a film script.
When: Saturday 21st October, 9am – 5pm
Where: Grey Lynn Library Hall, 474 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021
Wheelchair access is available. If you require special assistance, please let us know.
Cost: General Admission $28.00 (incl. GST) via Humanitix.
What to bring: Notebook & pen or note-taking device, water bottle and lunch. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided. 1hr lunch break – cafes within walking distance.
Parking: Limited parking is available, allow adequate time to find a park; using public transport is recommended.
Post Workshop: After the workshop, you are invited to relocate (location TBC) to socialise. Snacks are provided by Script to Screen, and buy your own drinks.
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ABOUT JAMES NAPIER ROBERTSON
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| James Napier Robertson is a New Zealand filmmaker. His 2014 film The Dark Horse was nominated for over 50 awards around the world and won over 30, Variety stating it “exceptional…the most deserving cinematic export to emerge from New Zealand in years” and the RNZ Film Review declaring it “one of the greatest New Zealand films ever made.” The Dark Horse won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Score at the 2014 New Zealand Film Awards. It was released theatrically in the United States in 2016, where it was presented by James Cameron, and in late 2016 was formally screened at the White House for then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. In 2018, Napier Robertson wrote and directed two episodes of Australian mini-series Romper Stomper, which won Most Outstanding Miniseries at the 2018 Logie Awards. In 2019 he worked on BBC mini-series The Luminaries, and in 2020 worked on Dame Whina Cooper biopic, Whina. His latest film, Joika, a ballet drama set in Russia starring Talia Ryder and Diane Kruger, premiered as the Closing Film for the prestigious Festival du cinéma Américain de Deauville in France and is set to be released in theatres globally in early 2024. |
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Kōpere Hou reflects the colour, the radiance and beauty of a new rainbow and is symbolic of the significant display and presence of a well-crafted short film.
Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts offers a rare opportunity to get funding for your short film idea. You can apply with live-action, animation or documentary projects between 4 and 25 minutes. The programme was established to find talent with distinct voices and aims to nurture, challenge, and inspire the selected filmmakers through a development and mentoring process.
Six teams will be selected to receive up to $30,000 to facilitate the cost of making their short film. The teams behind each of these projects will attend a two-day development workshop in June 2024 and be matched with experienced industry practitioners to receive six weeks of mentoring as they get their project ‘shoot ready’.
There are two stages to the application process.
At Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One you will need to have a writer, director and producer to submit the following:
Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One is open now and will close at 1:00pm on Monday 6 November. Applications are made via the Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts Funding Portal.
A shortlist of 18 teams will be selected from the Stage One applications and invited to submit a Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage Two application in January 2024. From the shortlist, six projects will receive $30,000 grants. The teams behind each of these projects will attend a two-day development workshop held 8-9 June 2024 and will be matched with experienced mentors to get their project ‘shoot ready’. The focus is on the development of both people and stories.
Criteria and requirements for the assessment of both Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One and Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage Two can be viewed on our website. If you have any questions, please contact Script to Screen: FreshShorts@script-to-screen.co.nz
KEY DATES
WHIRINGA TUATAHI – STAGE ONE
APPLICATIONS OPEN: NOW, Wednesday 27 September 2023 (Apply via Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts Portal)
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 1pm, Monday 6 November, 2023
ANNOUNCEMENT OF SHORTLISTED TEAMS: Early January
WHIRINGA TUARUA – STAGE TWO
APPLICATIONS OPEN: Monday 15 January 2024
APPLICATIONS CLOSE: 1pm, Monday 26 February 2024
ANNOUNCEMENT OF FUNDED TEAMS: Late April 2024
DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP DATES: 08-09 June 2024
MENTORSHIPS: 10 June to 19 July 2024 (Six weeks)
Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is an NZFC initiative run in partnership with Script to Screen.
Photographer Xander Dixon. From Hey, Brainy Man directed by Jo Randerson & Loren Taylor 2023
“The Convert ultimately represents a tremendous feat of reclamation, a Māori story told by a Māori director in the Māori language with a large Māori cast.”
Ankit Jhunjhunwala for The Playlist
Script to Screen is delighted to be presenting this special in-conversation with Lee Tamahori, one of New Zealand’s most successful and celebrated filmmakers. He is the director and co-writer of The Convert, a New Zealand & Australian feature film co-production starring Guy Pearce and Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, which had its world premiere at TIFF this month.
Lee Tamahori has an extraordinary body of work including Once Were Warriors, Mulholland Falls, Along Came A Spider, Die Another Day, and more recently Mahana aka The Patriach directing alongside Jitesh Mahana. Throughout his formidable career, Lee has continued to bring New Zealand stories to the international stage.
Paula Morris will moderate the discussion about The Convert, described at TIFF as a “Stunning, Sweeping & Action-Packed Historical Epic”. She will explore Lee’s approach to making the film, including story themes, ideology and past experiences that guided his decisions.
Tuesday 3rd October 2023
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
The Capitol Cinema, 610 Dominion Road, Balmoral, Auckland 1041
$5.75 (incl. GST) for sales via Humanitix to secure your seat.
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Optional socialising
After the TALK Script to Screen will provide pizza, and it’s buy your own drinks.
ABOUT OUR PANEL
SPEAKER: Lee Tamahori (Ngāti Porou)
Beginning as a commercial artist and photographer, Lee Tamahori joined the New Zealand film industry in the late 1970s as a boom operator. He became an assistant director a decade later. Making international award-winning commercials for 10 years, he has also directed several TV series.
His big break as a director came with Once Were Warriors (1994). The film went on to outgross Jurassic Park on its New Zealand release, and won audiences, acclaim and awards around the world. Shot in a style that mixes gritty realism with bold use of colour, Once Were Warriors examined a world of domestic violence and gangs for an urban Māori family. The movie’s unflinching depictions of the former matched Tamahori’s desire for films that evoke a response: films that “make you reel out of the theatre and you have to go to a bar and have a drink.”
Biography taken from IMDB and NZOnScreen.
Photo credit: Kirsty Griffin
MODERATOR: Paula Morris (MNZM, Associate Professor, English and Drama Director, Master of Creative Writing)
Paula Morris (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Manuhiri, Ngāti Whātua) is an award-winning Auckland fiction writer and essayist. She writes on film for the site KoreaSeen, and directs the Master of Creative Writing at the University of Auckland. She is the editor of the new anthology Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories.
Photo Credit: Colleen Maria Lenihan
This Script to Screen TALK is made possible thanks to generous support from
New Zealand Film Commission, Foundation North, Images & Sound, White Studios and The Capitol Cinema.
“FilmUp has a very high reputation among its alumni but even my own expectations based on that reputation were exceeded again and again with every session and workshop. I wish, in earnest, that every filmmaker could experience the safe, nurturing and honest environment of trust and care that FilmUp creates and take advantage of the network it can help you build with your fellow filmmakers.”
– Rajneel Singh,
FilmUp 2022/23 participant (mentor Nicole Dade)
The FilmUp Mentorship programme returns to support and empower up to eight tenacious and talented filmmakers to reach the next stage in their creative careers. If you are writer, director or producer developing a feature film or documentary, this programme could be just what you need to progress your work to the next stage.
A mentor for each filmmaker forms the cornerstone of the programme, along with six FilmUp Hub days when the participants come together for group work.
Applicants must have a feature project in development, narrative or documentary, and be able to demonstrate that their project and career are at the right stage for mentorship.
Successful applicants will take part in 20 hours of mentorship with an experienced film practitioner and three 2-day FilmUp hubs held between February 2024 and July 2024. These hubs are tailored to meet the needs of the selected filmmakers and include workshops, peer discussions and round tables with industry leaders.
Participants are the driving force of a successful mentorship as they take hold of their own learning and development. This autonomy is fostered from the start of the programme when participants are actively involved in the selection of their mentor. Throughout the programme there is wrap-around support from Script to Screen.
Since its inception in 2013, FilmUp has gone from strength to strength, with a growing alumni of talented local filmmakers who have benefitted from the programme including Briar March (Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD, Mothers of the Revolution, ), Chelsea Winstanley ( Ka Po, Night Raiders, Jojo Rabbit,), Desray Armstrong (Earthlings, Bad Behaviour, Coming Home in the Dark), Florian Habicht (James & Isey, Spookers, Love Story), Gaysorn Thavat (The Justice of Bunny King), Jake Mahaffy (Reunion, Free in Deed), Nic Gorman (Human Traces), Paula Whetu-Jones (Whina), Sophie Henderson (Baby Done, Fantail) and Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa (Mama’s Music Box, Take Home Pay, Three Wise Cousins). You can read about past participants and an impressive list of mentors from the last 10 years who have helped these filmmakers take a step up in their careers here.
The FilmUp Mentorship programme is for individual filmmakers (not pairs or teams) who are working on a feature film. You must be a NZ citizen or permanent resident to apply.
Here’s what’s required for the application:
APPLICATIONS OPENED: Mon 4 September 2023
APPLICATIONS CLOSED: Mon 9 October 2023 1:00 pm
We will know the outcome of our funding before FilmUp applications close on 9 Oct and we will keep applicants informed of the outcome.
You can read our Top Tips to make your FilmUp application shine while crafting your application.
FilmUp is made possible thanks to financial support from the New Zealand Film Commission. FilmUp is reliant on funding being achieved in 2023.
Whether you’re new to filmmaking or have worked in the industry for a while and aspire to tell your stories on the screen, this workshop will guide you in your next steps.
Fresh from the release of Far North, David White will be visiting Queenstown for this one-off workshop in September. Learn how to take your film idea through development, from a 1-pager to a dynamic and compelling script. David will draw on his experience, sharing and discussing how one of his projects went from the initial idea, was then developed into a short film, and subsequently reworked into a feature. He will also discuss the importance of collaboration and how to attract the right creative and producing partners to your project.
Come along to progress your feature or short film project. The passion that drives you to create will be invigorated, and you will leave with new knowledge and ideas to further develop your stories.
Testimony David White Workshop 2021
“His advice and insights were so practical and specific and spoke to the way the industry operates beyond just what works on the page and how to transfer it to the screen. I feel better equipped to approach my work.”
“Unique insight into the filmmaking process.”
Who is it for:
Anyone interested in developing their short or feature film project
When & Where:
Saturday 16th September 2023
9:00am – 5:00pm – Workshop
Puawai at Te Atamira
Building 11, Dart House, Remarkables Park Town Centre 12 Hawthorne Drive, Frankton, Queenstown 9300
Wheelchair Access is available. If you require special assistance, please let us know.
Cost: General Admission $25 (incl. GST) via Humantix
What to Bring: Please bring a pen, paper. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided. Please bring your own lunch.
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ABOUT DAVID WHITE
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| David White – Director, Producer, Writer.
David White has produced and directed a substantial body of documentary and drama work that has enjoyed considerable national and international success, among them Meat, Shihad: Beautiful Machine, I Kill, Little Criminals, The Cleanest Pig and This Town. His work has screened at over 50 film festivals including Sundance, AFI, SXSW, SilverDocs, Tribeca, MIFF, TRUE/FALSE, Clermont Ferrand and has been commissioned and screened on networks such as BBC, Paramount +, Sky, Sundance Now, TVNZ and PRIME TV. He was the first New Zealander to be shortlisted for a Cinema Eye Honor (documentary) for his film I Kill. His documentary Little Criminals (2015) aired on PRIME TV to strong ratings and critical acclaim along with of Decades In Colour (2017 – PRIME TV) for Greenstone. Meat(2017) Executive Produced by Phil Fairclough (Grizzly Man / Cave of Forgotten Dreams) opened to 4 star reviews and sell out audiences throughout NZ and was released on multiple NZME platforms. MEAT is sold by MPI Media Group and has sold globally. He has just a 6part True Crime mini series – Far North, which he created, wrote, directed and is an Executive Producer. Staring Robyn Malcolm and Temerua Morrison, it has already sold to New Zealand, Australia and North America. Rest of World Sales will be handled by All3Media. |
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Ever wondered how to start a career writing for film or television? Three highly accomplished and successful writers will share their stories about the pathways they took to a career in the screen industry. Hear about the discoveries they made along the way, difficulties they encountered, and how they overcame obstacles to establish successful screenwriting careers.
An exceptional group of New Zealand screenwriters, our speakers for this event now include Pip Hall (The Dance Exponents-Why Does Love, One Lane Bridge, Runaway Millionaires), Briar Grace-Smith (Cousins, Rurangi, Strength of Water), and Michael Bennett (The Gone, In Dark Places, Matariki). Jackie Dennis, Executive Director of Script to Screen, will moderate the TALK.
Each speaker has a unique story that demonstrates their choices on the road to success. Come along – they will inspire you on your journey.
Friday, 11th August 2023
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm – TALK
Screen CanterburyNZ Office
ChristchurchNZ – BNZ Centre, Level 3, 101 Cashel Street
For access to the venue, there is a lane off Cashel St Mall between Michael Hill & Spark. Lifts are on the left.
Wheelchair access is available.
$5.75 (incl. GST) for sales via EventBrite to secure your seat.
7:15 pm – 8:15 pm – Optional socialising
After the TALK we will move to the Kaiser Brew Garden for socialising with other attendees. Script to Screen will provide pizza, and it’s buy your own drinks.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS
Pip Hall
Pip Hall has written for television and theatre, and won awards in both mediums. She started her screen career writing for sketch shows like Skitz and Telly Laughs, and enjoyed a long working relationship with soap Shortland Street. She went on to work on the scripts for Kiwi TV movies Why Does Love? and Runaway Millionaires, miniseries Jonah (about Jonah Lomu) and crime show One Lane Bridge.
“I love telling stories because I want to share the human condition, so that we know we are not alone in this big, crazy world; so we can celebrate our similarities and our differences.” – Pip Hall
Briar Grace-Smith
Briar Grace-Smith is of Ngā Puhi descent and a writer of short fiction, stage plays and feature films. Her plays include Ngā Pou Wāhine, Purapurawhetū and When Sun and Moon Collide. She is an Arts Foundation Laureate and was recently made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film, television and theatre. She has worked as a Development Executive for the New Zealand Film Commission and taught ‘Writing for Theatre’ at IIML (2015). Briar is a Sundance alumni and the writer of the feature films The Strength of Water and Fresh Meat. Her television credits include Fishskin Suit, Being Eve, Kaitangata Twitch and the Australian children’s television series, Grace Beside Me (2017). She was a director and co-writer of the short film, Nine of Hearts, and wrote and directed Charm for the feature project Waru (2017). She collaborated with Toi Whakaari, directing Krystal, a short film by Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu. She was the screenwriter and co-director of the feature film Cousins, and is a writer and co-director of Rūrangi, Series 2. Briar was made a member of the Directors branch of the Academy in 2022.
Michael Bennett
Michael Bennett (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue) is an award-winning screenwriter, filmmaker and author. He is the 2020 recipient of the Te Aupounamu Māori Screen Excellence Award, awarded by the NZ Film Commission for excellence in Māori filmmaking. Michael’s short films and feature films have screened and won awards internationally, including Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Locarno, New York, London, ImagiNative and Dreamspeakers. Michael devoted many years of his recent career to the fight for justice for Teina Pora, a young Māori man wrongly imprisoned for 21 years. Michael made the documentary The Confessions of Prisoner T, which lead to the discovery of evidence pivotal to Teina’s exoneration. Michael directed and co-wrote the feature film In Dark Places (2019) about Teina’s case, which was finalist for a record 11 awards in the NZ Television Awards, winning Best Film and Best Director. Michael has been head writer or showrunner for many dozens of hours of prime-time television drama including The Gone (NZ / Ireland crime thriller), Vegas (crime thriller), Te Kohu (supernatural drama), Mataku (the Māori Twilight Zone). Michael’s debut novel Better The Blood, a crime thriller, was published in 2022 in the UK, USA, Australia and NZ, with nine international translations. Better The Blood was a finalist for the fiction prize at the 2023 New Zealand literary awards (The Ockhams), the first time a crime novel has been shortlisted for the premiere NZ literary award. Michael is currently adapting his novel for television, and writing the second book in the series, Return To Blood.
This Script to Screen TALK is made possible thanks to generous support from
New Zealand Film Commission, Te Puna Matarau, Screen CanterburyNZ, Images & Sound and South Island Media.
