Kiwi Filmmakers To Compete on the World Stage

Melbourne International Film Festival - Kiwi Filmmakers To Compete on the World Stage

MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – TUESDAY 31ST JULY 2012

This year will see the largest contingency yet of New Zealand filmmakers take advantage of Melbourne’s close proximity in order to show their films, compete, pitch ideas, attend world-class training seminars and network on the international stage.

The New Zealand Film Commission congratulates all those NZFC supported and independent filmmakers taking part.

“Melbourne presents an opportunity for filmmakers to get a big break” says NZFC Chief Executive Graeme Mason. “It puts their work in front of the right people in order to help get their next projects off the ground and take their careers to the next level”.

The Melbourne event runs from the 2nd to the 19th of August and is an incubator for talent development as well as a celebration of great short and feature films.

NZFC supported Love Story, by Florian Habicht, and Gerard Smyth’s Christchurch earthquake documentary When a City Falls will screen - as will Pietra Brettkelly’s independent film Maori Boy Genius.

Four low budget films have been selected for Breakthru screenings - the films are either independent, have come through the NZFC’s Escalator scheme or have come through the Make My Movie initiative.

The festival and market is well-renowned for its short film programme with its prize pool of more than NZ$54,000. This year five New Zealand shorts will compete in the main competition including Night Shift by Zia Mandviwalla, which competed at Cannes earlier this year.

Three other short film directors have also been chosen for the highly-regarded Accelerator programme - an invaluable step on the way to becoming feature film directors.

“Melbourne provides incredible access to the international film industry, while being just over the ditch” says Graeme Mason. “I’m thrilled so many of our country’s talented filmmakers will be there.”

To see a full list of New Zealand films on show in Melbourne please see: http://miff.com.au/films/view?country=New+Zealand
More information about all the events in Melbourne can also be found at http://miff.com.au/

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