Script to Screen, and the New Zealand Writers Guild present a special discussion with award-winning Mexican screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga. Arriaga travels to the capital to talk about his writing philosophy, craft, and process.
Arriaga is responsible for the stories of some of the most momentous films of recent decades. These include Oscar nominated 21 GRAMS, BAFTA and Oscar nominated BABEL, Cannes award-winning THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA and BAFTA winning and AMORES PERROS.
Saturday 18th July, 2pm-3pm, Park Road Post Cinema, 141 Park Road, Miramar. $10 koha appreciated
To confirm numbers, please send us an email at rsvp@script-to-screen.co.nz to let us know you’re coming!
Guillermo is in the country mentoring at our Writers’ Lab Aotearoa. His full biography is available on our Big Screen Symposium page, where our 2013 attendees were gifted with his unique insights into storytelling.
This special Writers’ Room is made possible with the support of Miramar Events Trust.
Script to Screen and Loading Docs present a special masterclass with Rebecca Howard on strategies for digital content in our ever-changing global landscape. Howard is the General Manager of Video Production at the New York Times.
In her role, Rebecca Howard is responsible for overseeing video content across all platforms – and is hugely qualified to offer insights into the digital realm including placement, marketing and distribution. Throughout the masterclass, Rebecca will draw on recent examples, including the branded documentary series promoting Netflix hit Orange Is the New Black and many other highly successful campaigns. She will cover how to monetise content, how content creators are working with brands, how to find and grow your digital audiences, and commissioning innovative content including the move towards virtual reality. Full programme details to follow.
Monday 13th July, 9.30am – 12.30pm, Media Design School, Level 5, 92 Albert Street, Auckland CBD.
Industry concession: $25 /Non – industry: $35
Places are limited. Buy your tickets now.
Script to Screen and the New Zealand Writers Guild present a special discussion with award-winning Mexican screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga. Arriaga talks to Robyn Malcolm about his writing philosophy, craft, and process at this AUT hosted event.
Arriaga is responsible for the stories of some of the most momentous films of recent decades. These include Oscar nominated 21 GRAMS, BAFTA and Oscar nominated BABEL, Cannes award-winning THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA and BAFTA winning and AMORES PERROS.
Sunday 12th July, 3pm-4pm, WG 403, Sir Paul Reeves Building (fourth floor), AUT, Gov Fitzroy Place, Auckland CBD. $10 koha appreciated.
To confirm numbers, we ask that you please RSVP to rsvp@script-to-screen.co.nz.
Guillermo is in the country mentoring at our Writers’ Lab Aotearoa. His full biography is available on our Big Screen Symposium page, where our 2013 attendees were gifted with his unique insights into storytelling.
Mexican screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga returns to New Zealand shores to participate in Script to Screen’s programme.
His confirmation completes the line-up for our second Writers’ Lab Aotearoa, where the chosen writers will benefit directly from his unique insights into screenwriting. Guillermo Arriaga’s credits include the critically acclaimed AMORES PERROS, Oscar nominated 21 GRAMS, BAFTA nominated BABEL and Cannes-winning THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA.
He will also join us all for a special Writers’ Room discussion event on Sunday 12th of July in lieu of our usual June event. Full details of this event will follow.
Guillermo’s keynote address and writing masterclass at our Big Screen Symposium 2013 left a lasting impression on all who heard him speak. We are thrilled to welcome him back.
Read his bio, and those of the four other mentors here.
The Writers’ Lab Aotearoa is made possible with the support of the NZ Writers Guild and financial support from the New Zealand Film Commission.
Writing of any sort can be a lonely process. From that initial FADE IN, to hashing out that final, closest-to-perfect draft, writing a film is often a long and arduous journey.
How do you keep the passion that drives you to create, while giving so much attention to structure and precision? And how can you ensure your work stands out despite the pitfalls of inexperience?
Three NZ screenwriters with a produced feature film under their belt discuss taking that leap of faith. Dianne Taylor (Beyond the Known World, Apron Strings), Roseanne Liang (My Wedding and Other Secrets) and Max Currie (Everything We Loved) talk to producer Fraser Brown (Orphans and Kingdoms) about their experiences, what they wish they knew then, and how the writing process changes while you develop as a writer.
Tues 26th May, The Classic, 321 Queen Street. 7pm drinks, 7:30-8:30pm talk. $5 koha appreciated.
Make sure to stick around afterwards for a slice of pizza on us!
“I love mixing my life with art, music, storytelling, acting, exploring, experimenting… I feel very lucky to be a filmmaker. And to share the films I’ve made.” – Florian Habicht
With over 10 years experience and six feature films, writer/director Florian Habicht is continually exploring new ways to tell a story. From fable WOODENHEAD to music documentary PULP, Florian seduces his audience into new worlds, allowing them to fall in love with the beauty that captured his eye.
Join us to hear Florian Habicht talk to Robyn Malcolm about how he has developed his creative process over the years, working intuitively and collaboratively to make his films.
Tuesday 21st April, The Classic, 321 Queen Street. 7pm drinks, 7:30-8:30pm talk. $5 koha appreciated.
Now that we’re back at The Classic, make sure to stick around afterwards for a slice of pizza on us!
Screen Australia’s Enterprise scheme contributed to the success of companies like Matchbox Pictures and Porchlight Films, who currently create some of the most compelling content in Australia while growing strong businesses.
What opportunities will our version of the scheme create for our much smaller industry?
Script to Screen hosts a special industry discussion with producers from three of the companies supported by NZ Film Commission’s new Business Development Scheme (BDS).*
Join us to hear producers Matthew Metcalfe (GFC Fightertown), Richard Fletcher (Libertine Pictures) and Victoria Spackman (Gibson Group with Blueskin Films) talk to producer and lecturer Christina Milligan about the challenges they face, the opportunities they see for the New Zealand landscape long-term, and what their creative focus will be going forward.
This is an unmissable opportunity for producers, writers and directors to hear from some of those at the forefront of the film business in NZ. Come and have your BDS questions answered.
Tuesday 31st March, The Loft Q Theatre. Join us for drinks in the lobby at 7pm for a 7.30pm – 9pm talk upstairs (including 30 minutes of question time). $5 koha appreciated.
*The Business Development Scheme (BDS) aims to “grow the screen sector and ensure New Zealand stories can continue to be told while fostering the development of businesses with the scale and connections to attract more private and overseas investment.” Read more on the NZ Film Commission website here.
Script to Screen and the New Zealand Writer’s Guild proudly present our first Wellington Writer’s Room of the year. We are joined by BAFTA and Academy Award winning screenwriter David Seidler.
David is a prolific writer for stage and screen who won Best Original Screenplay at both the Academy Awards and BAFTA’s in 2011 for THE KING’S SPEECH. He will speak to writer/actor Loren Taylor (EAGLE VS SHARK) about his journey as a writer and the story behind his current magnum opus.
Tuesday 3rd March, 5:30pm drinks, 6pm-7pm talk, Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision. $5 koha appreciated, includes a complimentary glass of wine.
Join us afterwards for a slice of Heaven Woodfire Pizza.
David generously gave his time and expertise to mentor at our inaugural Writers’ Lab Aotearoa. Applications for this year’s Lab are now open and close on April 20th.
After an astounding year for local film, New Zealand is enjoying a strong presence at international film festivals. How can we make sure film festival hype equates to real outcomes for our films and filmmakers?
The producers of three recent festival successes delve into their experience taking the film to an international audience including how they dealt with media, buyers and critics to get the film the best exposure they could.
For our first Writers’ Room of 2015, hear from New Zealand producers Tim Riley (Turbo Kid), Tom Hern (The Dark Horse) and Paula Jones (Hip Hop-eration) as they talk to producer Julia Parnell (Loading Docs) about growing and maintaining international interest in their three very different films.
Tuesday 24th February, The Loft, Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street. Join us for a drink at 7pm in the main bar for a 7.30-8.30pm session. $5 koha appreciated.
NZ-Canadian co-production Turbo Kid, a post-apocalyptic action comedy has been an instant hit. The film had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival last month and is due to screen later in the year in the Midnighters section of SXSW 2015. The film is written and directed by Montreal-based filmmaking trio Anouk Whissell, François Simard and Yoann-Karl Whissell, and produced by Ant Timpson (NZ), Tim Riley (NZ), Anne-Marie Gélinas (CAN) and Benoit Beaulieu (CAN).
Written and directed by James Napier Robertson, The Dark Horse is an inspiring true story based on the life of a charismatic, little-known New Zealand hero, Genesis Potini, played by Cliff Curtis (Once Were Warriors, Whale Rider, Boy). The film had its world premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival and won six awards including best picture, best director, best screenplay and best actor at the New Zealand Film Awards. It had its North American premiere at Toronto IFF and went on to screen at the prestigious IFFR in Rotterdam where it won the Audience Award, and became the film with the most votes on record in the history of the film festival.
New Zealand feature documentary Hip Hop-eration follows Waiheke-based hip hop crew Hip Op-eration (aged 65-95) as they prepare to attend the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas. The film had a successful local theatre release in late 2014, and won best documentary, best director and best cinematographer at the New Zealand Film Awards. It screened in competition at the prestigious IDFA in Amsterdam, where it was the fourth most popular film of the festival, and went on to win the Audience Choice award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in February 2015. The film is directed by Bryn Evans and produced by Paula Jones and Alex Lee.
“Housebound manages to balance consistent, fantastic comedy with a properly eerie mystery and what should be a star-making turn from lead Morgana O’Reilly.” Samuel Zimmerman, Fangoria
With so many elements to juggle to get a film to shine, it’s a feat when a low-budget first feature gels. Escalator funded horror-comedy Housebound has been hailed as a remarkable accomplishment by US reviewers after its SXSW festival debut earlier this year, where it was praised for freshness of voice, strong performances, carefully handled script, and the perfect dose of NZ’s dry humour.
Join us for a special NZ International Film Festival Writers’ Room with Housebound’s writer, director and editor Gerard Johnstone (The Jaquie Brown Diaries) and producer Luke Sharpe (The Jaquie Brown Diaries) as they talk to filmmaker Jackie Van Beek (Go the Dogs) about the challenges of writing and making this stellar debut feature.
Join us afterwards for some nibbles on us and a drink.
Tues 29 July, The Wintergarden (Civic Theatre), 7pm drinks, 7:30-8:30pm discussion, free.
Note: There will be spoilers!!
Housebound screened at the Civic in Auckland at the New Zealand International Film Festival on Sat 26 July at 9pm.