Wellywood Woman

Steven Joyce (Minister of Many Things), Jane Campion, Maggie Barry (Minister for Arts & Culture), James Cameron, Peter Jackson, Jon Landau New Zealand has a heavyweight Screen Advisory Board, appointed by the government just over a year ago: Jane Campion, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, James Cameron, Jon Landau, Andrew Adamson. The board was appointed to help the New Zealand screen sector create the skills and connections to be able to generate their own intellectual property, compete internationally, attract overseas finance and to assist the New Zealand Film Commission, Film New Zealand, and the New Zealand screen sector to market and promote the New Zealand screen industry overseas. A huge ask. But something these imaginative, generous and enterprising board members can deliver on. Last September, Dave Gibson, CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission, announced that the board members would each follow particular interests – Sir Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh have identified ...

The New Zealand Writers Guild has announced the Finalists for the Script Writer Awards NZ 2014. Fantastic to see so many women's names. Warm congratulations to you all! BEST FEATURE FILM SCRIPT Max Currie – Everything We Loved James Napier Robertson – Dark Horse Gerard Johnstone – Housebound Sophie Henderson – Fantail BEST TELEVISION ONE-OFF DRAMA Fiona Samuel –  Consent: The Louise Nicholas Stor y  Donna Malane & Paula Boock –  Field Punishment No.1   Donna Malane & Paula Boock –  Pirates of the Airwaves UNPRODUCED FEATURE FILM SCRIPT COMPETITION Gillian Ashurst –  Gnats   Dianne Taylor –  The Last Hippie Trail   Tania Wheeler –  Umbrella Man Richard Goodwin –  Immortal Diamond Jackie Owens –  Three Gardens

Last month, Jane Campion spoke out again about women’s participation in filmmaking. This is what she said: I think women should be given 50% of the films to make. I'm not kidding! It'll change the world overnight. Women see things differently so it'll be better for everyone...it's not fair. It's about human rights...I want equality. I thought of her statement as I read the latest New Zealand Film Commission newsletter. The best news is that of three feature writers chosen to work with Alan Sharp ( Dean Spanley ), two—Pip Hall and Fiona Samuel ( Piece of My Heart )—are women. But, of the six NZFC-funded features currently in post-production, only one has a woman writer/director, Simone Horrocks’ After the Waterfall . Expressed as a percentage, this project represents 16% of films produced this year, exactly the same as the NZFC’s overall record for the previous six years. Then I read about the Short Film Fund, where the NZFC invests in short films by up-and-...