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Developing our feature films – Leanne Saunders

by RNZ — 7 August 2022

It's been a good year for New Zealand film-makers - Dame Jane's Oscars, Taika topping the charts with the new Thor epic, Sam Neill back where he belongs in a Jurassic movie, and Thomasin McKenzie starring on big and small screens.

Whānau Mārama: NZ International Film Festival Announces Winners Of NZ’s Best Short Film Competition’s Jury Prizes

by Scoop — 7 August 2022

Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) announces the winners of its eleventh annual New Zealand’s Best short film competition’s jury-awarded prizes.

The Letterboxd Story: A Site For Film Lovers & Film Listers Giving Indie Distributors A Hand – Specialty Preview

by Deadline — 5 August 2022

A New Zealand-based platform where fans track, review and share lists of movies old and new is an increasingly influential marketing tool for specialty film with budgets tight and audiences harder to reach.

Dynamic directing collective Stylewar join Sedona Productions

by Campaign Brief — 4 August 2022

The directing collective have joined Sedona Productions for representation across Australia and New Zealand.

Far North television champion Rhonda Kite goes from the screen to hall of fame

by NZ Herald — 26 July 2022

Māori television champion Rhonda Kite is one of three new additions to the New Zealand Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs.

Lord of the Rings: Unveiling a different Middle-earth

by Scoop — 23 July 2022

The creators of Amazons Lord of the Rings have unveiled the most extensive look yet at the series at the annual San Diego Comic-Con convention, promising an entirely different immersion into the fantasy world of Middle-earth.

Whina Marches Past $1M At The New Zealand Box Office

by Scoop — 22 July 2022

Now in it’s fifth week of release, Whina has taken over one million dollars at the New Zealand box office and remains in the top ten chart of films currently in theatrical release.

Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival: Eight great Kiwi films to check out

by Stuff — 24 July 2022

From heartfelt dramas to portraits of local artists, portmanteau pictures and documentaries revisiting sometimes painful memories, there are plenty of Aotearoa-originated or backed movies debuting as part of this year’s Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival.

CONTENT BUFFET

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.

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 Cafe Celebrates World IP Day!

by Marlena

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.

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?

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.

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

by Digital Citizens Alliance — August 6, 2020

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.

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

by Hugh Stephens — April 20, 2020

One Movie Settled the “Debate” About Climate Change

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

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.

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

by Jon Brodkin

Why movie piracy is much more dangerous than you think

by Ben Falk

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.

The Breaker Upperers stars explain the New Zealand comedy revolution

by Joanna Robinson

Digital piracy in New Zealand – Summary of research report

by The Navigators

Research shines the spotlight on New Zealand

by The Navigators

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.

Standing on the shoulders of giants

by Victoria Kelly

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.

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

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

by Scoop — 24 December 2021

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.

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.

No Creativity without Creators

by Paula Browning — 26.4.2021

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

by Andrew Brown QC

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”.

More Unfair Claims about Fair Use This Time in New Zealand

by George Robert Barker

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

by

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.

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.