Image designed by Greg Page

The SPADA New Filmmaker
of the Year Award

And the finalists are:

Toa Fraser
Toa began his career as a playwright, with the success of his first full-length play, Bare. His second play, No. 2, performed by Madeleine Sami, won a Fringe First in 2000, and toured nationally and internationally to wide-acclaim. His writing for film and television includes his work on Staunch (with Keith Hunter, Best Script New Zealand Television Awards 2002) and River Queen (with Vincent Ward). Toa made his film directorial debut with his own screen adaptation of No. 2, which won the World Dramatic Competition Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, and four awards at the 2006 Air New Zealand Screen Awards. He also directed the music video for the New Zealand hit single Bathe In the River from the soundtrack for No. 2.

Sándor Lau
Sándor came to Aotearoa as a US Fulbright scholar in 2000 and attended film school at the University of Auckland . To make his thesis film, Behaviours of the Backpacker, Sándor walked alone with his camera from Auckland to Cape Reinga . Behaviours of the Backpacker enjoyed popular repeat screenings on TVNZ and Maori Television as well as The Documentary Channel in the USA , and is now on DVD. Sándor's debut feature documentary, Squeegee Bandit, premiered at this year’s Telecom NZ International Film Festival in Auckland ; earned two nominations and one award at the Air NZ Screen Awards; and won best feature documentary at the Wairoa Maori Film Festival. Sándor has also worked as a reporter on TV1's Asia Down Under, and has written for the Listener, NZ Herald, and other publications in NZ, Australia , Taiwan and the US . He grew up in Colorado , and lived in Mexico , Spain , France and Taiwan before settling in Aotearoa. Sándor is of Chinese and Hungarian whakapapa.

The Simmonds Brothers
Jeff and Phill Simmonds grew up in Hawkes Bay , where they experimented with stop motion animation on a Super 8 movie camera.  They 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 ten minute animation for the big screen 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'. Their first short film, Pearl , Florrie and the Bull, screened at the Telecom 2004 New Zealand International Film Festival.  The Paslode Story, an eight minute documation premiered at STUBBIES 2005. This year the Simmonds Brothers completed an animated series for Māori Television, Rasta Rangi; at the same time two of their documations were selected for the Telecom New Zealand International Film Festival.  

The Award Sponsors Proudly Congratulates the Three Finalists

The SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year Award honours an emerging New Zealand filmmaker who has displayed excellence, special talent and creativity in their filmmaking to date.

The award is one of three unique industry awards hosted by the annual SPADA Conference, 16-18 November at the Hyatt Regency Auckland. The award winner and two runners-up will be unveiled during the TVNZ Big Dinner on Friday 17th, joined by the SPADA Independent Producer of the Year Award and the SPADA/Onfilm Industry Champion Award.

Prizes:

For the Winner:
$10,000 Park Road Post post production services
$10,000 Panavision equipment rental
$4,000 Cash from FACB
$2,500 of Kodak film stock
SKYCITY Cinemas GOLD CARD
Travel prize from Stage and Screen Travel: Two return Air New Zealand domestic flights and two nights
accommodation*
Travel to SPADA Conference 2006*
FREE registration to SPADA Conference 2006


For the Runners-up:
$2,000 Park Road Post post production services
$500 of Kodak film stock
10 SKYCITY Cinemas COMPLIMENTARY PASSES
Travel to SPADA Conference 2006*
FREE registration to SPADA Conference 2006

*Conditions apply

How to enter?
You can apply individually, or be nominated. The Award entry/nomination form here must be submitted along with:

Entrant's curriculum vitae
250 words on why the entrant should become the SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year
500 words on contribution to the screen production industry to date.
A written reference (may be written by the nominator)
Details of the project the prize will be used for
Entrant's show reel

Criteria
The entrant/nominee:

Must be a New Zealand resident
Has been active in the industry for 10 years or less, irrespective of age
Will have completed at least two screen projects in one or more screen craft areas
Will have a project at some stage of development on which they will use their prize
Will have demonstrated commitment to the screen production industry
Will be willing to act as an ambassador for SPADA, sponsors and the wider industry
Will be able to attend SPADA Conference 2006 in Auckland
Upon receipt prizes must be used within 12 months

Judging:
The judging panel comprises experienced, high profile, industry professionals currently working in the New Zealand screen production industry.