Winners Announced for Doc Edge 2021 Pitch Competition

Congratulations to our members who recently won awards at Doc Edge Pitch 2021. Member Paul Wolffram and ShuRun Yap won the award for Best Pitch – New Zealand with Sanguma. The Dhaka DocLab Prize went to Kim Webby with Ratman and the Whales.

The Best Pitch prizes include a range of services that will assist Paul Wolffram and ShuRun Yap with their project, including post-production services from Park Road Post and travel assistance from the NZ Film Commission to attend the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).

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Netflix’s Sweet Tooth Made with Kiwi Help

Sweet Tooth will premiere June 4 on Netflix. Based on the comic book of the same name by Jeff Lemire, the series follows a lovable half-human and half-deer boy as he embarks on a dangerous adventure across a post-apocalyptic world. Production for Sweet Tooth was granted permission to film in NZ despite the travel restrictions brought on by covid, a production that involved many Kiwis.

DEGNZ member Robyn Grace was one of them, directing on an episode and working as the first assistant director on others. Fellow DEGNZ member Toa Fraser, who recently revealed his battle with early onset Parkinson’s on Twitter, served as Producing Director for the season. Toa spoke with Saturday Morning on RNZ about life with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. Kia kaha Toa.

 

 

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Poppy in Cinemas May 27

Edited by DEGNZ member Jonno Woodford-Robinson, Poppy, inspired by real life hero Poppy Anderson, tells the story of a young woman with Down Syndrome who refuses to let that define her and decides to take control of her own life. Libby Hunsdale told Sunday TVNZ that “We shouldn’t think of Down Syndrome as an illness or condition, it can be a success tool”.

The film was the first local film to resume production after a long hiatus caused by coronavirus in 2020. Poppy was written and directed by Linda Niccol and will open in NZ cinemas on May 27.

Head to their Facebook page to follow the film.

 

 

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Lever’s Revolt, She Said Q&A on May 7

Where is the real progress in feminism? That’s the main question being asked in Louise Lever’s (DEGNZ) latest film Revolt, She Said. Featuring candid interviews with Former Prime Minister of NZ Helen Clark and other inspiring Kiwi and Australian women, the documentary discusses why women are considered the secondary gender.

Nominated for Best Documentary at the New York Independent Film Festival, Revolt, She Said will be showing in Auckland on May 7 at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre, followed by a Q&A with Louise herself.

Purchase your tickets here.

 

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Tribeca to Screen Samoan Short Film Liliu

Liliu has officially been selected to screen at the Tribeca Film Festival this year. Edited by DEGNZ member Peter Roberts, Liliu follows a young court interpreter (Vito Vito) who risks everything to help Nua (Ana Tuisila), a wrongfully imprisoned chief.

Filmed in Samoa, the short film was written and directed by Jeremiah Tauamiti (My Father’s Kingdom) who is of Samoan descent. Originally released in 2018, Liliu has won awards such as Best Narrative Short Film at the FIFO Festival held in Tahiti.

The film will screen on June 20.

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