Mothers of the Revolution Shortlisted for Best Single Documentary Grierson Award

Mothers of the Revolution, directed by Briar March and co-edited by DEGANZ board member Margot Francis, Simon Coldrick, John Gilbert, and Tim Woodhouse, has been shortlisted for a 2022 Grierson Award. Along with seven other films, it is in the running for Best Single Documentary – Domestic.

The documentary delves into the women-led protests against nuclear production during the Cold War. While history has greatly minimised their efforts, the film uncovers the mystery behind the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp and highlights the women as wartime heroes. It reflects the tensions of the time by playing out like a drama-thriller with infiltrations of top secret government military bases and hidden messages transmitted under cover of night. Tales of conflicted families and love make this tension all the more real and personal. The film celebrates the women’s accomplishments and how they have inspired individual action to change the world.

The Grierson Awards, also known as the British Documentary Awards, recognise and commemorate documentaries that have significantly impacted the genre, demonstrating quality, integrity, creativity, originality, and overall excellence. Established in 1972 to honour the Scottish doco filmmaker John Grierson, the awards are now a key event in the UK film calendar.

We wish all the best to Margot and the Mothers of the Revolution team.

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Mīria George’s Fire in the Water, Fire in the Sky to Screen in Edinburgh

The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) has chosen DEGANZ member Mīria George’s short film fire in the water, fire in the sky for its 2022 programme. While a few Kiwi feature films will be screening during the festival – Nude Tuesday, Whina, Millie Lies Low and Juniper – this is the only short featured from Aotearoa.

The film follows polar opposite sisters, Tia and Ina, as they perceive and experience the world differently. It makes a bold cautionary statement about climate change and its impact on migration and the Pacific Islands. This story, which seamlessly blends dance and film, is told in both Cook Islands Māori and English.

Mīrira originally developed the script for theatre in 2017 as part of the Fulbright Creative New Zealand Pacific Writers Residency. Then, Tawata Productions picked it up upon her return to Aotearoa after spending three months developing the performance installation at the University of Hawai’i.

The film received special recognition for cinematography from NZIFF in 2021. Last year, it also made the rounds of the Hawai’i International Film Festival and Pollywood Pasifika Film Festival. This year, it screened at LA Asian Pacific Film Festival, Wairoa Film Festival, and Māoriland Film Festival.

Congratulations to Mīria and the cast and crew for your UK premiere!

Read more about the film

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Hweiling Ow Chosen as Finalist in Unreal Engine Short Film Challenge

Member Hweiling Ow’s and Peter Haynes’ animation Cheng Beng has received funding from the Unreal Engine Real-Time Short Film Challenge! Unreal Engine selected the project, alongside another film project from Australia, out of a short list of six others.

Unreal Engine is a 3D computer graphics engine developed by Epic Games. It hosted its inaugural film challenge in 2020. As part of the challenge, applicants receive free online animation training with the software and create pitches for their shorts. Winners (two teams from NZ, four from AUS) then secure funding and the opportunity to showcase their projects to major studio content development executives.

While a great opportunity, the challenge is rigorous as the funded projects only have eight weeks to produce their finished shorts.

Hweiling (Incubator 2021), a producer, director and actor, teamed up with Peter Haynes, who spent lockdown mastering the Unreal Engine software. Fellow DEGANZ member Léah McVeagh is producing the project with executive producer Morgan Leigh Stewart.

Cheng Beng follows the efforts of a lonely man in the afterlife as he communicates with his family on Earth through the Taoist ritual of zhi-zha. While his family continuously offers him material goods, all he truly desires is a dog to keep him company. This film explores Chinese tradition and afterlife through the narrative and its use of animation to visually inform the world.

The team has just completed the film’s voiceovers, including Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien and English.

Keep an eye on the MHM production Facebook and Instagram for updates on the project!

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On the Podcast: Coming Home in the Dark with James Ashcroft & Annie Collins

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Last year, DEGANZ was joined by director James Ashcroft and editor Annie Collins to discuss why they worked so well together on New Zealand thriller Coming Home in the Dark, and why trusting each other was an important factor. Enjoy this largely spoiler-free Q&A, moderated by DEGANZ member/director Rob Sarkies, on The DEGANZ Podcast.

Content warning:

  • This episode is for mature audiences only.
  • It contains references to abuse in state care.

Starring Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries), Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Miriama McDowell (Head High) and Matthias Luafutu (Ghost in the Shell), Coming Home in the Dark garnered rave reviews after premiering at Sundance 2021. It won Best Narrative, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor (Matthias Luafutu) at the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival.

Coming Home in the Dark is on streaming platforms. Click here for a list on where to find it.

Coming Home in the Dark / Photo: Sandy Lane Productions

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We Are Still Here Trailer Released in Lead Up to NZIFF

The trailer for We Are Still Here was locally released on July 25, giving us a taste for this new, exciting film. The directorial team includes DEGANZ members Chantelle Burgoyne, Tim Worrall and board member Renae Maihi, along with Richard Curtis, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa, Beck Cole, Danielle MacLean, Dena Curtis and Tracey Rigney.

The uniquely Indigenous film will make its Aotearoa premiere at the Whānau Mārama: NZIFF on August 4. It is also set to screen at MIFF in Melbourne and featured during the Sydney Film Festival’s opening night.

We Are Still Here is told through the perspectives of eight protagonists across 1,000 years, spanning past, present and future. It explores themes of kinship, grief and resilience. The interwoven stories highlight the strength of love and hope over the trauma that Indigenous people in the Pacific share. The film seeks to remind viewers that despite colonialism, racism, imperialism, and the attempted erasure of lives and culture, Indigenous people are still here.

Purchase tickets for NZIFF

 

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