Wellywood Woman

Births, Deaths and Marriages  was a highlight of last year’s New Zealand International Film Festival for me, one of only two local features selected by the festival. It is a heart-warming, funny tale about an Irish family in the Hutt Valley, shot when Bea Joblin its writer/director/producer was 20. Bea on set, centre, with Sophie at right Bea describes  Births, Deaths & Marriages  as being ‘shot in 2014 for about $4000, in a state house in Upper Hutt…a fictional home video set in a family home where the camera is held by one of the characters as they record a weekend in their family’s life. The film is a celebration of working class women and the dirty, overcrowded chaos of life’. It was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission at post-production. Births, Deaths & Marriages  is about to be released into cinemas in New Zealand (see below). It’s also screening at festivals in Australia. Bea and kōtiro Piata @devt  Why and when and how ...

So many opportunities for #womeninfilm are limited geographically. These aren't.  And they're amazing. WIFT NSW's 'Safer Workplace Strategies' Industry Forum The big opportunity this week is to tune into the Facebook stream of WIFT NSW's 'Safer Workplace Strategies' Industry Forum, to address harassment in the 
Australian screen industry and to inform and inspire us wherever we are in the world. It will discuss implementing a sexual harassment code of ethics in Australia and canvass how to empower witnesses to report harassment and bullying. We all need these conversations right now and warm thanks to WIFT NSW for opening this up to everyone! TIME & PLACE (S) 8.45am to 1.30pm (AEST) Tuesday 12 December and live-streamed globally via WIFT NSW's Facebook page , from the Australian Film, Television & Radio School (AFTRS) in Sydney. AGENDA The forum will hear from experts in the screen, law, sexual assault and workplace prote...

I'm delighted that Jane Campion's now Dame Jane . Here are my other local highlights from 2015. What have I missed? Those who spoke out in support of gender equity in allocation of film funding Karin Williams, Briar Grace-Smith, Libby Hakaraia, Chelsea Winstanley at the Big Screen Symposium (photo: @multinesia on tumblr) This is undoubtedly the highlight of my ten years' thinking and writing about this issue, as well as of 2015. First, at the annual Big Screen Symposium, producer/director    Chelsea Winstanley made  unequivocal statements  about the need for gender equity in  New Zealand Film Commission's allocation of taxpayer funding. Huge respect to Chelsea, the first high-flying New Zealand woman director/ producer to speak up publicly and staunchly on this issue, except for Dame Jane. May others join her in 2016. Then two men directors spoke out, writer/director Jonathan King and actor/writer/director Jemaine Clement...

I was excited when I heard about  K'Road Stories . I love the road these short films are set in, Karangahape Road in central Auckland, where I once spent a lot of time. I was even more excited when I saw that – funded by New Zealand On Air  – HALF of  K'Road Stories  have women writers/directors. This year's best Australasian example of gender equity in state screen funding? This is what the website says– K' Rd Stories cracks open the surface of life on Karangahape Road, revealing diverse cultures and unique voices.  Set on New Zealand’s most iconic street this collection of short films - by some of New Zealand’s most creative filmmakers - explores the uncommon, the contrasting, and the crazy.  The films premiered along an innovative screening trail on Karangahape Road in conjunction with First Thursdays on December 3rd, 2015. K Rd Stories sneaks a peek at the people and places that make this neighbourhood so infamous – and so beloved...

What amazing news from Australia, via Screen NSW (Screen New South Wales, based in Sydney) and Film Victoria (based in Melbourne)! Gender Equity via Screen NSW Screen NSW  has  just introduced a gender equity target , of 50/50 allocation of its development and production funding programs by 2020 and will work towards reducing the industry wide gender bias against women in key creative roles. These are the latest Screen NSW funding figures,  according to Danielle McGrane  of the  Sydney Morning Herald – Just 28 per cent of directors and 16 per cent of writers working on features funded by Screen NSW from 2012-2015 were female. There were more female producers at 75 per cent.  For those of you outside Australasia, New South Wales is within the film funding territory also covered by the nationally-oriented Screen Australia, which has no gender policy. These are Screen Australia's figures, according to Danielle– Just 15 per cent of directors for Sc...

The New Zealand Film Commission has green lit sixteen short films, eight in the Fresh 10 group ($10,000 budget) and eight in the Fresh 30 ($30,000 budget). Great to see that half have women writer/directors, many congratulations to them all!  The notes are via the NZFC, where the selection panel included: Chris Dudman (Director), Tina Cleary (Casting Director), Daniel Joseph Borgman (Writer/Director), Bonnie Slater (NZFC Professional Development Executive), Briar Grace-Smith (NZFC Development Executive) and Lisa Chatfield (NZFC Short Film Manager).  Here are the stats, thanks to Lisa Chatfield and Chantelle Burgoyne: Fresh 10: There were 45 women directors across 149 submissions – 30.2% and women directors were attached to 31% of the shortlisted projects.  Fresh 30: There were 25 women directors across 86 submissions – 29.1% and women were attached to 29% of the short-listed projects.  There were a few instances of co-directing teams.  Five doc...