Oamaru Writing the Short Film Workshop

Sat 4th / Sun 5th July

Billy Marshall Stoneking (see his website here) who for many years taught writing at the Australain Film, Television and Radio School and led a very successful weekend workshop for Short Film Otago in Dunedin is going to do the same for the writers and story tellers of Nortth Otago.

Places are limited so register and pay your $25 now to Nikki Stirling at nstirling@nhnz.tv - 03 4799800

Otago Community Trust Funds Another Year

At its meeting on the 24th of February 2009, the Otago Community Trust agreed to make a further donation to Short Film Otago.

The $40,000 allocated was less than we had asked for but it will enable SFO to operate for a further year. 

We are of course very grateful for their continued support.

Richard Thomas

Timetable 2009-2010

October 2008 update

The day jobs of the three executive producers have rather impeded the process this year and we are some six weeks behind schedule.  Our apoligies and a particular apology for failing to keep this web site up to date.

There’s an amended timetable below but first the crucial decisions of the year.

In June the Trust met and from 44 ideas and scripts submitted chose seven to fund to shooting script stage with script editing support organised by the Trust.

They were:

Flux - Sina Walker, Dunedin
Untitled - Rebecca Tansley, Dunedin
The Runner - Nigel Waters, Dunedin
The Body Builder - Justin Eden, Central Otago
Untitled - Simon Cunliffe, Dunedin
Fishy Tales - Darren Simmonds, Central Otago
Mortified Breakfast - Ian Bowmer, Central Otago

Simon Cunliffe had a theatre work accepted for production  and dropped out.  

The Trust engaged Billy Marshall Stoneking to act as the script editor for five of the remaining projects and Glenn Standring offered to work with Nigel Waters on The Runner

Ian Bowmer decided not to submit his script for consideration by the Trust preferring to take the chance of being considered in the 2009 group

At its meeting on the 1st of October the Trust considered the five remaining projects and decided to fund to production  The Runner by Nigel Waters, The Refugee by Rebecca Tansley  and Flux by Sina Walker.

There is a strong possibility that we may be able to produce an additional short this year and Fishy Tales by Darren Simmonds was agreed as the reserve.

The Trust regretted the fact that whilst there had been three non Dunedin projects in the short list only one was in consideration and then only as a reserve.

Refuge however is set in Central and a production entity will have to be set up there to make it.

Richard Thomas

Timetable 2008-2009

December 2007 update

The good news is that the first two of our short films are in post production and looking good.  The third will be "taped" the first weekend in January.  

Its planned to premiere them in Dunedin in the third week of February and to take them to the other centres - Balclutha, Alexandra, Wanaka and Oamaru in early March.

Even bettter news, in a way, is the decision of The Comminity Trust of Otago to fund us for a second year.

We are keen that everyone who wrote a script or put in an idea this year has a go at dreaming up a new short film idea for 2008. The deadline is 18 April.

I apologise that I still havn't spoken to all the writers to give them feedback I have made well over half the 45 phone calls I needed to make and will get to everyone before the year is out.

Richard Thomas

October 2007 Update

At the August meeting of the Short film Otago Trust the final list of scripts to be produced was decided.

• Snip by Diana Noonan of Papatowai
• Paradise by Amie Richardson from Dunedin currently working in Wellington
• Meat and Two Veg by Kaitrin McMullen Dunedin.

Snip was “shot” 13th – 18th August and is now in the final stages of post production.

Paradise was  shot over the long Labour weekend and will be finished by Christmas.

Meat and two Veg now called Vegieman is planned to be shot before Christmas.

It is planned that all three films will be premiered in Dunedin in February.  They will also be shown in Balclutha, Alexandra, Wanaka and Oamaru.

At its September meeting  the Community Trust of Otago decided to support SFO for a further year with a grant of  $60,000.

6 Scripts Shortlisted

At a meeting of the Trust on 23 May, the six scripts to be developed into shooting scripts were decided. They were:

1. "Flux" Sina Walker Dunedin
2. "Snip" Diana Noonan Papatowai
3. "Squid" Bill Morris Dunedin
4. "Fear Tactics" Bronwyn Tainui Dunedin
5. "Meat and Two Veg"
6. "Paradise"  Amie Richardson Dunedin currently working in Wellington.

A majority of the trustees later decided it was important that the whole of the province be reflected in the three films that are to be made and that "Snip" therefore shoud be one of the three finalists.

The final decision which was timetabled to be made by 3 August has been delayed until 9 August.

Media Release (5 December 2006)

Community Trust of Otago to re-invigorate local screen drama

Local writers should take a moment to remember where they filed that great film idea they once had!

A trio of local film-makers has been backed by the Community Trust of Otago to kickstart an initiative to re-vitalise screen drama in the province.

Short Film Otago is a trust organisation, funded by the Community Trust of Otago. It’s mission is to, over twelve months, generate well written and edited scripts, and then over-see full production on up to three of the best films.

The initiative grew from frustrations suffered by film-makers Richard Thomas, Stephen Downes and Judith Curran, as they applied two years running as an executive producer group for short film production to the New Zealand Film Commission, only to miss out each time in favour of North Island-based groups.

“After the first application we were told to re-apply next year as they really liked our submission. So we did, and we missed out again,” says Richard Thomas, a film-maker with a strong attachment to the Otago region.

“Rather than whinge about it, we thought – OK – what other options do we have locally? And so we conceived the idea of approaching the Otago Community Trust, with its strong support of local arts and culture.”

Thomas, along with Stephen Downes (a collaborator with Robert Sarkies on short films and Scarfies) and Judith Curran (award winning documentary film-maker at NHNZ Ltd and playwright) have formulated a plan which will see them hit the road around Otago in early 2007 with an information road-show, organise a Dunedin based short film writing work-shop, and then ask for submissions for scripts.

The best six will be developed with the help of professional script editors. Of those, up to three of the best will be produced with the three executive producers over-seeing the process.

Short Film Otago will also set up a data-based talent pool of people with an interest and experience in all the skills of producing short drama including directors, producers, camera operators, production managers, art directors and of course actors.

The scripts themselves must be strong, original stories that are visually interesting and have an ideal length of ten minutes. The key creatives must be Otago residents or have a strong connection to the region.

More information about the initiative is available on the web-site www.sfo.org.nz or by email on contact AT sfo.org.nz

For any further information about Short Film Otago please contact Judith Curran 027 2358 794, Richard Thomas 021 459 101 or Stephen Downes 021 174 9411