MEDIA

SPADA invites expressions of interest from media in interviews with conference guests and accreditation to attend conference, to arrange – or for further information please contact

Publicist Sue May suemay@xtra.co.nz  Mob: (0274) 739 318

Media Release - 17 November 2006

SPADA Announces Awards

NEW FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR: The Simmonds Brothers

INDUSTRY CHAMPION: Mladen Ivancic

INDEPENDENT PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: Julie Christie

Three major film and television industry awards were presented at the TVNZ Big Dinner ceremony held as part of the SPADA (Screen Production and Development Association) Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Auckland on November 17.

The 2006 SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year Award winners are: The Simmonds Brothers - Jeff and Phill - have been creating animations for almost ten years, progressing from simple animations for the internet to their most recent 35mm film project, A Very Nice Honeymoon, a 10 minute animation funded by the New Zealand Film Commission.  The Simmonds Brothers have developed a unique and highly efficient system of producing 100% hand-drawn animation which they call ‘documation’.   This year the Simmonds Brothers completed Rasta Rangi, an animated series for Māori Television, and had two of their “documations” selected for the Telecom New Zealand International Film Festival.  

The award came with $28,000 worth of prizes from award principal sponsors Park Road Post and sponsors Panavision, FACB, Kodak, SKYCITY Cinemas, Stage and Screen Travel Services and Air New Zealand.

The SPADA/Onfilm Industry Champion Award went to NZ Film Commission deputy CEO Mladen Ivancic In recognition of his 17 years of energetic support for New Zealand filmmakers and his skilled work in film financing and financial management.

SPADA Independent Producer of the Year was awarded to Julie Christie in recognition of her outstanding commercial  success in creating her company Touchdown Television, producer of numerous successful programmes, making a multi-million dollar sale to a prominent European company, resulting in the creation of Eyeworks Touchdown, thus maintaining a New Zealand base while operating in the global marketplace. This year she also is executive producing the Tattooist, a feature film co-production with Singapore.

SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year principal sponsor is Park Road Post, with sponsors Kodak, Panavision, Stage and Screen Travel, FACB and Village SKYCITY Cinemas. SPADA Independent Producer of the Year is sponsored by New Zealand Trade & Enterprise

SPADA CONFERENCE 2006 is supported by principal sponsor New Zealand Film Commission, strategic partner New Zealand Trade and Enterprise / Investment New Zealand; premium sponsor TVNZ with sponsors and supporters Auckland City Council, FIUA, Māori Television Service, New Zealand Film Archive, New Zealand Music Industry Commission, New Zealand On Air, Oktobor Visual Effects, Onfilm magazine, Park Road Post, Screenrights, SKY Networks, SKYCITY Cinemas, Sony, South Pacific Pictures, Telecom, Te Puni Kōkiri, TV3, Voyage Affaires and WIFT.

The Screen Production and Development Association of New Zealand (SPADA) represents the interests of producers and production companies on all issues that affect the business and creative aspects of independent screen production in New Zealand (www.spada.co.nz)

Media Release - 19 October 2006

Independent Film Trailblazer Bingham Ray to

Address Film and Television Conference

US independent film distribution legend Bingham Ray is a keynote speaker at this year’s Screen Production and Development Association’s (SPADA) Conference at the Hyatt Regency Auckland, 16-18 November 2006.

Ray co-founded the successful independent film company October Films in 1991, whose breakthrough films include Secrets and Lies, The Apostle, The Last Seduction and Breaking the Waves. In 2001 Ray became President of United Artists, where his successes include Academy Award winners Bowling For Columbine and No Man’s Land, and the Academy Award-nominated Hotel Rwanda .  He is now consultant to New York based IFC Films.

Ray was the “unnamed” executive who said at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival: “The scariest thing about Blair Witch is the price Artisan paid for it.”  His career is documented in Peter Biskind’s book about the Sundance generation “Down and Dirty Pictures”, which ends with this quote from Ray: "The independent world isn't like the Hollywood world. The motives are different, the goals are different, people aren't necessarily trying to get rich and powerful, they're trying to push art first while thinking everything else will take care of itself. That's the naive part of it, it doesn't happen that way. You can't even talk about that with a straight face or people will laugh you off the planet. But there's a big part of me that really does believe that. And will always believe that."

SPADA chief executive Penelope Borland expects more insights from Ray’s address to the conference: “We are delighted this independent industry icon has agreed to be part of this year’s speaker line-up.  He embodies the spirit of independent filmmaking that we in New Zealand know so well.  I’m sure he’ll enjoy meeting our film industry practitioners, and we think that some interesting relationships, which lead to new projects, could come from Ray’s visit, as well as that of other key speakers”.

Another speaker with resonance for New Zealand film makers is Swedish producer Tomas Eskilsson whose company has co-produced more than 130 films originating from 15 different countries in the past seven years, including Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark and Dogville.  Eskilsson also runs one of the largest regional European film funds.

Also recently confirmed as a speaker is Tom Brisley from UK company Darlow Smithson, which produced the mountaineering tragedy Touching the Void, and is now specializing in the disaster genre with the National Geographic series, Seconds From Disaster.

Other international guests are: Brian Seth Hurst (digital & new media); Michelle Krumm (The Weinstein Company); David Court (AFTRS Centre for Screen Business); Sander Schwartz (Warner Bros Animation), who is also speaking at the ANIMFXNZ 2006 Symposium in Wellington on November the 4th and 5th; Sarah Geater (Channel 4); Julian Mercer (BBC1/BBC2); Rebecca Batties (Discovery Lifestyle Networks); and Ynyr Williams (Producer).

New Zealand speakers include: David Gascoigne (Film Fund), who will deliver the John O’Shea Memorial Address to open the Conference; Julie Christie (Eyeworks Touchdown) and Minister of Broadcasting Steve Maharey.

The Conference presents three days of plenary sessions, workshops and masterclasses, exploring aspects of screen production, financing and distribution.  Opening night kicks off with the Sky Welcome Drinks on Thursday the 16th, followed by the TVNZ Big Dinner on Friday 17 November, which will feature the presentation of the SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year Award, SPADA Independent Producer of the Year, and the Associate Minister Arts, Culture and Heritage the Hon Judith Tizard will present the SPADA / Onfilm Industry Champion Award.  

SPADA CONFERENCE 2006 is supported by principal sponsor New Zealand Film Commission, strategic partner New Zealand Trade and Enterprise / Investment New Zealand; premium sponsor TVNZ with sponsors and supporters Auckland City Council, FIUA, Maori Television Services, New Zealand Film Archive, New Zealand On Air, Oktobor Visual Effects, Onfilm magazine, Screenrights, Sky Networks, Sony, South Pacific Pictures, Te Puni Kokiri, Telecom and TV3.

SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year principal sponsor is Park Road Post, with sponsors Kodak, Panavision, Stage and Screen Travel, Air New Zealand, FACB and SKYCITY Cinemas.

Media Release - 28 September 2006

International Finance and New Media Experts

at SPADA Conference 2006

16-18 November, Hyatt Regency Auckland

GROWTH IS the guiding theme of this year’s SPADA (Screen Production and Development Association) conference. The focus will be on international financing structures for screen production and the new opportunities for producers from developments in technology and trends in audience access arising from digital and new media.

SPADA is bringing some of the world’s leading experts in film and television financing and in digital and new media to its annual conference to help guide the industry into the future.

Digital and new media will soon change the shape of the New Zealand screen production industry. With Freeview rolling out in New Zealand next year and other forms of new media just around the corner; increasing awareness of intellectual property rights and concerns over piracy, SPADA is bringing leading digital and new media expert Brian Seth Hurst as a special guest speaker.

A new media pioneer credited with coining the term “cross media platform”, Hurst will discuss new avenues for intellectual property rights, new forms of distribution and terms of trade for new media and digital.  Now CEO of The Opportunity Management Company, he was involved in the 1998 launch of TV Guide as the first-ever cross platform brand. His credo “go to where your audience lives” has transformed the relationship between brands such as Discovery, AOL and Lifetime Television with audiences where technology is part of everyday life.

A keenly-anticipated session (on Saturday November 18) will feature representatives from all TV networks outlining the future for local content in the digital age, and Minister of Broadcasting, Steve Maharey.

The conference will also continue its function as a prime networking venue for content providers, featuring guests with global film and television financing and co-production expertise.

The John O’Shea Memorial Address will be delivered by David Gascoigne, a former Chair of the New Zealand Film Commission, and currently the Chair of both the original Film Fund and Film Fund 2. David has been involved with the business of funding NZ films, and deploying public funds for that purpose, for nearly three decades.  Why he does it, and what he has learned, will be some of the insights covered in his memorial address.

Michelle Krumm, executive vice president and co-head of acquisitions and co-productions at The Weinstein Company will bring international power to the Conference’s focus on accessing offshore finance. Having scouted for projects and talent in Australia, attendance at conference will introduce her to potential New Zealand relationships.

One of the biggest players globally, Discovery’s international head of Creative Development, Rebecca Batties, will talk about what New Zealand programme makers need to do to produce successful factual lifestyle programmes for an international audience.

Australian David Court has been involved in the financing of many films, including Strictly Ballroom and The Bank. Now director of the Australian Film Television and Radio School and founder of the AFTRS Centre for Screen Business, he will share his international financing experience.

President of Warner Bros Animation, Sander Schwartz, will cover, amongst other things, content and programming for children’s TV.  Sander’s full field of expertise is the production of animation for many platforms: theatrical, television, direct-to-video as well as the use of the Warner Bros classic library for non-programming uses.

Other guests include Sara Geater, head of commercial affairs for UK’s Channel 4; Julian Mercer, executive producer, documentaries, BBC1 (Seaside Rescue, It’s Not Easy Being Green, A Life of Grime); Julie Christie, CEO Eyeworks Touchdown, NZ (The Chair, Treasure Island, Changing Rooms, DIY Rescue); Ynyr Williams, producer Salem Films, Wales (BAFTA Award winning documentary Johnny Owen - The Long Journey).

The Conference presents three days of plenary sessions, workshops and masterclasses, exploring aspects of screen production, financing and distribution.  Opening night kicks off with the Sky Welcome Drinks on Thursday the 16th, followed by the TVNZ Big Dinner on Friday 17 November, which will feature the presentation of the SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year Award, SPADA Independent Producer of the Year and SPADA / Onfilm Industry Champion Award. 

SPADA CONFERENCE 2006 is supported by principal sponsor New Zealand Film Commission, strategic partner New Zealand Trade and Enterprise / Investment New Zealand; premium sponsor TVNZ with sponsors and supporters Auckland City Council, FIUA, New Zealand Film Archive, New Zealand On Air, Oktobor Visual Effects, Onfilm magazine, Park Road Post, Screenrights, Sky Network Television, Sony, South Pacific Pictures, Telecom, TV3, Villa Maria and WIFT.

SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year principal sponsor is Park Road Post, with sponsors Kodak, Panavision, Stage and Screen Travel, FACB and Village SKYCITY Cinemas.

ENDS