Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD begins its festival journey

The feature documentary Dame Valerie Adams: MORE THAN GOLD, edited by DEGANZ member Margot Francis (directed by Briar March and produced by fellow member Leanne Pooley), will begin its festival journey at this year’s International Oceanian Documentary Film Festival (FIFO) in Tahiti.

The 90-minute film tells the inspirational story of Olympic champion, Kiwi icon, Tongan leader, mother, daughter, sister, and survivor Dame Valerie Adams. Valerie shares her story with profound honesty and vulnerability that is rare among professional athletes. Through its both funny and gut-wrenching storytelling, the documentary speaks to anyone who has faced hardship, loss, or pursued a dream.

FIFO is dedicated to bringing the voices, culture, and issues of the Pacific to an international audience and offers unique professional opportunities for the artists involved. This year it will run from 4-12 February.

Congratulations to the MORE THAN GOLD team, and best of luck at the festival!

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Juniper Picked Up for US Distribution

Juniper, edited by Peter Roberts (DEGANZ), has found more success overseas with Greenwich Entertainment’s acquisition of the US distribution rights. The film will hit US cinemas on 24 February and will find its place on home platforms from 4 April.

Greenwich Entertainment is an independent film distribution company that specialises in distinctive, theatrical-quality narrative and documentary features. Juniper‘s unique and intimate perspective of a troubled grandmother-grandson relationship earns its stripes among the company’s other films.

This acquisition follows the film’s successful rounds in international festivals, including Edinburgh, Tallinn, and Brisbane. Most recently, it screened at the 2023 Palm Springs International Film Festival in the Cinema Now selection.

Well done to Peter and the rest of the Juniper team on the continued international success!

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DEGANZ Members Make Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts Funding Shortlist

Script to Screen and the NZ Film Commission have announced the shortlist for Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts which includes three DEGANZ members as directors, bringing them one step closer to securing funding for their short films.

Congratulations to members Kim Georgine for A Son’s Return Home, Victoria Boult for Invisible Dragons, and Sophie Black for Tall Hours. In addition to director credits, Victoria and Sophie are listed in writing positions.

The Fresh Shorts Fund is dedicated to identifying and nurturing the next generation of New Zealand filmmakers. This year, each shortlisted team has a one in three chance of workshopping their project with industry experts and receiving a grant of $25,000 to make their films.

Best of luck to all members on stage two of their applications!

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DEGANZ Incubator Alum Selected for He Kauahi Catalyst Funding

Congratulations to DEGANZ members and Emerging Women Filmmakers Incubator alum Jolin Lee and Mīria George for receiving He Kauahi Catalyst funding. Their filmmaking teams make up two of the three selected. In addition to being their respective projects’ directors, both Jolin and Mīria are credited with writing positions. Both teams have received $90,000 for their short films and an additional $10,000 to develop their feature film concepts.

Jolin’s short, Chrysanthemum follows an anguished gardener who develops an unhealthy relationship with a chrysanthemum plant when her daughter mysteriously vanishes in a garden centre. Mīria’s film, Open Looks, tells the story of three sisters who share a love of basketball and must battle their way back from the underworld when their world is turned upside down.

This funding from NZFC allows filmmakers to develop high-end narrative short films to progress their careers. The projects pitched are required to be tonally or thematically linked to feature or long-form content, allowing the creatives to develop the short-form content with hopes of expanding it in the future.

Read more.

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2023 Call for Applications: DEGANZ Emerging Women Filmmakers Incubator

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The Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand is now accepting applications for the seventh Emerging Women Filmmakers Incubator.

In 2023, the talent-focused development programme will mentor a selection of women directors from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Background

The vision of the Incubator is to empower participating directors with confidence, knowledge and connections. The Incubator is intended for emerging debut directors of feature film (drama or documentary) and will also consider those wishing to establish careers in TV drama and scripted content.

Applicants must apply with a project; however, the Incubator will be focused primarily on filmmaker development rather than project development.

The objectives of the Incubator are:

  •   Increase the number of women directing features and TV drama.
  •   Connect producers, broadcasters, funders and other industry professionals with women directors with a view of getting stories from women’s perspectives into and through development.
  •   Create networking opportunities for women directors to further their projects and careers.
  •   Inspire and encourage directors to passionately pursue feature film and drama directing careers through interaction with successful women who serve as role models.
  •   Improve directors’ understanding of the business of film and television drama.

Workshops

Participants will attend five one-day workshops across 2023, the first of which is scheduled to take place in March. All workshops are intended to be held in Auckland, and a travel allowance will be available for participants based in other regions.

The workshops are individually themed to provide specific knowledge, networks, skills, and inspiration that enable participants to advance themselves and their careers. As the global screen industry continues to undergo change, DEGANZ will remain flexible as to the content of the programme and aim to incorporate information and opportunities that are relevant.

 

Eligibility

All applicants should have a considerable level of directing experience with scripted content, such as acclaimed web series, shorts with festival success, TV commercials, or broadcast content. 

Applicants must:

  1. Have an active project (feature film, documentary feature, telefeature, TV/online drama or scripted series) in development that has never been presented to a broadcaster or funder. It is preferable that the project is at least at first draft script but if not available, there must be a detailed Writer’s Treatment (10 – 20 pages) for the project, if a narrative feature, or a pitch document for a documentary feature. A Director’s Treatment that includes style, tone, imagery, etc. is not requested, but can be supplied in addition to the Writer’s Treatment. For a TV or web series, a pitch deck with series outline, character descriptions and synopsis of first episode is required. The applicant does not have to be the writer on the project.
  2. Have experience as a director of scripted content (drama, comedy) or documentary in the form of the project they are submitting (i.e., if you are applying with a narrative drama project, you must have experience directing narrative drama, or if it’s comedy, experience directing comedy, etc.)
  3. Have a directing credit on one of the following:
  • a short film selected for one of the NZFC’s Recommended Short Film Festivals, the New Zealand International Film Festival, Show Me Shorts Film Festival or Doc Edge Festival.
  • a commissioned, scripted one-off or series by a broadcaster or digital platform.
  • a self-funded web series that has won or been nominated for an award at a recognised festival.
  1. For feature films, applicants must be a debut director.
  2. Be available to participate in all workshops.
  3. Identify as a woman.
  4. Be an NZ Citizen or permanent resident.

Membership

Successful applicants must be DEGANZ Full members for at least the duration of the Incubator programme.

 

Selection Process

A selection panel will shortlist candidates. Shortlisted candidates must be available for a one-on-one interview via Zoom in mid-February. Getting an interview does not imply that you have been selected for the Incubator.

If shortlisted, you will be expected to immediately supply the required written documents prior to the interview.

The Incubator participants will be selected from the shortlist following the interview.

Decisions will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

 

How to Apply

Application Deadline: 10AM, Friday 27 January 2023

 

Application Requirements:

  1. A completed DEGANZ Women Filmmakers Incubator Application Cover Sheet.
  2. A 1-page synopsis of the project with the ending revealed.
  3. A maximum 2-page letter stating what your career goals are and why you want to participate in this Incubator.
  4. A 1-page bio (not a CV).
  5. A filmography and any additional links to completed work that supports your experience and the project you are including with this application.

 

Compile your documents into a single PDF file* in the order matching requirements 1 – 5.

Give your PDF the following naming convention:

 

(YourName)_DEGANZWomenFilmmakersIncubator_2023

 

Send your application to admin@deganz.co.nz with DEGANZWFI2023 in the subject line.

* Online PDF merge tool

 

The Incubator is made possible thanks to the generous support of the New Zealand Film Commission.

NZFC


Questions about the Incubator?

Tui Ruwhiu
Executive Director
tui@deganz.co.nz
+64 21 659 950

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