NZ Short Film Global Bonanza!!

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

2 NZ SHORT FILMS SELECTED FOR CANNES, FRANCE
2 NZ SHORT FILMS SELECTED FOR TRIBECA, NYC

Two NZ short films – MEATHEAD, directed by Sam Holst and BLUE, directed by Stephen Kang - have been selected to compete at Cannes between the 11th and 22nd of May 2011.

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MEATHEAD will compete in the Festival de Cannes Short Film Competition, 1 of only 9 films chosen from around the world. The competition includes films from Australia, South Korea, Japan and Norway to name a few. Outside of France, New Zealand as a country has had more films selected for competition at Cannes than any other nation.

MEATHEAD is about 17 year old Mick’s first day of work at the local meat works where the staff aren’t exactly welcoming and it soon becomes clear that his first day isn’t going to be about fitting in – it’s going to be about getting out alive. The film is based on a true story told to writer/director, Sam Holst. The workers featured in the film are real employees from Wallace Meats, Waitoa and Thames, in the Waikato district of New Zealand where the filming took place.

BLUE is 1 of 10 short and medium length films selected from 1,250 entries that will screen In Competition in the Semaine de la Critique – commonly known as Critic’s Week - a parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival. Critic’s Week is celebrating 5 decades of competition this year – and in that time NZ has had 5 films selected for Critic’s Week.

BLUE, directed by Stephen Kang, tells the story of a fluffy TV mascot from a children’s program who is now a waiter in an Asian restaurant trying to keep his job. Born in Seoul, Korea, Stephen moved to New Zealand in early 1990’s. Stephen completed his first no-budget digital feature DREAM PRESERVED in 2005, and his second feature film, DESERT, had its World Premiere at the Pusan International Film Festival 2010. DESERT opens in NZ on the 5th of May at Rialto.

Making the announcement New Zealand Film Commission Short Film Manager Lisa Chatfield said “I am very excited to see MEATHEAD and BLUE continuing a tradition of NZ films at Cannes. The competition for selection is so fierce it’s a tribute to director’s Sam and Stephen that their voices have been heard above so many others. For a small country we continue to achieve amazing things in the international world of film.’

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This year is the 64th Festival De Cannes in France and the festival remains the most important film festival in the world. Only films having there World Premiere at Cannes are eligible for selection and both film makers will attend for their inaugural screenings.

BLUE was funded by the Screen Innovation Production Fund, a joint initiative between Creative New Zealand and the New Zealand Film Commission. It was produced by Tara Riddell through production companies AKA Films & Curious Film. Co-producers are Matt Noonan and Leanne Saunders.

MEATHEAD was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission through its Premiere Shorts programme. It was produced by Desray Armstrong and Chelsea Winstanley though production companies Eyeworks Film Ltd and StanStrong Ltd.

2 NZ SHORT FILMS IN PRESTIGOUS TOP NEW YORK FESTIVAL - TRIBECA

New York’s highest profile film festival - Tribeca - kicks off today in New York with a programme that includes two NZ films in competition; PREFERABLY BLUE , directed by Alan Dickson and HAURAKI, directed by Kirsten Green.

PREFERABLY BLUE and HAURAKI were selected from a field of 2,407 submissions to join a 60 strong field of international short films. They will be judged by Oscar winning film makers David O. Russell (films include Spanking the Monkey, Flirting with Disaster, Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees, and The Fighter) and Nora Ephron (films include Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally …, Sleepless in Seattle and Julie and Julia).

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Short Film Manager Lisa Chatfield said “Frankly to have your films watched by people of this calibre let alone judged by them is an extraordinary moment. PREFERABLY BLUE and HAURAKI can stand proud amongst their competition as great examples of the variety of stories and story tellers we have in NZ.”

PREFERABLY BLUE, directed by Alan Dickson and produced by Glenn Real , is an animation that is surprisingly perfect for its Easter screenings at Tribeca. Based on real events, PREFERABLY BLUE is the story of a very lonely and very bitter Easter Bunny. Fuelled by ego, jealousy, vodka and anti-depressants, Easter Bunny hatches a plan that will see the “holiday spotlight” shift from his old foe Santa, firmly back onto himself. But while he progresses his vodka fuelled plan, he learns something about himself that will change Christmas forever. The part of The Easter Bunny is voiced by British comedian Harry Enfield.

HAURAKI, directed by Kirsten Green, is also based on a true story – a bit truer than the Easter Bunny one. It’s the story of a car sick young girl who accidentally provokes a town vs country confrontation when she vomits on a country driveway. In a clever way to get around to around her school holiday childcare issues Kirsten cast her daughter Coco Lovatt in the lead role “It also allowed me time for a little rehearsal at home and driving to location each morning,” says Kirsten, “For Coco (7 ½ yrs old at the time) it was fun to be amongst mum, dad, and friends at work – she settled into things and was very comfortable and focused.” The drawings and handwriting used in the film are all Coco’s doodles.

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PREFERABLY BLUE was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission through its Premiere Shorts programme. It was made though production company Yukfoo Animation.

HAURAKI was self-funded and produced by Stephen Lovatt, Angela Thomas and Zara Hayden. The NZFC represent the film for international festival and sales and have given financial assistance to post production and for Kirsten to attend Tribeca.

ENDS

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