Congratulations to our members who have been selected to take part in this year’s Story Camp Aotearoa — director Max Currie with Refuge and documentary director Gwen Isaac with Siouxsie with an X.
Story Camp is a development lab tailored to meet the needs of independent filmmakers and their feature film projects. This year Script to Screen received 76 applications and, after a rigorous shortlist process, nine projects made it in.
MAP Screen Development: New & Emerging Storytellers has named 12 grant recipients who will receive $4000 to help progress their projects to the next stage. We are thrilled for DEGNZ members Louise Foster (Tommy and the Blue Man), Jack Woon (War on Tradition), Becky Kuek (Soul Heist), Matasila Freshwater (Kastom) and DEGNZ Incubator alumna Asuka Sylvie (Rebuilding Julia).
This development initiative for Māori, Asian and Pacific (MAP) screen creatives is jointly administered by Ngā Aho Whakaari (NAW), Pacific Islands Screen Artists (PISA) and Pan-Asian Screen Collective (PASC) with funding from NZ On Air and the NZ Film Commission.
Each industry organisation independently assessed members’ applications. The grant could be used for writing time, to gain mentoring or sharpen proposals for further development. In the applications’ process the candidates had to show a strong plan for how the grant would be used.
Developing a feature film? Why not enter the draw for the next Virtual Table Read. Provided you’re a member of DEGNZ and/or NZWG, submit your script by 3 September!
The winner/winning team will receive a free script-in-development table read with up to six actors to be held on 11 September over Zoom.
Here are some of the benefits of a table read:
Past participant writer Nick Ward said, “For me one of the best things about our recent table read was talking to the actors about their characters specifically. When you write you’re juggling many balls so it’s brilliant to have someone drill down into their individual character and give you invaluable feedback.”
Actors are invited to register for each script-in-development table read. Up to six actors will be selected, and will receive a nominal fee as appreciation for their participation.
DEGNZ members and 2020 Women Filmmakers Incubator alumni, Jess Smith and Pennie Hunt, alongside fellow member Gwen Isaac, have been selected for Script to Screen’s FilmUp Mentorship Programme.
An eight-month professional development programme for practising writers, directors and producers, the FilmUp programme supports and empowers up to nine practising filmmakers each year to reach the next stage in their film careers.
Throughout the programme, which begins in August, each participant receives 20 hours of mentorship with an esteemed industry mentor, participates in group work and round tables, and receives wrap-around support. Congratulations to our members taking part!
Following the success of the virtual Table Reads during 2020, the 2021 Table Reads will take place online and script submissions are being accepted from NZWG and DEGNZ members around the country. The T&Cs as per our usual Table Reads apply.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity – this is a great development tool to help take your script to the next level. If you have a script ready with a director attached (or you are also directing) then submit it now. There are four reads this year, so note these deadlines in your diary:
Table Read One: 8 May 2021
Submit scripts by 30 April
Table Read Two: 3 July 2021
Submit scripts by 25 June
Table Read Three: 11 September 2021
Submit scripts by 3 September
Table Read Four: 20 November 2021
Submit scripts by 12 November
Actors who would like to take part in a Table Read from the comfort of their own homes can apply here.
