Film Dunedin update - it's packed

Antony Deaker — March 2nd, 2020

The array of film projects with Dunedin involvement is ever growing, as is recognition of local talent. The DCC’s Film Dunedin Coordinator, Antony Deaker, has supplied a highlights package…

NHNZ

Dunedin company NHNZ took home two awards at the 2019 Asian Television Awards (January 2020) including, Best Natural History or Wildlife Show for Orangutan Jungle School and Best Documentary Series for China from Above 2.

NHNZ managing director, Kyle Murdoch, says, “Asia is home to over four billion potential viewers and to get this level of recognition at Asia’s premiere industry event is huge for NHNZ. These awards are a fantastic reward and inspiration for the talented, hardworking individuals who put their all into making these shows.”

'Triple Scoop'

The short film ‘Triple Scoop’, written and directed by Ruby Harris and filmed in Port Chalmers in 2019 will have a special private screening on Saturday, 29 February. The film’s producers are busy entering the film into international festivals.

'This Town'

Congratulations to Henry Feltham for the upcoming cinema release of his feature ‘This Town’ in May. A Dunedin-based writer, Henry began writing the romantic 'crimedy' with long-time collaborators White Balance Pictures in 2016. The project moved ahead quickly thanks to the Venice Biennale development workshops, and the enthusiastic support of NZFC and Madman. It is his first feature writing credit.

Henry currently works as an Associate Producer and Narrative Designer at Dunedin's Rocketwerkz video game studios, and is continuing to develop film and TV projects in conjunction with White Balance Pictures.'

'Winter's Blight'

The short animation, ‘Winter's Blight’ screened at the Nepal Film Festival in February, at the Los Angeles Animation Film Festival in January, and won the 'The Pick of the Festival' Award at the Yucca Valley Film Festival in the US in December. Described by the Festival Director as ‘The most beautiful and well achieved stop-motion animation I have ever seen’.

NHK

Japan public broadcaster, NHK, has a crew in Dunedin. It will spend 50 days in Dunedin filming for a Japanese public TV documentary on the wildlife of Otago Peninsula and the diverse conservation efforts underway.

German Reality TV

An episode of the reality TV show ‘Farmer Wants A Wife’ has been shot in our region recently.

Rowe accepted for Line Producer programme

Congratulations to Dunedin’s Rebecca Rowe for selection in the ‘Share The Knowledge – Line Producer Training’ programme. Rebecca was one of 10 applicants selected nationally from a pool of 82 for the programme.

Legal Fiction Productions

The short film ‘Hot Chocolate’ by Legal Fiction screened at FlickerFest in Sydney in January and will screen in cities around Australia until May as part of the Flickerfest touring programme.

The production team behind ‘Hot Chocolate’, Tess Whelan and David Hay, made it into the second round for the ‘Fresh Shorts’ funding and development programme run by New Zealand Film Commission and Script to Screen, but missed the final cut for funding. Tess and David will continue to develop their project ‘Canvass’.

'MILK'

Port Chalmers-based filmmakers Pennie Hunt and Stefan Roesch are the creators of Punakaiki Productions. They have released their short film 'MILK' last October at San Jose International Film Festival, California. It has since screened at festivals around the world, including Austin, Rome, Lagos and the Aesthetica Film Festival in York, England.

'MILK' is set in 1945 Dunedin. On a lonely coastal farm, a young widow confronts two crewmen from a German submarine who have come ashore on a secret mission – to get fresh milk.

Pennie Hunt has also received a Seed Grant from the New Zealand Writers Guild in June last year to write the script for her debut feature film 'RIDING BLIND'.

FilmQuest - film tourism startup

Pennie Hunt and Stefan Roesch are also the founders of award-winning film tourism start-up FilmQuest which connects film fans with the locations of their beloved movies and TV shows through an inspirational website. Content is generated in collaboration with the fans, various tourism stakeholders and some of the major studios such as Netflix and Sony Pictures.

They are the recipient of a six-month mentorship programme with Hamilton business incubator Soda Inc., where Pennie and Stefan get to work with mentor Vaughan Fergusson, one of New Zealand’s most successful tech entrepreneurs.

Find out more...

Short Film Otago

SFO supported 'Winter's Blight' and 'MILK'. Further locally produced short films are in the pipeline. Keep an eye on their website for news about upcoming opportunities.