Christmas: Locarno & Amsterdam Latest Invitations

PRESS RELEASE – Monday 7 July
Locarno And Amsterdam Latest Invitations

Under six weeks from returning from Cannes with his newly completed debut feature Christmas, director Gregory King has been invited to attend the prestigious Maurits Binger Institute Directors residency in Amsterdam commencing this September until January 2004.

Binger is described as a unique post-academic development and training programme for film. Its aim is to increase and perfect the skills of new professional filmmakers through the development of a number of film projects.

He will go there directly from the European and Canadian festival circuit with Christmas.

Christmas, which will premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festivals has picked up five official invitations in the past five weeks, following the film's completion in April 2003 and on the back of Gregory and producer, Leanne Saunders attending Cannes in May.

The latest of which is Locarno International Film Festival Video Competition section. Only twenty films are selected worldwide and will be judged by an international jury. This festival invitation is the latest in a flurry of invites from Melbourne, Edinburgh, Venice and Montreal International Film Festivals.

This international festival interest and critical acclaim is unprecedented for a New Zealand film completed on a budget which is described as 'micro' - produced for $50,000. ". Your director is a very talented chap ." - Shane Danielsen, Artistic Director, Edinburgh International Film
Festival. "The film itself is a considerable achievement" - James Hewison, Creative Director, Melbourne International Film Festival

The film follows the pre-Christmas tensions of three generations of the COOK family as they find themselves living under one roof.

"Every casually uttered phrase will come back to haunt you in the final reel, thank christ.”
Chris Knox, Real Groove

Major funding and support for Christmas is from The Screen Innovation Production Fund, the New Zealand Film Commission and SONY NZ.

Christmas will have its World Premiere on Thursday July 17 at Sky City Theatre at 8.30pm as part of the Auckland International Film Festival.

"This singular, bleakly funny, R-rated vision of Kiwi life clinches King's position as the most distinctive new voice in New Zealand film.” – Bill Gosden, Director, New Zealand International Film Festivals.

Christmas is playing at:

35th Auckland International Film Festival
Sky City Theatre Thursday 17 July, 8:30pm (World Premiere)
Sky City Theatre Monday 21st July, 3:45pm

Melbourne International Film Festival
Australian Centre for the Moving Image Thursday 24 July, 5:30pm
Australian Centre for the Moving Image Sunday 27 July, 1pm

32nd Wellington Film Festival
Paramount Thursday 31 July, 8:30pm
Paramount Friday 1 August, 11:15am

Christchurch International Film Festival
Rialto Tuesday 5 August, 8:30pm
Rialto Wednesday 6 August, 11:30am

Dunedin International Film Festival
Dunedin Public Art Gallery Thursday 7 August, 7:15pm
Dunedin Public Art Gallery Friday 8 August, 11:00am

Edinburgh International Film Festival
UGC 6 Monday 18 August, 8:30pm
UGC 6 Friday 22 August, 7:00pm

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