Melbourne workshop to develop NZ film, TV makers

Media release – December 6, 2005

Melbourne workshop to develop more top NZ film and tv makers

Premieres of Narnia and King Kong this week emphasises the importance of the screen industry to New Zealand and the role that courses like the producers’ workshop in Melbourne next year can play, the New Zealand Screen Council said today.

New Zealand has a fast growing reputation as a screen production country and the Enterprise Tasman workshop in March 2006 will benefit independent Australian and New Zealand film and tv producers, the council said.

News of the workshop comes in the same week as Andrew Adamson’s $219 million Narnia movie, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, premieres at London's Royal Albert Hall and Peter Jackson’s King Kong premieres in New York.

The Screen Council is sponsoring four NZ producers to the March workshop and a NZ adviser will assist in the selection process.

Robin Scholes, a well know NZ producer who did Once Were Warriors, advised on the four NZ participants last year.

Two of the producers, Trevor Haysom and Rhonda Kite, said they learned so much from the 2004 workshop.

“Enterprise Tasman pushed me hard, but I felt supported at all times. It was a life changing experience” Kite said.

Haysom said the workshop was rewarding. It gave him ``new tools to create opportunities’’ for his business.

The March 24-28 seminar at Milawa near Melbourne is run by Jonathan Olsberg from Olsberg SPI in the UK, who also fronted last year’s course.

NZ Screen Council executive director Tim Thorpe said tutors and advisers were drawn from across Australia, Europe, the US and UK.

``The Melbourne workshop is aimed at senior industry people, such as company owners or senior mangers, with at least two production or distribution credits under their belts and looking to build sustainable businesses. It is the pinnacle of the business training that our screen council offers.

``It’s great to help the industry where we can, particularly in light of the success of last year’s course. The benefit to the NZ screen production sector is enormous.’’ Applications close 20 January 2006.

ENDS

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