Five teams have been selected to workshop their short film project over three days for the final stage of Paerangi Project. In March 2022 the teams will attend the Stage Threeworkshop, a three-day residential development workshop where they will receive tailored script feedback, directing mentoring, and producing advice from industry mentors. The workshop teaches the participants valuable skills to push their projects closer to production and is also an opportunity for them to meet like-minded people and industry practitioners.

In June 2021, 110 aspiring filmmakers from around the motu registered for Stage One of Paerangi Project to pursue their interest in developing a short film or web series. From this group, seven teams were selected to participate in Stage Two, and received six weeks of online mentorship with an experienced filmmaker to refine their project.

The projects and participants chosen for Stage Three are:

Congratulations to all the participants!

The Paerangi Project was initiated to support those who live outside the main centres, in remote regions or those who are isolated from opportunities to learn about filmmaking. Registrations came from all over NZ; Auckland / Tāmaki Makaurau, Bay of Plenty / Te Moana-a-Toi, Canterbury / Waitaha, Gisborne/ Te Tai Rāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay / Te Matau-a-Māui, Manawatū-Wanganui, Northland / Te Tai Tokerau, Otago / Ōtākou, Southland / Murihiku, Tasman / Te Tai-o-Aorere, Waikato, and Wellington / Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara, as well as from the Cook Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu.

This initiative came about thanks to the Screenrights Cultural Fund  New Voices, to advance those who, for whatever reason, have found doors not readily open to them. New Zealand Film Commission matched the funding to support the development of aspiring filmmakers who have felt isolated from opportunities.

              

Script to Screen and Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission would like to thank all the filmmakers who applied for Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One. There was a wealth of great ideas and some extremely strong talent to select from.

From a total of 112 applications, a panel of external film industry assessors shortlisted 18 projects. These shortlisted teams have been invited to apply for Whiringa Tuarua – Stage Two. At this stage, each team will be supported throughout so they can submit a full application.

The 18 shortlisted teams have a one in three chance of workshopping their project with industry experts and receiving a grant of $15,000 to make their film.

We now have great pleasure in announcing the projects and teams who have been shortlisted for Whiringa Tuarua – Stage Two of Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts 2021/22.

Congratulations to:

 

Script to Screen and Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission work in partnership to deliver the Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts programme.

Image: Stuntman (directed by Pavel Kvatch)

A conversation with the creators of Netflix’s new hit crime thriller Clickbait. While set in the US, Clickbait was developed and made in Australia. It was filmed in and around Melbourne with both US and Australian actors and post-production was completed whilst the city was dealing with many restrictions caused by the pandemic. Co-creators Tony Ayres and Christian White talk with moderator Cass Avery across a wide range of subjects including writing and collaboration, building a team, adapting the series for the US and the audience metrics they received from Netflix.

This Script to Screen Talk was held on 19 October 2021 as an online webinar and made possible thanks to generous support from the New Zealand Film Commission, Foundation North and Images & Sound.


Watch more TALKS from us

Hear more TALKS from us


ABOUT THE PANEL

TONY AYRES 
Tony Ayres is an award-winning Australian showrunner, writer and director. He is well known for creating some of Australia’s most revered film and television dramas including The Home Song Stories, Nowhere Boys, The Slap, Glitch, Stateless and most recently Clickbait, along with feature movies Cut Snake (2015), The Home Song Stories (2007) and Walking on Water (2002).

CHRISTIAN WHITE
Christian White is an Australian author, screenwriter and producer. He has written award-winning novels The Nowhere Child and The Wife and the Widow. Christian co-created the television series Clickbait, with Tony Ayres. He also co-wrote the feature film Relic, a horror/drama starring Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote and Robyn Nevin.

CASS AVERY
Cass Avery is a producer, executive producer and writer, Cass has helmed and scripted more than 50 documentaries and television series commissioned in NZ and Australia. She is currently Head of Development and the Executive Producer at Augusto.


Tues 19 October
5:30pm – 6:30pm NZDT – TALK

 

This Script to Screen TALK is made possible thanks to generous support from the
New Zealand Film CommissionFoundation North and Images & Sound.

Script to Screen is proud to be partnering with Compton School once again to deliver Strength in Numbers – a programme designed to teach screen practitioners about growing a sustainable and profitable business while doing the work they want to do.

Strength in Numbers offers a unique opportunity for screen practitioners to work together on the building blocks of business models that will sustain their future and ultimately shape the industry itself.  The programme aims to cultivate a super-smart community of businesspeople in the screen industry that support each other over time, which is especially important for filmmakers who often work in isolation.

Run by Script to Screen, and led by Australian screen business expert David Court, Strength in Numbers comprises a series of workshops that arms participants with the tools they need to build a sustainable business in the screen industry.  The programme is for screen practitioners with a slate of projects and a screen industry business already underway and will be delivered over several workshop days held in Auckland and online in the first half of 2022.

Selected participants will be emerging to mid-career, and have a proven track record that demonstrates considerable talent and tenacity in their field.

To encourage screen practitioners from the regions to apply we have support from some of New Zealand’s regional offices: Film Otago SouthlandFilm DunedinFilm Queenstown Lakes and Screen Canterbury.

Past participants of Strength in Numbers are creators behind many of our most loved and successful screen projects Coming Home In The Dark, The Justice of Bunny King, Creamery, Kura, The Panthers, Savage, Bellbird, James & Isey, Reunion, Jojo Rabbit and Loading Docs.

“Strength in Numbers is an exceptional course that dramatically altered the way I look at my business. The programme not only provides great business tools but also shifts mindsets when it comes to growth. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”

– Orlando Stewart producer of Bellbird

What you’ll need to submit: 

  • One paragraph biography about you as a screen practitioner
  • A statement about why Strength in Numbers Growth would be beneficial to you and your business at this time
  • A statement about what you would like to get out of the Programme.
  • A list of two to three projects you have in development along with a one-paragraph synopsis or logline for each project and what stage they are at.
  • Links to prior work (up to your two best)
  • Optional: Your screen CV

Applications Open: Mon 20 Sep 2021
Applications Close: Mon 01 Nov 2021, 1pm.

Dates of delivery:

  • February 21 & 22 – Workshops in Auckland
  • March 22 – 90-min online session
  • April 26 – 90-min online session
  • May 9 – Workshop in Auckland
  • June 27 – Workshop in Auckland
  • One-on-one meetings will be held between the last two workshops.

Travel costs for participants who live outside Auckland are covered.

Preview the Full Application Form

Learn more about previous participants

Strength in Numbers is made possible thanks to generous support from the New Zealand Film Commission and Auckland Council– Regional Arts and Culture Grant.

 

and New Zealand Regional Film Offices; Film Otago SouthlandFilm DunedinScreen Canterbury and Film Queenstown Lakes.

   

Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is on the search for the next generation of up-and-coming NZ filmmakers.

Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is an NZFC initiative run in partnership with Script to Screen. The programme’s aim is to nurture, challenge, and inspire short filmmaking talent through a development and industry mentoring process. The focus is on the development of both people and stories.

Six teams will be selected to receive up to $15,000 to facilitate the cost of making a short narrative film. The films can be live-action, animation or documentary, with a duration of between four and 25 minutes. The teams behind each of these projects will attend a two-day development workshop in March 2022 and be matched with an experienced industry practitioner to receive six weeks of mentoring to get their project ‘shoot ready’.

Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts 2021 applications open Monday 30 August and close at 1pm on 11 October. There are two stages to the application process.

At Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One you will need to have a writer, director and producer, and to submit  the following:

A shortlist of 18 teams will be invited to submit a Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage Two application in mid-November. From the shortlist, six projects will receive $15,000 grants. The teams behind each of these projects will attend a two-day development workshop from 19-20 March 2022 and be matched with an experienced industry practitioner to receive six weeks of mentoring to get their project ‘shoot ready’.

Criteria and requirements for the assessment of both Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One and Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage Two can be viewed on our website.

Script to Screen and the NZFC will hold an online Q&A about this new application process for Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts on 16 September 2021, at 5.30 pm. 

If you have any questions please contact Script to Screen: FreshShorts@script-to-screen.co.nz


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.

Script to Screen in partnership with US-based Catalyst Story Institute is proud to announce the New Zealand finalists selected to participate in the Storieroad International program.

Storieroad International program is focused on discovering content creators and advancing creative careers within the global episodic marketplace. Philip Gilpin Jr, Catalyst Executive Director explains “Creating pathways for storytellers to have their voices heard is the heart of Catalyst’s mission. For too long, too many artists have felt a lack of connection to our television industry, and this collaboration with Script to Screen is a solution that gives creators opportunities for advancement”.

Applicants had to be developing a series. It could be any genre, length or format and at any stage of development including development of subsequent seasons.

Catalyst’s team of industry professionals selected up to 10 finalists and semi-finalists from each participating country including New Zealand, and their projects will be in competition at the 2021 Catalyst Content Festival in Duluth, Minnesota. The finalists get a 12-month scholarship to Catalyst Story Institute where they get US-based industry support to progress their project. Philip said “the incredibly high calibre of shows submitted from New Zealand made it difficult to choose only ten, and it shows that the raw talent level in New Zealand is in the top echelon of the independent creative world.”

Jackie Dennis, Executive Director of Script to Screen said “we entered into this partnership to create international connections for the exceptional talent we have here in New Zealand – it’s wonderful to see so many of our stories stand out”. Ahead of the international market, the finalists will present their ten projects to New Zealand screen industry professionals at a special invite-only showcase.

List of Finalists :

(Pictured left to right above)

Agnes Peel-McGregor with Shadowodd
Ahi Karunaharan and Maile Daugherty with Serenade
Alyssa Stringfellow with Chloe and the…
Emma Slade with Night Vision
Jake Pitcher with Don’t Tell Mum
Kathryn Burnett with Sleeper
Mia Maramara with The Witch Doctor
Millen Baird with Darryl
Paula Whetu Jones with I DATE Rejects
Stephen Campbell with The Cove

More info about the finalists  here.

List of Semi Finalists :

Alexander Behse with Sugar Alpha: BLUE SKY, BLACK DEATH
Donald Mayo with Please Don’t Break Anything
Fiona Armstrong with Constance
Gaylene Barnes with Tātai Whetū Trinity Sun
Jonathan Watt with Hard Knock 
Kip Chapman with Public Affairs
Louise Lever with Revolt She Said
Millen Baird with Naki Blues
Paul Kalburgi with Second Time Around
Slavko Martinov with CLUB LIFE
Tony Moore with The Rash
Vhari Lennox and Elana Tkatch with Lottie’s Choice

 

This is a Catalyst Story Institute initiative run in partnership with Script to Screen and in collaboration with “The Innovation Station” at the U.S. Department of State and Careers in Entertainment founded by the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation.

The Auckland showcase is possible thanks to the US Consulate.

 

.                                                 

Story Camp is a unique space to live and breathe story. Every moment was a moment to be challenged on my own ideas, a space for experimentation, play and discovery, and a place to grow.”

– Nayheon Lee (2020 participant)


Story Camp Aotearoa is a residential feature film workshop that cultivates exceptional filmmaking by fostering voice, honing craft, and clarifying vision and kaupapa. Talented storytellers workshop their film project with esteemed advisors from here and abroad.

Story Camp 2021 seeks feature film projects from a well-developed treatment through to an advanced development stage. Up to eight selected writers or teams will participate in a rigorous five-day experience designed specifically to meet the development needs of their project.

Story sessions between advisors and participants form the backbone of the week. As the programme is tailored to each project, the process can also include project-based group workshops; workshopping with actors;  strengthening and clarifying the director’s vision, and making good decisions together under pressure.


Overall I think the entire Story Camp was a huge success, for me personally and for us as a team. I think the varied sessions provide a great mix of the creative and professional development for the advancement of any script.”

– Chelsea Winstanley (2020 participant)

Past advisors have included Mexican screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel), producer Philippa Campbell (Top of the Lake, Rubbings from a Live Man), director and writer Jane Campion (Top of The Lake, The Piano), producer and director Ainsley Gardiner (Cousins, Boy, The Breaker Upperers),filmmaker & Artistic Director of the Sundance Directors’ Lab Gyula Gazdag, poet and academic Anahera Gildea, Hollywood writer & longstanding Sundance mentor Michael Goldenberg (Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix), renowned painter Star Gossage, playwright, screenwriter and director Briar Grace-Smith (Cousins, The Strength Of Water), NZ-based Korean installation artist Yona Lee, EP and producer Andrew Mason (The Matrix Trilogy, Tomorrow When The War Began), writer/actor Bret McKenzie (Flight of the Conchords), dramaturg and story consultant Brita McVeigh, choreographer Moss Te Ururangi Patterson (Atamira, Black Grace, Footnote), New Zealand International Film Festival Director Marten Rabarts, Australian producer Kath Shelper (Samson & Delilah, Tender), actor/writer/director Loren Taylor (Eagle vs Shark), legendary US screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury (McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Thieves Like Us, Nashville), emerging technologies artist and filmmaker Lynette Wallworth (Awavena, Collisions) and veteran NZ film producer and EP Tim White (The Luminaires, I Am Mother, The Dark Horse).

Don’t miss this opportunity to propel your film closer to production with expert support.

APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW
APPLICATIONS CLOSE:
11:59 PM, 09 August 2021
STORY CAMP AOTEAROA DATES: 22 – 27 November 2021

Script to Screen, in partnership with Northland Youth Theatre, presents a free four-day film workshop in the July school holidays for 15 – 23 year olds.

The workshop helps young participants to develop skills in crafting a story idea, writing a script, and acting. The aim of the workshop is to foster writing talent and encourage aspiring filmmakers. No experience or prior knowledge of filmmaking is necessary.

On Day 1, participants will hear from writer/director Hamish Bennett (The Dump, Ross & Beth, Bellbird) about finding a story they want to tell and crafting a narrative that is compelling on screen. On Day 2, participants will develop their own film concept and write a scene for their film, guided by actor Laurel Devenie (Shortland Street).

On Day 3 Laurel will lead a workshop on acting for the screen, including working with the scenes written the day before. Each participant will get the chance to act in a scene. On the last day, we will tape the scenes, watch them as a group and discuss what was learned.


Tuesday 13 July – Fri 16 July

9am – 2:30pm each day

Northland Youth Theatre, 86 Bank St, Whangarei 0110

Morning Tea, Lunch and Afternoon Tea provided. However, if you have special dietary requirements (gluten free, dairy free, keto, paleo, etc) please bring food with you.

The workshop is free but please register via EventBrite as spaces are limited.


This workshop is presented in partnership with Northland Youth Theatre and is made possible thanks to generous support from New Zealand Film Commission and Foundation North.

Frenzied screaming aside, fans can bring an unexpected energy to your project, promoting it to their peers in ways that you never imagined. They can power up your project by funding it, sharing it, showing up for it and keeping it in the conversation.

Fans have created ‘Always blow on the pie’ t-shirts, Kiri & Lou birthday cakes, and wooden kitset figures of Jacinda and Ashley’s 1pm daily briefings. Embrace them and mobilise them, just as Wellington Paranormal did with Covid Safety messages, Hunt for the Wilderpeople did with Instagram stickers, and Tākaro Tribe did with talking dolls, and you will reap the benefits.

These local productions engage fans to grow and cultivate a loyal audience and we want you to join their ranks. Find out what you can do, not just after release but during development and at all stages of production to feed the fans.

In this TALK, globally recognised speaker on fans and online communities Sacha Judd and Gemma Gracewood editor-in-chief at Letterboxd will go through some case studies to show the power of fans. They will discuss fans, merchandise, cosplay, conventions, and the delightful power of letting your audience help chart your project’s course—all the way to a sequel, a franchise, a spin-off and beyond.


Thurs 17 June 2021
6:30pm – 7:30pm – TALK
7:30 – 8:30pm – Cash bar, socialising, networking and pizza
TAPAC, 100 Motions Rd, Western Springs, Auckland

After the TALK, stay and have pizza on Script to Screen, there will be a cash bar and socialising with fellow filmmakers.

$5.75 (incl. GST) for sales via EventBrite to secure your seat.
$5 cash at the door.

Book your ticket in advance to secure your seat. When you book your ticket via Eventbrite, there’ll be an opportunity for you to guide the discussion by submitting a question ahead of time.


ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

SACHA JUDD
Sacha runs the Hoku Group, a family office combining private investments, early-stage tech ventures and a non-profit foundation. She was a founder of Refactor (a series of events around diversity in technology), and Flounders’ Club (a network for early-stage company founders). She speaks at conferences and in-house events on diversity & inclusion in the tech sector, fandom and online communities, and how fans will transform the world.

GEMMA GRACEWOOD
Gemma Gracewood (she/her) is the Editor-in-Chief of Letterboxd, the social network for film lovers. A producer, writer and director with a strong background in publicity and audience strategy, Gemma’s production credits encompass film, television and online series—with a bent towards arts, music and comedy. Gemma has also toured the world in (and managed) the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra, been a press secretary with the Labour Government, and is Deputy Chair of the NZ Comedy Trust.

This TALK is presented in association with the Aotearoa Screen Publicists Collective.

Script to Screen TALKS are made possible thanks to generous support from New Zealand Film CommissionFoundation North and White Studios. A special thanks to our venue sponsor TAPAC.
           

What happens when the process for taking your film to market, securing international sales, attending festivals and ensuring an audience sees your film is disrupted by a pandemic?

Join us to hear from New Zealand feature film producers about how they navigated the new online world of markets and sales for their recent films. They will discuss how they dealt with disruptions to cinematic releases both here and abroad, the unexpected opportunities that arose along the way, and what they think will be helpful for you to know while the world adapts to this pandemic and a new normal.

In Auckland, Alex Behse (co-producer of There’s No I in Threesome), Alex Reed (co-producer of There’s No I in Threesome and The Girl on the Bridge) and Emma Slade (producer of The Justice of Bunny King, Nude Tuesday) will chat to Philippa Campbell about taking their films to the international market and the release of their films during covid. There is No I in Threesome was acquired by WarnerMedia and had its world premiere on HBO Max. A theatrical release in Australia and New Zealand is planned for later this year. The Girl on the Bridge premiered at Whānau Marama (NZIFF) and screened at Cannes Docs – Marché du Film online. The Justice of Bunny King and Nude Tuesday are yet to be released. 

If you’re developing or producing a feature film don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into this evolving process.

Book your ticket in advance to secure your seat. When you book your ticket via Eventbrite, there’ll be an opportunity for you to guide the discussion by submitting a question ahead of time.


Auckland
Wed 5 May 2021
6:30pm – 7:30pm – TALK
7:30 – 8:30pm – Cash bar, socialising, networking and pizza
TAPAC Theatre, 100 Motions Road, Western Springs, Auckland

After the TALK, stay and have pizza on Script to Screen, there will be a cash bar and socialising with fellow filmmakers.

$5.75 (incl. GST) for sales via EventBrite to secure your seat.
$5 cash at the door.


Script to Screen TALKS are made possible thanks to generous support from New Zealand Film CommissionFoundation North and White Studios. A special thanks to our venue sponsor TAPAC.

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