Award-Winner Kick-Started At Spada Conference

Press Release
1 November 2007
- For Immediate Release -

International Award-Winner Kick-Started At Spada Conference

November 15-17, Intercontinental Hotel, Wellington

TV3’s WA$TED! the environmental series which recently won the Best Observational Format award at the world’s premier television market, MIPCOM in Cannes, and has been picked up for broadcast in 10 countries, got its start at the SPADA Conference in 2005. The project was validated by audience feedback where Tom Gutteridge, a visiting international producer, called it the “zeitgeist of TV”. It went rapidly into production with South Pacific Pictures, resulting in ratings success for TV3, which has commissioned a second series, and international sales of the show and the format.

WA$TED! producer Carthew Neal says: “Even though we didn’t win the pitching competition, we came out winners. It was a very valuable thing and even though it was very scary pitching to such a big audience, it was well worth it.”

Neal won’t be attending this year’s SPADA Conference because he’ll be in the United States, helping to get the US version up and running. He has already spent time helping Denmark and Spain with theirs.

This year’s conference, in Wellington from November 15-17, will also feature the South Pacific Pictures Pitching Competition, in which producers have the opportunity to pitch new film and television ideas to influential local and international producers and commissioners, while also standing to win a major travel prize.

The Conference also presents substantial awards to the SPADA Independent Producer of the Year, the SPADA Young Filmmaker of the Year and the SPADA/Onfilm Industry Champion.

The 15th Annual SPADA Conference, the screen industry’s premier business and networking event, will take place from Thursday 15 November to Saturday 17 November at the InterContinental Hotel in Wellington. Conference organisers, the Screen Production and Development Association of New Zealand, expect around 300 delegates attracted by the calibre of the international guest speakers and the future-focussed nature of the conference topics.

“Conference is a high point on the calendar for the screen production industry, and - like Shortland Street - we’re in our 15th year. Conference has been the catalyst for numerous partnerships being formed and deals being made over the years, and we want to continue building on that track record,” says SPADA Chief Executive Penelope Borland.

“We are also thrilled to open the conference with distinguished New Zealand actor, presenter and programme maker Peter Elliott giving the John O’Shea Memorial speech with some acute observations on the current state of creativity in the New Zealand screen industry.”

This year’s international guest speakers include:
STU LEVY, the creative force behind leading global youth entertainment company TOKYOPOP Group, is a headline guest speaker at this year’s SPADA Conference. TOKYOPOP Group includes six companies in the US, Japan, Germany and Britain and is an influential youth-oriented entertainment brand and the top innovator of manga creation, active in publishing, video games, animation, music, composition, wireless and film.
This year, Levy founded TOKYOPOP Pictures, a film company dedicated to bringing TOKYOPOP intellectual property to the big screen; and TOKYOPOP Digital, focussing on digital content syndicated through broadband and mobile networks.

Award-winning UK executive producer/producer DAVID AUKIN, currently managing director of Daybreak Pictures. He has produced multi-BAFTA winning The Government Inspector, The Hamburg Cell, The Trial of Tony Blair, A Very Social Secretary; Confessions of a Diary Secretary; and Britz. As Head of Film at Channel 4, he commissioned more than 100 films including The Madness of King George, Secrets and Lies, Trainspotting, The Crying Game, Welcome to Sarajevo, Brassed Off, Shallow Grave, Four Weddings and a Funeral. He also executive produced the academy award nominated Mrs Henderson, and this year completed filming of Antonia Bird’s The Meat Trade starring Colin Firth and Robert Carlyle.

PAUL WIEGARD, co-founder and co-Managing Director of Madman Entertainment, Australasia’s leading independent film licensing and distribution company. Madman covers all aspects of film licensing, brand management, production, sales, marketing and distribution. Madman also incorporates one of Australia’s leading DVD production studios and an advanced IT and Web development team.

HANNAH LEADER, as general counsel, Capitol Films, UK, she has sourced, negotiated and closed numerous film financing transactions, sales acquisitions, tax-based transactions and distribution contracts throughout the world. She is executive producer of Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Lucky Number Slevin, Mistress of Spices, Gosford Park and others.

JEREMY NATHAN, Joint CEO of DV8, An innovative producer of features, television dramas, documentaries and short films in South Africa, including Africa Dreaming, a series of works by six directors across Africa and Ulibamwe Lingashoni (Hold Up the Sun) an in-depth history of the ANC . His latest films include SMS Sugar Man, a feature film shot on mobile phones; and Bunny Chow, which premiered this year at the Toronto Film Festival.

SCOTT MEEK, evaluation manager, Film finance Corp, Australia. Former managing director of UK’s foremost production company, Zenith Films, where he developed a diverse slate, including Prick Up Your Ears, Sid and Nancy, Velvet Goldmine. He was head of drama at ABC, where he executive produced The Silence, Stepfather of the Bride and Bastard Boys, among others.

Jonathan Shteinman, an independent executive producer/producer from Australia, his films include December Boys, Oyster Farmer, Rabbit-Proof Fence, Children of Huang Shi, and Angel Baby.

CANADIAN DELEGATION: A 15–strong delegation of producers from the Canadian Film & Television Production Association will attend and will focus on co-production opportunities between Canada and New Zealand and various other issues of common interest.

Local speakers include James Griffin and Rachel Lang, creators of Outrageous Fortune,,South Pacific Pictures’ John Barnett, Taylormade’s Ian Taylor, documentary maker Annie Goldson, David Baldock of Ninox, Kelly Martin of TV3 and representatives from TVNZ and Freeview.

AWARDS:
Four special awards will be presented at the Conference:
SPADA/Onfilm Industry Champion
SPADA Independent Producer of the Year
SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year (Principal sponsor: Park Road Post Production, sponsors: Panavision, FACB, Kodak, SkyCity Cinemas, StageandScreen, Air New Zealand
South Pacific Pictures Pitching Competition

The SPADA Conference is supported by principal sponsor NZ Film Commission, premium sponsor TVNZ, key sponsors NZ Trade & Enterprise, Wellington City Council, NZ On Air, Te Puni Kokiri and TV3. Sponsors FIUA, Film NZ, Screenrights, Script to Screen, Sony, Voyage Affaires, WIFT NZ and supporters The Film Archive, Oktobor and Onfilm. Premier SPADA Sponsor – Telecom.

SPADA represents New Zealand’s film and television producers and senior industry professionals. It has over 350 members and works to represent and strengthen the New Zealand independent screen industry on both a local and international level.

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