We had 148 people join us online, from all across Aotearoa and the world. We’re proud to release this as a resource for those who couldn’t make the live talk.

Producers Halaifonua Finau (Red, White and Brass), Karin Williams (We Live by the River), and Angela Cudd (Uproar) delved into how to create great funding applications for film and television projects in Aotearoa.

In conversation with Script to Screen’s Executive Director Dale Corlett, these industry leaders gave their unique insights into what makes a strong application, including:

• Putting your team together
• Gathering key information
• Strategic partnerships
• Finding your authentic voice so that your ideas can leap off the page

From the big picture of your idea to the nitty gritty of the application requirements, you now have unlimited access to help take your applications to the next level.

The talk concluded with representatives from the New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand On Air, and Te Māngai Pāho answering your questions and sharing their insights.

The webinar Q&A is available to read below.

NZOA, NZFC and Te Māngai Pāho Funding FAQ’s

Read funding FAQ’s – Mentioned in Video

Additional information:

NZFC

Email funding@nzfim.co.nz for specific funding info – it will get passed on to the right person to answer and help.

Note: This is for those who already have scripts or projects for development.

The guilds and legacy collectives – are a key touchstone for emerging writers and stories, so please reach out, their information is also on our website or via Script to Screen.

Q&A

Here are the answers to the questions asked during the online talk. These have been transcribed and edited for clarity. They are meant to accompany the webinar, as some responses refer to earlier content.

We have also provided a summary of key points answering each question.

Co-productions

Q: If there was already offshore interest either partial funding or a production team attached to a pitch. Would this deter New Zealand funding?

Te o Kahurangi:  Depends on how much the investor or offshore producer was contributing.
Co-Productions are about 2 or more countries and partners agreeing to work on a project. There are treaties with key countries and Official Co-Productions that are about helping to make films with Producers and Creatives.
Getting the creative balance and funding balance can be tricky.

Key Points

• As you are putting together the various pieces of the puzzle of your finance plan, keep in mind it is always hard to get the balance right between creative and financial.
• Seek advice (if you feel you need it) when you are pulling together different types of funding, talk to people who have done it before or the funders prior, as they may be able to help you avoid pitfalls
• If you are going to work in the co-production space, get to know the rules and requirements prior to doing this

Q: What is the best way to find/collect a list of all the funding organisations for a specific theme of a project?

Nua: AI, put it in ChatGPT. There’s no way I would have found out about the Canary Islands and available tax rebates. If it wasn’t for AI, that would have taken me ages. You have to double-check it, though. Like don’t just find the info and “okay, that’s it.” It can cut many steps out of the process… and speed it up.

Heperi: In terms of theme, theme can be very broad, and Angela touched on this. Look at our Press Releases for things we (NZOA) have funded. This will give a sense of the theme or the genre of things we have supported in the past. All funders have annual reporting documents, which is a list of everything they supported in the year. Which generally has the genre and a little bit about what the projects are about. This will help make sure you are presenting a new idea. It will give you a sense of the type of things each funder is focusing on. The tricky thing is it’s past.
Also, look at RFPs of the platform and what specific types of programmes they are trying to line up.

Ange: Go to the industry events and annual hui for broadcasters and funders, they will give a general idea of what’s to come.

Key Points:

• AI, and always double-check information and the sources
• Look at Press Releases and Annual Reporting Documents from all the funders
• Going to industry events to connect with people to check what others know about funding and what the focus is. Seek more than one opinion when doing this.

Q: What proportion of the Proposal document would you expect the Writer/Director to write? And how much does the Producer write?

Ange: In terms of my process, I start with a checklist, the director will give the script, director’s vision, tone and style and have a go at the logline and synopsis. Most of everything else should come from the producer.

Producers do most of the interfacing with the funders and dissecting the funding round and what they’re looking for. It’s about strategically making sure each section (tone, world, directors’ vision, producers, statement, and synopsis) aligns with what the funders are looking for.

Nua: The order information is presented is important. Especially when I’m doing stuff internationally, that is set in Tonga, for example. I can’t just write a logline, synopsis, story and carry on, I’ve got to tell this person where the hell Tonga is, and what Tonga is.  The tricky part is how you do that quickly and succinctly. You need to be thinking of who your reader is going to be, what funding body you’re going to, and who’s going to be assessing it. Often, they’ll get an external international assessor and an intern like a New Zealander. So, just making sure that the info you’re saying is accurate. Someone from Australia who has never been to a rural farming community. They don’t know what the hell a shearing shed is.  So, if your film was set in the shearing shed, and you’ve got a language specific to that area, do you need to put a little glossary of terms at the top of your proposal or something like that, or if it’s in a foreign language. The producer would normally write all of it.  And because it all costs money, you have to do the business side too, the finance plan and everything like that.

Key Points:

• The director may help with Tone, Style, Logline and Synopsis
  Writer/director doing “creative” (script, treatment, mood board etc) but then reviewed by producer who sends out the application ideally.
• The producer should be handling budget, schedule, audience and any biz stuff.
• The level of involvement a director or creative has in the proposal and funding application writing can vary depending on the team and their skillsets.
• Although not always the case, producers tend to focus on budget, logistics, market and the how it will be made. The creatives (writer, director) focus on the vision, the script/ story, the tone and style of the project.

Q: When assessing regional projects (esp. South Island), are there any elements that you’d like to see more fleshed out? Are there any consistent weaknesses or strengths of projects that take place outside of the big cities?

Te O Kahurangi: It’s really important that if you’re looking at things in the South Island, that you’ve got some context there, that you’re actually writing from that perspective. So just as Nua talked about all of how you make those stories unique, whether it’s from a Tongan perspective, whether it’s actually on an island or in a specific space, it’s the same in terms of the South Island. It may require engagement with iwi, depending on where your location is, the nature of the stories that you are writing, and what perspectives those characters are coming from, Māori characters, for example. You need to show the authenticity of that place and how it is that you’ve engaged in that, before you come in for funding or before you completed your story, that it has all been taken into consideration when you’re writing your work.

Heperi: The unfortunate reality of the industry; is that we’re in a capitalistic industry and the big question is about cost. A lot of productions are in Auckland and Wellington, there is more studio space, and accommodation, and getting people to and from set. It’s just simpler. So, when you are working in the regions its about making the logistical aspects in your production worth the additional cost. At NZOA in the way we assess, we do place value on regionalism and representation of Aotearoa’s regions. As it can cost a little bit more, you need to have that factored in and have those rationales spoken to in the application.

Juneea: TMP specific perspective. We have a part in our criteria with a po tiake reo and po tiake tikanga. And regional iwi hapu marae setting. The best way forward is to get a person from that iwi, hapu, marae and support from that iwi specifically.

Te O Kahurangi: Regional film offices, if you are looking at regions, whether it’s in the South Island or other places. There are regional film offices that are available that can help you. If you’re thinking about looking for space, about looking for other ways you can make your production work. There are also the different universities and some of the councils that have screen arms or film arms specific to that particular area when you’re looking at permits.

Currently, Share the Knowledge, is looking at, a program where they’ve got specific work around one of the productions and looking at interns and training alongside one of their productions called Holy Days in the South Island.

I can’t reinforce more around keeping in touch/up to date with newsletters, with the guilds and making sure that you’re aware of everything that’s happening because you might find that there’s another way to help you achieve your goal for your production.

Key Points:

• Being authentic and connected to where the project is being made is important
• If you are not from the place, allow plenty of time for meaningful engagement with those who are, so you can create the right type of partnerships and relationships to ensure your project is mutually beneficial to all parties
• Being realistic and allowing for what it really takes to make projects in the place you are proposing. This can mean allowing specific budget to be spent on different aspects of your production due to the requirements of the location.

Q: Is there any advice on finding more online workshops/South Island projects?

A: Reach out to RFONZ / your regional Film Offices, they will know what is going on and will always like to hear there is a need in their area. https://www.filmoffices.nz/

Skillshare, online filmmaking facebook groups are also generally open to new members and members asking specific questions.

Script to Screen and Day One have a range of resources, The Big Idea- Learning Network https://learning.thebigidea.nz/

Key Points:

• Get on the mailing list of all the industry guilds and organisations
• Recommend to your film office the types of workshops and training you want in your region/ city
• Contact us at Script to Screen to see if we already have a programme that might be a good fit, or if we are able to develop one and secure funding for it.

Context: As someone based in the South Island, seeing so many North Island-specific workshops and opportunities can be discouraging.

Q: In the very early stages, before even thinking about approaching the funding bodies, what do you think is the best way to approach potential collaborators like producers or networks? Would I need a one-pager or series bible ready to go?

Angela: Take me for food… For anyone you’re approaching, send them and email, and if they have capacity they may take you up on a 30 min meeting. Make sure you know what you want from it and have more than just an idea. As a producer, in order to take it to the next stage it needs to be a script or episode synopsis. Know exactly what you want. Do you want an EP, or producer, or do you need someone to give you ideas on what you can do next.

Nua: You also need to have an understanding of who the producers are, what films they have made, and is your project in the wheelhouse of what they are doing. You need to have an understanding of your project. Is that producer the right person? Just because I’m Tongan doesn’t mean I will add value to art house stuff, give someone else a ring, or call experts in the specific field. Look at the producers’ slate; what is their brand, and does it align with your project?

Key Points:

• Be clear about why you are approaching the potential collaborator. Do you research top make sure you are connecting with the right people for you.
• Be respectful of what you are asking – please do not approach someone days before a funding deadline to get them on board.
• Be yourself and open to other people’s creativity and perceptive, afterall, most people in the industry are drawn to it because they are creative and want to tell screen stories, so let them in.

Te Māngai Paho

Q: How do you classify a project with 30 % Te Reo content, how can a project meet that requirement?

A: Applicants determine the percentage of te reo their project will contain. Part of the Māori language plan requirements is to explain how the applicant will meet the project’s target te reo Māori percentage.

Key Points:

• Check the requirements on the website for the fund you are applying for
• If still unsure, talk to someone at Te Māngai Pāho or another producer who has previously received their funding

Q: What would you include in a presentation/pitch for collaborators?

A: Logline, synopsis, theme, tone, genre, your relationship to the story, why you want them as your collaborators, kaupapa, visual pitch deck.

QUESTIONS FOR INDUSTRY ORGANISATIONS

We ran out of time on the zoom to answer the following questions. We are working with the guilds and industry organisations to answer them and then share them with you.

Q: Do you have any recommendations for organisation that would be interested in funding black narratives?

A:

Q: How do you know when NOT to put in a proposal? 

A:

Context: The FOMO can be intense. I often find myself running from one prop to the next, spreading myself thin and not having enough time to do actual writing.

Q: How do I attract a producer to do all this for me? Do you offer them a cut from the successful funds?

A:

Q: How to budget the producer’s work on a project?

A:

Context: Financing is not my wheelhouse,

Q: How would you attach big named actors to your project in order to strengthen your application?

A:

Q: Do you include marketing plans in your proposals? For example socials, or advertising or fan community building plans

A:

Q: What are some common mistakes for novices seen in pitching documents?

A:

Q: What is valuable to include in the business side of the pitching document? What elements should you be spending time on as a producer?  

A:

ABOUT  SPEAKERS

Angela Cudd is an award-winning screen producer with a passion for stories told through an indigenous or fresh lens and a vision for showcasing NZ screen excellence to the world. Coming from a background in fashion and beauty event and business management, Angela began working in the screen industry in the early 2010s. Angela initially worked across a range of fields including narrative film, documentary, reality-challenge TV, OB live events & studio shows before settling in the narrative and documentary space. She went on to produce the sitcoms ‘Sextortion’ and ‘Good Grief’, fluent reo Māori kids show ‘Pōtae Pai’ and co-produced the anthology feature film ‘We Are Still Here’, which interweaves eight stories of indigenous struggle and triumph and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022. In 2019, Angela founded Caravan Carpark Films (CCF), a production house focusing on screen and indigenous excellence as well as capacity building of emerging screen innovators. Most recently, under the umbrella of CCF, Angela produced the feature film ‘Uproar’ and the documentary series ‘When Bob Came’. ‘Uproar’ starred Julian Dennison, Minnie Driver and Rhys Darby, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and was released globally in early 2024 to critical acclaim. ‘When Bob Came’ explored the impact of Bob Marley’s only concert in NZ and was awarded Best Factual Series at the NZ TV Awards 2023.

Karin Williams is a descendant of British settlers in Aotearoa New Zealand and ancestors from the South Pacific island of Aitutaki. She began her career as a reporter at the Cook Islands News in Rarotonga, going on to work as a writer, director and producer for broadcast networks in New Zealand and the USA. She founded Multinesia Productions to support global indigenous storytelling and has worked with first nations communities in Canada, Alaska and the Pacific on grassroots community projects. Her independent film projects have screened at festivals around the world. Karin served as a Development Executive at the NZ Film Commission (NZFC) and works with Pasifika storytellers to bring authentic projects to stage and screen. Recent credits include Teine Sā, a Pacific horror/anthology series for Sky NZ Originals, and the Polynesian sketch comedy series, SIS, screening on Comedy Central, Prime and Neon. Karin is a funding assessor for a range of agencies including NZFC, Creative NZ, Script to Screen, Pan Asian Screen Collective (PASC) and Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC). She is a member of Women in Film and Television (WIFT), Pacific Island Screen Artists (PISA) and serves on the Executive Boards of Script to Screen and SPADA, the Screen Production and Development Association. She is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in the screen industry.

A proud Tongan, born and raised in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Halaifonua Finau, or Nua as he’s more commonly known, is at the forefront of bringing Polynesian stories to our screens.  He studied at Whitireia Performing Arts as a dancer but made his name in the industry as an actor and presenter, before shifting his love of performance and storytelling behind the camera.  Nua brings storytelling with Tongan swag to the kava bowl of creativity. He is a writer and producer, with a mission to take his little corner of the Pacific to the world. He cut his teeth in children’s television as a producer on Small Blacks TV and honed his skills and vibe in series two of the much-loved Polynesian series Baby Mama’s Club. In 2019, Nua was co-writer and associate producer on Jonah, the tele-feature drama series on Tongan and All Blacks rugby legend, Jonah Lomu.  In 2021, Nua teamed up with Four Knights’ maestro, Tom Hern and the pair founded their production company Tavake. Tavake’s first drama series The Panthers, which Nua wrote, created and executive produced alongside Hern, was the first New Zealand TV series to premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.  2023 was a landmark year for Nua. He released his first feature film ‘Red, White & Brass, a crowd-pleasing family film (based on Nua’s own life experiences in a family/church brass band) – which he wrote and produced alongside Executive Producers Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal. The film opened at number 1 at the local box office and went on to  become the top local film of the year and, in doing so, a certified Polynesian classic.  Nua was the 2023 recipient of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Pacific Enterprise Award. He currently  serves on the Content Advisory Board for the Banff World Media Festival.  Finau is represented by Kaplan Perrone Entertainment.

This Script to Screen TALKS is made possible thanks to
New Zealand Film Commission.

Presented by Script to Screen in collaboration with Ngā Aho Whakaari and PISA (Pacific Islands Screen Artists)

Join Producers Halaifonua Finau (Red, White and Brass), Karin Williams (We Live by the River), and Angela Cudd (Uproar) as they delve into how to create great funding applications for film and television projects in Aotearoa.

In conversation with Script to Screen’s Executive Director Dale Corlett, these industry leaders will give their unique insights into what makes a strong application, including:

• Putting your team together
• Gathering key information
• Strategic partnerships
• Finding your authentic voice so that your idea can leap off the page

From the big picture of your idea to the nitty gritty of the application requirements, you don’t want to miss this fantastic lineup of speakers. We encourage producers, writers, and directors to take advantage of this opportunity.

Funding pools are small, this inspiring session will give you access to tools that help take your application to the next level.

After the presentation, time will be allocated to meet the representatives from the New Zealand Film Commission, New Zealand On Air, and Te Māngai Pāho and ask your questions.

Tuesday 24th September 2024 
4:00pm – 5:00pm 
ONLINE

Read application FAQ’s

ABOUT  

Angela Cudd is an award-winning screen producer with a passion for stories told through an indigenous or fresh lens and a vision for showcasing NZ screen excellence to the world. Coming from a background in fashion and beauty event and business management, Angela began working in the screen industry in the early 2010s. Angela initially worked across a range of fields including narrative film, documentary, reality-challenge TV, OB live events & studio shows before settling in the narrative and documentary space. She went on to produce the sitcoms ‘Sextortion’ and ‘Good Grief’, fluent reo Māori kids show ‘Pōtae Pai’ and co-produced the anthology feature film ‘We Are Still Here’, which interweaves eight stories of indigenous struggle and triumph and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022. In 2019, Angela founded Caravan Carpark Films (CCF), a production house focusing on screen and indigenous excellence as well as capacity building of emerging screen innovators. Most recently, under the umbrella of CCF, Angela produced the feature film ‘Uproar’ and the documentary series ‘When Bob Came’. ‘Uproar’ starred Julian Dennison, Minnie Driver and Rhys Darby, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and was released globally in early 2024 to critical acclaim. ‘When Bob Came’ explored the impact of Bob Marley’s only concert in NZ and was awarded Best Factual Series at the NZ TV Awards 2023.

Karin Williams is a descendant of British settlers in Aotearoa New Zealand and ancestors from the South Pacific island of Aitutaki. She began her career as a reporter at the Cook Islands News in Rarotonga, going on to work as a writer, director and producer for broadcast networks in New Zealand and the USA. She founded Multinesia Productions to support global indigenous storytelling and has worked with first nations communities in Canada, Alaska and the Pacific on grassroots community projects. Her independent film projects have screened at festivals around the world. Karin served as a Development Executive at the NZ Film Commission (NZFC) and works with Pasifika storytellers to bring authentic projects to stage and screen. Recent credits include Teine Sā, a Pacific horror/anthology series for Sky NZ Originals, and the Polynesian sketch comedy series, SIS, screening on Comedy Central, Prime and Neon. Karin is a funding assessor for a range of agencies including NZFC, Creative NZ, Script to Screen, Pan Asian Screen Collective (PASC) and Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC). She is a member of Women in Film and Television (WIFT), Pacific Island Screen Artists (PISA) and serves on the Executive Boards of Script to Screen and SPADA, the Screen Production and Development Association. She is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in the screen industry.

A proud Tongan, born and raised in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Halaifonua Finau, or Nua as he’s more commonly known, is at the forefront of bringing Polynesian stories to our screens.  He studied at Whitireia Performing Arts as a dancer but made his name in the industry as an actor and presenter, before shifting his love of performance and storytelling behind the camera.  Nua brings storytelling with Tongan swag to the kava bowl of creativity. He is a writer and producer, with a mission to take his little corner of the Pacific to the world. He cut his teeth in children’s television as a producer on Small Blacks TV and honed his skills and vibe in series two of the much-loved Polynesian series Baby Mama’s Club. In 2019, Nua was co-writer and associate producer on Jonah, the tele-feature drama series on Tongan and All Blacks rugby legend, Jonah Lomu.  In 2021, Nua teamed up with Four Knights’ maestro, Tom Hern and the pair founded their production company Tavake. Tavake’s first drama series The Panthers, which Nua wrote, created and executive produced alongside Hern, was the first New Zealand TV series to premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.  2023 was a landmark year for Nua. He released his first feature film ‘Red, White & Brass, a crowd-pleasing family film (based on Nua’s own life experiences in a family/church brass band) – which he wrote and produced alongside Executive Producers Taika Waititi and Carthew Neal. The film opened at number 1 at the local box office and went on to  become the top local film of the year and, in doing so, a certified Polynesian classic.  Nua was the 2023 recipient of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Pacific Enterprise Award. He currently  serves on the Content Advisory Board for the Banff World Media Festival.  Finau is represented by Kaplan Perrone Entertainment.

This Script to Screen TALKS is made possible thanks to
New Zealand Film Commission.

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 Commission, Foundation North and Images & Sound.

We’re proud to launch Paerangi Project – a programme designed to reach fresh, distinctive and authentic voices across Aotearoa.

Paerangi offers accessible learning about how to develop your own short film or web series idea. It is for new and emerging talent living across Aotearoa, and enables you to make screen stories in your own backyard.

The programme is for those interested in developing a short film or web series who have not had the opportunity to learn about filmmaking. This lack of opportunity could be for a variety of reasons, for example, you may be living in a remote region, an isolated situation or face social, economic or accessibility barriers.

Stage One, delivered online, gives you access to a series of video tutorials delivered by experienced filmmakers. The tutorials lead you through the process of developing your own concept including writing, directing, producing and pitching, and gives homework exercises to complete in your own time alongside the video tutorials.

Contributors to the video are: Alex Lovell (My Friend Michael Jones, Mister Sunshine), Dianne Taylor (Apron Strings, Beyond the Known World, Hauraki), Emmett Skilton (Millennial Jenny, Auckward Love), Hamish Bennett (Bellbird, Ross & Beth, The Dump), Jaimee Poipoi (Electric Shoelace Productions), Karin Williams (SIS), Marina Alofagia McCartney (Vai, Milk & Honey), Morgan Leigh Stewart (K’ Rd Stories, Bird’s Eye! Deathgasm), Robyn Grace (Power Rangers: Dino Charge, Sweet Tooth, Oranges and Lemons), Shoshana McCallum (Head High, Creamerie, West Side,) and Sophie Henderson (The Justice of Bunny King, Baby Done, Fantail).

Registration for Stage One is open now!

At Stage Two, participants who registered for Stage One are eligible to apply for a six-week mentorship with an experienced filmmaker who will guide them as they refine their short film or web series project. The homework exercises you complete in Stage One form the basis of the Stage Two application.

And at Stage Three, up to four teams are invited to a three-day residential development lab in Auckland where they will develop their project even further, receiving tailored script feedback, directing mentoring, and producing advice from industry mentors.

Paerangi Project is made possible thanks to generous support from Screenrights Cultural Fund and New Zealand Film Commission.

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.

Script to Screen is excited to bring you a late-night TALK with award-winning director Jessica Hobbs, in conversation with moderator Rob Sarkies. Jessica started her career in New Zealand and has risen to work on some of our favourite series made in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Jessica has directed episodes of The Split, Apple Tree Yard, Broadchurch and most recently multi-award-winning show The Crown. She directed two episodes of Season 3, including the finale starring Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. She has gone on to direct three episodes of Season 4 including the finale.

Before moving to the UK Jessica was the lead director on the award-winning series The Slap, directed episodes of Rake and Love My Way, and won an Australian Directors Guild Award for her work on Devil’s Dust. She was also awarded the Australian Film Institute Award for ABC mini-series, Answered by Fire.

In this Script to Screen TALK, Jessica will join us live from London to talk to director Rob Sarkies (The Gulf, Consent, Jean, Two Little Boys, Wanted, Out of the Blue, Scarfies). They will discuss what it is like working on a series drama in the UK right now, her approach to directing, and her ambitions for the future.

ABOUT THE PANEL

JESSICA HOBBS
Jessica Hobbs began directing short films in her 20s, during an eight-year stint as an assistant director. After helming Cliff Curtis TV drama Overnight in 1995, she got her break on Australia’s Heartbreak High. Hobbs went on to build up an impressive — and award-winning — Australian resume, including hit show Love My Way, East Timor mini-series Answered by Fire, winning the Australian Film Institute Directing Award for both, and the first two episodes of BAFTA-nominated ensemble drama The Slap, which she also set up.  After relocating to England, she directed Emily Watson in the high profile mini-series Apple Tree Yard, based on the Louise Doughty bestseller about a married woman who has an affair. Other directing credits include Broadchurch, River, BBC mini-series The Split, written by Abi Morgan, and most recently seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown for Netflix.

ROB SARKIES
Rob Sarkies works across feature films, series television and commercials as a creator and director. His work includes Out of the Blue about the Aramoana shootings, Consent based on Louise Nicholas’s fight for justice, Jean about aviator Jean Batten, black-buddy-comedy Two Little Boys, Wanted, The Gulf and NZ classic Scarfies.

Tues 23 March
9:00pm – 10:00pm NZDT – TALK

Fraser Brown combines a rare blend of creative, business and leadership expertise in his work as a creative producer, co-founder and Creative Director of FluroBlack.

Fraser started his career, more than 20 years ago, as a professional actor working extensively in film, television and theatre. His evolution into creative producer started with award-winning short, Dead Letters(Telluride Film Festival, 2006), followed by a stint producing branded and commercial content. Since then he has produced or executive produced nine international feature documentaries, two scripted features, a major international television series and an edgy, award-winning web series.

Fraser’s first feature, Orphans & Kingdoms, won numerous international awards and was released theatrically in NZ with 4-star reviews. In 2016 he developed and produced, in a strategic partnership with Matthew Metcalfe of GFC Films, the feature documentary McLaren. Directed by Roger Donaldson, McLaren was the highest grossing New Zealand film at the NZ box office in 2017 and was released globally by Universal Pictures, Transmission Films and Gunpowder & Sky. He and Matthew then produced Wayne, an official NZ/AUS co-production directed by Jeremy Sims, which premiered at the opening weekend of MIFF 2018 and was released in Australia and New Zealand by Transmission Films and in the US by Gunpowder & Sky.

Fraser is an Executive Producer on numerous feature documentaries with Universal Pictures and GFC Films: Born Racer, directed by Bryn Evans; We Need to Talk About A.I, directed by Leanne Pooley; Dawn Raid, directed by Oscar Kightley; Mothers of the Revolution, directed by Briar March; Billion Dollar Heist, directed by Daniel Gordon and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK, directed by Nathan Price. He is also an EP on feature film, Whina, currently in post-production and on The Dead Lands –an 8x1hr action-adventure series collaboration between GFC Films, AMC-Shudder and TVNZ, nominated for “Best Drama” at the New Zealand TV Awards, 2020. In the factual TV space, Fraser is currently a producer on Reunited (TVNZ), The Circus (BRAVO) and Great Southern Truckers (TV3/DISCOVERY).

Got a script in development?
Have you thought about your audience?

Join us at this Script to Screen TALK and find out what local distributors consider before they take on a film for distribution.

Having a strong script and a great filmmaking team is not enough. Unlocking NZFC production funding depends on a letter of offer from a local distributor as part of your audience engagement plan.

Come along to hear from Mark Chamberlain at Transmission, Andrew Cozens at Madman, Nigel Forsyth at Studio Canal and Kevin Gordon at Rialto Distribution.

Entertainment lawyer, Sarah Cull will talk to the panelists about what they look for when selecting projects and at what stage of development they like to get on board. An audience Q&A will follow.

If you are developing a feature film project this event is not to be missed. Last time we held a TALK with New Zealand distributors it was a full house, avoid disappointment by getting your ticket early.

Wednesday 3 July
6:15pm -7:15pm – TALK
Te Auaha, 65 Dixon St, Te Aro, Wellington

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 pre-sales.
$5 cash at the door if the theatre is not already fully booked from pre-sales.

This StS TALK is made possible thanks to the support of the New Zealand Film Commission. Thanks to the New Zealand Film Commission and the New Zealand Film and Television School for the venue.

The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) and Script to Screen are thrilled to present these very special TALKS with the filmmakers behind three highly anticipated films BELLBIRD, JUDY & PUNCH, and ANIMALS.

Join us after each screening to hear first hand from Hamish Bennett (BELLBIRD), Mirrah Foulkes (JUDY & PUNCH) and Sophie Hyde (ANIMALS) about their connection with the story and their experience getting the story to the screen.

The TALKS are free, but to see the film beforehand you need to book your ticket through the NZIFF website. TALKS held at the ASB Waterfront Theatre are held in the cinema immediately after the film. TALKS held at the Civic are in the Wintergarden, downstairs from the main foyer, immediately after the film.

BELLBIRD
Ross (Marshall Napier) is the third generation on the small family dairy farm and he’s determined that son Bruce (Cohen Holloway) will follow suit. Bruce, however, makes for a squeamish farmer and would be perfectly content to stick with his job reinventing abandoned treasures at the town dump. Civic Wintergarden | Sat 20 July  | after the 5:45pm screening. Hamish Bennett, Catherine Fitzgerald and Orlando Stewart with moderator Dame Gaylene Preston (1hr).

JUDY & PUNCH
Mia Wasikowska and Damon Herriman represent the titular duo, reimagined as a puppeteering couple whose artistic quarrels – and Punch’s mishandling of their baby – lead to an epic revenge fable awash with bloody satire and pitch-black comedy. Civic Wintergarden | Thu 25 July  | after the 3:30pm screening. Mirrah Foulkes with moderator Chelsie Preston-Crayford (1hr). Civic Wintergarden | Fri 26 July | after the 6:30pm screening. Mirrah Foulkes with moderator Robyn Malcolm (1hr).

Mirrah Foulkes’ visit is supported by    

ANIMALS
Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development) are thirty-something best friends in Dublin, where partying hard is still their way to have fun, but the reality of getting older is getting harder to ignore. ASB Waterfront Theatre | Thurs 25 July  | after the 8:30pm screening. Sophie Hyde with moderator Robyn Malcolm (30mins) ASB Waterfront Theatre | Fri 26 July  | after the 3:00pm screening.  Sophie Hyde with moderator Armagan Ballantyne (30mins)