Magma Film festival back and better than before

 
News Release 

Thursday 8 April 2010

Magma Film festival back and better than before

ROTORUA 08.04.10: 

Fifty films will screen at the Magma Short Film Festival when it returns to Rotorua’s Shambles Theatre at the end of the month.
 
The films were selected from over 150 submissions from 15 countries, covering diverse issues such as immigration, love and divorce, cellular phones, murder – and even laundry.

The inaugural festival in 2006, directed by Rotorua District Council community arts officer Kiri Jarden and Vegas Film Club founder Juliet Boone, was an initiative to share original cinema with Rotorua audiences.

Ms Jarden says the film club had just been created, with Ms Boone also re-igniting Basement Cinema, but outside of this theatre Rotorua audiences needed to leave town to see foreign, arthouse, and original cinema.

“The success of the Magma Film Festival has been amazing. What started out as an ambitious project between two local movie buffs has escalated into a popular annual international event.

“Each year we’re getting more entries and more diversity and this year is no exception. Movies are contributed from all over the world and the standard is so high that we have the luxury of being able to present an outstanding selection of films for the community to enjoy.”

Ms Jarden says workshops conducted in tandem with industry guests also make the festival rich and rewarding for film makers.

Screenwriter Nick Ward will present a workshop ‘Great Characters make Great Stories – How to write unforgettable characters’ at the event.

The award winner is the writer behind characters in Stickmen, Second-hand Wedding, and Outrageous Fortune.

“Nick is very entertaining and engaging, and will reveal his secrets for crafting characters to make your screenplay come alive. This is a workshop that will give writers the tools and inspiration to take their writing to the next level,” says Ms Jarden.

Writer and film developer Hone Kouka from the New Zealand Film Commission will also present a workshop introducing filmmakers to the film commission, and film making landscape, as well as the main principals of screen writing.

The Magma Film Festival is held from Thursday April 29 to Sunday 2 May at Shambles Theatre.

The programme is available online at www.magmafilm.org.nz, and hard copies from McLeod’s Booksellers, Rotorua District Library, and City Focus. 

 [ENDS]

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