Celebrating Trailblazing Filmmaker Merata Mita

by Scoop Independent News — 30 May 2024

Merata Mita, a pioneering Indigenous filmmaker from Aotearoa, revolutionized storytelling through her innovative works. Her films, created during crucial historical moments, offer profound insights and inspire today's Indigenous filmmakers. This compilation includes over 35 films, many not publicly accessible since their debut, and features interviews and documentaries shedding light on Mita's impactful journey and the talented individuals involved in her work.

News

Revelation Revs Up for 2024 with Best in the West Program

by Dov Kornits — 27 May 2024

Perth's Revelation, Australia's longest-running 'underground' film festival, announced a stellar lineup for this year. Headlined by Yorgos Lanthimos’ award-winning ‘Kinds of Kindness,’ the festival features films like "We Were Dangerous," "The Visitor," and "Lousy Carter." Director Richard Sowada praised the program, highlighting the extensive professional development support for local creatives and the palpable excitement for the event.

Content

Wānaka film-maker wins top award

by Marjorie Cook — 26 May 2024

"Terra Incognito," directed by Finlay Woods and featuring Freeride World Tour skier Craig Murray, won the 2024 New Zealand Mountain Film Festival’s Hiddleston/MacQueen Award for best New Zealand made film, along with a $2500 prize. The film explores the challenges of navigating the Southern Alps' secluded regions, using pack horses to access new ski touring areas. Woods and Murray expressed gratitude for the award and the support they received.

Content

‘I love this country’ – Momoa pays tribute to NZ as filming wraps

by 1news — 13 April 2024

Actor Jason Momoa concluded filming for the 'Minecraft' movie in New Zealand, sharing photos and a heartfelt Instagram post thanking the cast, crew, and the country's beauty. The film, featuring stars like Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jemaine Clement, and Danielle Brooks, is set to release in April 2025, highlighting New Zealand's stunning landscapes.

Content

‘Sweet Tooth’: What To Expect From the Show’s Final Season

by Amma Khan — 22 May 2024

Fans of Sweet Tooth eagerly await the third and final season after Season 2's success with 48.3 million hours viewed in its first four days. Netflix confirmed that Season 3 will again be filmed in New Zealand. With its talented cast, it promises a thrilling, emotional ending, maintaining high-quality storytelling and themes of optimism and courage. Fans are speculating about the series' conclusion.

Content

New Zealand International Film Festival announces 2024 line-up of NZ-made films

by Luke Mchale — 13 June 2024

The 2024 Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) lineup is out! Featuring an impressive selection of New Zealand-made feature films, short films, and documentaries, the festival highlights the creativity of Kiwi filmmakers. Whether you're a long-time attendee or a first-timer, check out the programme and join us in celebrating New Zealand's vibrant film scene.

News

NZFC farewells head of development and production Leanne Saunders

by Sean Slatter — 30 May 2024

Leanne Saunders, head of development at the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), is departing after nearly eight years. She oversaw funding for over 100 productions, including The Power Of The Dog. Her exit coincides with NZFC’s structural changes starting July 1, involving job cuts and new roles. NZFC aims to streamline operations and focus on talent and skills development.

Content

New Zealand International Comedy Festival 2024 reviews

by The New Zealand herald — 26 May 2024

Fans are divided over Warner Bros. revisiting The Lord of the Rings franchise, with buzz around Andy Serkis directing The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. The project recalls Chris Bouchard's beloved 2009 fan-film, praised for its heartfelt and professional portrayal of Middle-earth. Peter Jackson's involvement as a producer adds to the excitement, despite past copyright controversies.

CONTENT BUFFET

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Content

Celebrating Trailblazing Filmmaker Merata Mita

by Scoop Independent News — 30 May 2024

Content

Wānaka film-maker wins top award

by Marjorie Cook — 26 May 2024

Content

‘I love this country’ – Momoa pays tribute to NZ as filming wraps

by 1news — 13 April 2024

Content

‘Sweet Tooth’: What To Expect From the Show’s Final Season

by Amma Khan — 22 May 2024

Content

New Zealand International Film Festival announces 2024 line-up of NZ-made films

by Luke Mchale — 13 June 2024

Content

New Zealand International Comedy Festival 2024 reviews

by The New Zealand herald — 26 May 2024

Content

Kabuliwala Becomes 1st Bengali Movie to be Screened in Auckland

by The Indian Weekender — 22 January 2024

Kabuliwala, a Bengali film, held its first screening event at Capitol Cinema, Auckland.

Content

Blackfella Films Hires Head Of Scripted

by worldscreen — 24 January 2024

Blackfella Films has appointed Penny Smallacombe, a former Netflix executive, as the head of scripted content.

Content

Jasmin McSweeney to head sales and acquisitions for Umbrella in NZ

by IF — 23 January 2024

Umbrella Entertainment has brought on board Jasmin McSweeney, the former Head of Marketing at the New Zealand Film Commission, with the aim of enhancing its presence and reach across the Tasman Sea.

Content

‘By Tongans, for Tongans’: Kingdom of Kings film to showcase rugby and Tongan life

by RNZ — 11 January 2024

Sebastian Hurrell, a filmmaker from Auckland with Tongan roots, sees rugby as a means through which many Tongan youths can overcome the challenges of life on the Island Kingdom.

Content

Dark City helps light up Canterbury’s screen production potential

by NBR — Jan 10 2024

Christchurch has the potential to become a production powerhouse, only if the Digital Screen Campus at the university secures the appropriate blend of commercial partners.

Content

Netflix reveals top 100 most watched shows data for first time ever

by NewsHub — 14 December 2023

Netflix has revealed its audience viewership data with more transparency than ever before.

Content

Tom Hanks had “no ambition” when he was a teenager

by NZ City — December 6 2023

Tom Hanks is widely acclaimed for his multifaceted contributions to cinema over the years; excelling as an actor, producer, writer, and director. He has garnered numerous awards, including two Oscars, for his outstanding work. However, In an interview with The Guardian, the star reveals his lack of ambition as a youngster.

Content

Screen rebate not a handout to Hollywood elites: James Cameron

by Business Desk — 17 November 2023

James Cameron shares his insights on the ongoing incentive debate.

Content

Titanic, Avatar director James Cameron to become New Zealand citizen next year – ‘I love being a Wellingtonian’

by NZ Herald — 16 November 2023

James Cameron discusses his future plans of moving to New Zealand and his love for Wellington.

Content

Veteran NZ Film & Television Producer Robin ScholesTo Be Honoured As 2023 SPADA / The Data Book Industry Champion

by Scoop Culture — 9 November 2023

Content

Feature film to explore Pike River families’ fight for justice

by RNZ — November 2 2023

A feature film portraying the struggle for justice in the Pike River mining incident

Content

Cannes 2023 films shown at the New Zealand International Film Festival

by Sarah Ward — 16 JUNE 2023

Content

After 20 years, New Zealand’s Power Rangers series will come to an end.

by Isobel Prasad — 28 June 2023

Content

PIRACY A RISING TREND IN FILM AND TV INDUSTRY

by MUSO Magazine — MARCH 2023

Piracy is a continual rising trend that is destructive for the film and tv industry.

Content

First look at Amazon’s Lord of The Rings filmed in Auckland

by NZ Herald — 20 January 2022

Amazon has unveiled the first look at the Lord of The Rings series filmed in Auckland.

Content

The good news on Australia’s site blocking experience – creative rights better protected and free speech upheld. The bad news? None

by PETER CARSTAIRS

Having worked as both a filmmaker and a copyright lawyer, the issue of online piracy is one that is close to my heart. The copyright protection of an artist's work is essential, firstly, to making a living but, secondly, to enable the funding of new works. Simply, it is a way of recognising an artist's work.

Content

Content Cafe Celebrates World IP Day!

by Marlena

Content

Piracy as a business: how movie thieves make billions in a post-pandemic world

by Asaf Ashkenazi

The love affair between movie fans and online piracy platforms continues to drive millions of dollars into the hands of sophisticated hackers looking to make an illicit buck – further impacting Hollywood’s post-pandemic business model.

Content

NFTs and Copyright

by Hugh Stephens

The latest to crowd into my consciousness is “NFT”. While the expression NFW (you can look it up and no, it doesn’t stand for Nashville Flower Week) is quite familiar to me, WTF is NFT?

Content

Colin Firth, Gemma Arterton to Star in Period Drama ‘Curtain Call’

by Variety — November 13, 2020

Colin Firth, Gemma Arterton, Simon Russell Beale and Pappa Essiedu are attached to star in the period drama “Curtain Call” with Anand Tucker directing for Mark Gordon Pictures and Fearless Minds.

Content

REPORT: Illegal pirate subscription services become a billion dollar industry in the United States

by Digital Citizens Alliance — August 6, 2020

Content

New Zealand’s Ongoing Copyright Review: What Does the Change in Objectives Signal? ?

by Hugh Stephens

New Zealand’s Copyright Act review, a long time in coming, has been underway now for more than a year. I commented on the review when it was first launched, noting the heavy emphasis on evidence-based economic impact in the request for submissions.

Content

World IP Day: Time to Forge a Global Solution to a Global Problem (Blocking of Pirate Streaming Sites)

by Hugh Stephens — April 20, 2020

Content

One Movie Settled the “Debate” About Climate Change

by David Newhoff, The Illusion of More — April 17, 2020

Content

Small town Thames is the hot new location for film-makers

by Teresa Ramsey

Unique locations, historic buildings and friendly crowds has put the historic Waikato town of Thames firmly on the books for film-makers.

Content

Netflix, Amazon, and Hollywood studios shut down maker of “free TV” box

by Jon Brodkin

Content

Why movie piracy is much more dangerous than you think

by Ben Falk

Content

Safer Internet Day

by saferinternetday.org

An annual, global campaign, for the past 16 years, Safer Internet Day celebrations aim to raise awareness of both a safer and a better Internet, where everyone is empowered to use technology not just safely but also responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively.

Content

The Breaker Upperers stars explain the New Zealand comedy revolution

by Joanna Robinson

Content

Digital piracy in New Zealand – Summary of research report

by The Navigators

Content

Research shines the spotlight on New Zealand

by The Navigators

Content

Site blocking around the world

by --

A guide to which countries have site blocking and how it is administered. Features a UK case study measuring site blocking efficacy and changes in consumer behaviour.

Content

Standing on the shoulders of giants

by Victoria Kelly

Content

Antipiracy Enforcement in Malaysia and Jakarta

by Brett Danaher

Last week I visited both Jakarta and Malaysia to discuss antipiracy enforcement in general (what works and what doesn’t?) and, in particular, to discuss some of our research on the effectiveness of piracy website blocking.

Content

There is no internet freedom without responsibility

by Neil Turkewitz

The CEO of the Turkewitz Consulting Group contends that content creators have fuelled the digital age while being economically marginalised.

POLICY BITES

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Policy

Screen workers bargaining hamstrung by law loophole

by Newsroom — 20 December 2023

The legislation enabling screen industry workers to engage in collective bargaining has withstood challenges from the National-led Government. However, it remains uncertain whether any actual bargaining will occur.

Policy

Legislating for Site-Blocking Orders in New Zealand: Learning from Singapore and Beyond

by NUS Law Research Blog — 30 October 2023

Professor Graeme Austin's stand on adopting specific legislation granting courts the power to issue injunctions against internet intermediaries.

Policy

New Zealand Simplifies Inbound Production Rebates and Lowers the PDV Threshold

by Liz Shackleton — 30 JULY 2023

The New Zealand government has renamed the Screen Production Rebate (NZSPR) to reflect changes in its incentive programmes for foreign and local production. The 5% increase, which was introduced in 2014, aims to encourage screen workforce development, encourage repeat business, and implement sustainability criteria for a low-emissions economy.

Policy

New Zealand renews its Film and TV production incentives system

by Patrick Frater — 30 May 2023

Policy

Site-Blocking Legislation Needed to Address on-line Copyright Piracy

by Graeme Austin — 24 March 2023

Legislation for site-blocking was requested to the New Zealand Parliament by Professor Graeme Austin.

Policy

Screen CanterburyNZ Announces Million-dollar Production Fund To Attract International Projects

by Scoop — 24 December 2021

Policy

Proposed New Public Trading, Events and Filming Bylaw 2022

by Auckland Council

Every day, various trading activities, events, and filming occur in public places controlled by Auckland Council.

Policy

ISP Teksavvy’s Appeal Against Pirate Site-Blocking Order is dismissed in the Federal Court.

by Hugh Stephens — 1.6.2021

Author Hugh Stephens examines the impact of Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) dismissing the appeal brought by internet service provider Teksavvy, against the first site blocking order for copyright infringement, issued to them on 26 May 2021.

Policy

No Creativity without Creators

by Paula Browning — 26.4.2021

Policy

Site-blocking keeps New Zealand in step with Australia and other countries

by Andrew Brown QC

Policy

The fair use or fair dealing debate continues Down Under

by Hugh Stephens

New Zealand has just launched its long-anticipated Copyright Act review, releasing an Issues Paper on November 23. This paper kick-starts a consultation process that will continue through to until next April. The release of the paper is the first stage of consultation in the review of the Act, and involves “identifying problems with the way the Copyright Act is operating or opportunities to improve its operation”.

Policy

More Unfair Claims about Fair Use This Time in New Zealand

by George Robert Barker

Policy

On the Internet, Everyone Is A ____(fill in the blank)

Lots of words come to mind, none of which I plan to explore here other than to note, in passing, that the likelihood of the blank being filled with a word not generally used in proper company is likely to produce fundamental changes in internet governance.

Policy

New Zealand and Canada seek solutions to offshore piracy

by Hugh Stephens

While site-blocking for copyright infringement is proving effective in 42 countries including Australia, New Zealand and Canada are looking at adopting this remedy.