29 October 2010
MEDIA RELEASE

Fantastic Line-Up Of Speakers At SPADA Conference 20:10

This year’s SPADA conference kicks off with a hiss and a roar with the key plenary session on The Hobbit – What Really Happened. Chaired by Russell Brown, the panel will include Philippa Boyens (co-writer The Hobbit), SPADA’s CEO Penelope Borland and Executive Member Richard Fletcher.

“The past five weeks we have been focused on The Hobbit and the issues behind the dispute. We’re thrilled with the outcome, and look forward to discussing the underlying issues; as well as bringing clarity to some of the key arrangements that underpin the workings the film industry,” says SPADA CEO Penelope Borland.

SPADA is also delighted to announce that this year’s John O’Shea Memorial Address will be delivered by Brent Impey, former CEO of MediaWorks.

Other speakers addressing this year’s delegation include:

Neil Cross, UK-born novelist and scriptwriter, was lead scriptwriter for the acclaimed TV series Spooks and the creator and writer of the BBC crime thriller Luther (currently in its second season). He has published eight novels, including Always the Sun, Burial and Captured as well as his best-selling memoir Heartland, and is also working on multiple feature projects including Midnight Delivery for Guillermo Del Toro and Universal Pictures.

CEO Danny Perkins, Optimum Releasing, one of the UK’s leading independent film and DVD distributors, whose highlights include the release of The Wrestler, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Fahrenheit 9/11, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Hurt Locker and In The Loop is sharing his knowledge and experience with New Zealand filmmakers, focussing on the types of projects that appeal to independent UK distributors. Optimum currently has an impressive slate of productions including Rowan Joffe’s Brighton Rock and Joe Cornish’s Attack the Block, both of which are in post production, as well as currently shooting Nick Murphy’s The Awakening.

Peter Briggs, co-writer of the box office hit Hellboy, which established director Guillermo del Torro as an action fantasy director, is also speaking. He is currently directing Panzer 88 (being produced by the legendary US producer Gary Kurtz, which has New Zealand involvement, with Weta Workshop and Park Road Post Production and Academy Award winners art director Kim Sinclair (Avatar) and supervising sound editor Mike Hopkins (Lord of the Rings) – not to mention Briggs’ draft script for Aliens vs Predator is often cited as an example of strong action writing in a number of screenwriting books, including Chris Gore’s book "The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made".

Australian Tait Brady brings his extensive knowledge of film distribution, exhibition and international sales to SPADA Conference after delivering a two-day intensive workshop in Auckland (09-10 November) “Demystifying Distribution, Exhibition and International Sales”, for New Zealand filmmakers. Brady’s background spans film distribution, international film festivals, film development, international film sales, exhibition, marketing and film funding. As General Manager of Palace Films, he distributed many Australian films including Lantana, Chopper, Head On and Japanese Story. He was director of the Melbourne International Film Festival and Feature Film Evaluation Manager at the FFC. He is now an independent consultant and script assessor and is developing his own projects for his company, The Acme Film Company.

Jim Sternberg, President of Film Finances Canada joins Sharon Menzies of Fulcrum Media Finance and NZ producer Richard Fletcher to discuss current trends and forecasts for feature film financing.

The Japanese film industry is represented by 100 Meter Films John Williams and Shohei Shiozaki. Williams, an expat Englishman, has lived in Japan for 20 years making documentaries and more recently Japanese-language features (Firefly Dreams, Starfish Hotel). Shiozaki studied and worked in San Francisco for six years before returning to Japan to join 100 Meter Films, where he oversees foreign productions shooting in Japan. His debut short film, The Errand, has been selected for a range of leading film festivals and he is currently developing his debut feature film, as well as several other features for 100 Meter Films.

On the television side, ex-pat Kiwi John Taite (son of the late entertainment journalist Dylan Taite) returns from New York, where he is Vice President, Programming Strategy & Multiplatform, BBC America responsible for developing BBC Worldwide’s editorial strategy on branded digital platforms, future genre channel launches and other programming initiatives. Named one of Digital TV Europe magazine’s Top 50 media executives for 2009, Taite was previously BBC Worldwide’s VP of Programming for Europe, Middle East and Africa, launching 12 channels in 12 months. After graduating at AUT in 1993, Taite worked in programming and news reporting at TV3. He then went to London where he worked in a variety of roles at MTV before moving to programming at BBC Worldwide.

Another Kiwi success story on the cutting edge digital platform, David Stubbs and Thomas Robins, co-creators of the 2010 International Digital Emmy Award winning interactive show Reservoir Hill will talk about their innovative approach.

Minister of Broadcasting, Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman, will address the conference on Friday morning and will participate in a panel discussion recorded for TVNZ 7’s Media7.

SPADA had announced earlier that Lord David Puttnam would be attending the SPADA Conference, but due to changes in his travel schedule he is unfortunately no longer able to make it.

Principal Sponsor NZ Film Commission, Key Sponsors/Sponsors Screenrights, Auckland City Council, TVNZ, TV3, NZ On Air, South Pacific Pictures, Fulcrum Media Finance, Images & Sound, Onfilm, Stage and Screen, Villa Maria, Voyage Affaires: and SPADA’s Premiere Partner Telecom.

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