Screen Innovation Production Fund announces grants

Screen Innovation Production Fund announces grants

A cold foot exposed to the night air, a woman fed up with freezing all night and the resulting battle with her partner over the bed sheets is the scenario of a three-minute dance film, supported by the Screen Innovation Production Fund in its latest funding round announced this week.

Auckland filmmaker Candida Keithley and emerging choreographer Sabrina Mandrawata were offered a grant of $3455 for the production of a film called Compromise. The Screen Innovation Production Fund is a partnership between Creative New Zealand and the New Zealand Film Commission and supports the moving-image arts by funding innovative, often low-budget productions.

The assessment panel was made up of Judith Fyfe (Chair), Lawrence McDonald, Veronica McCarthy, Brita McVeigh and Peter Salmon. The genre categories considered were experimental film, animation, short drama, dance, feature, documentary and post-production.

Like the couple in Compromise, the panel had to make a little go a long way. In this round, the Fund received 90 applications seeking a total of $1.41 million. In the end, grants totalling $231,434 were offered to 16 moving-image projects.

The panel noted an increase in the quality of applications across the range of genres. "We were particularly pleased to receive high-quality applications for experimental and dance films," Judith Fyfe said.

Acclaimed Auckland choreographer and filmmaker Shona McCullagh and The Human Garden were offered $30,000 towards the production of Break, a stylised dance treatment of the breakdown of a marriage and its impact upon a child.

In line with its support for projects by promising emerging video and filmmakers, which emphasise innovation within or between moving-image genres, the Screen Innovation Production Fund offered a $25,000 grant to Russell Kirkby and Kristian Eek (Grey Lynn, Auckland) towards the production of Cogito, a short experimental film fusing live action and claymation, and using a number of formats to explore philosophical notions of reality.

Dunedin choreographer and filmmaker Daniel Belton and Good Company was offered a $17,250 grant towards the production of Game, an experimental film involving animation and innovative camera technology.

The Screen Innovation Production Fund also seeks to support moving-image projects that explore digital technologies. In this round, the panel supported several projects using digital technologies. The panel felt that one film in particular - Johnny Gets the Blues by Upper Hutt filmmaker Dale Trueman - truly explored the possibilities of digital technology rather than using it primarily as a cost-effective format.

Trueman was a offered a $20,000 grant for the production of Johnny Gets the Blues, a short experimental film animating high-resolution photographs and setting them to music. This, combined with sound design and dialogue, tells the story of a cowboy lost in a post-modern piece of film noir.

A 90-minute, digital feature film by Auckland filmmakers Robert Rowe and Dane Giraud was supported with a grant of $19,984. Based on a short story written in 1902 called Luella Miller, the film will feature well-known actors Sara Wiseman, Rima Te Wiata and Anna Hewlett, and will be shot in the Hawke's Bay in the new year.

Exceptional, innovative, non-commercial projects by established filmmakers are also supported by the Screen Innovation Production Fund. A $20,000 grant was offered to Christchurch filmmaker Gillian Ashurst towards the production of Rocket Men and Space Cadets. An experimental documentary blending images and interviews with sound design by electronic musician Leyton, Rocket Men and Space Cadets explores New Zealand's relationship with outer space.

The Screen Innovation Production Fund also encourages the work of fine art film and video-makers. In this round, filmmaker Janine Randerson of Epsom, Auckland was offered $11,385 towards the production of a sound and video installation entitled Off cuts. Combining experimental video, animation, architecture and sound design, the film sets out to create a multi-dimensional, sensory experience for a gallery space.

Applications to the Screen Innovation Production Fund's next funding round close on Friday 27 February 2004. Copies of the Funding Guide: Ngä Pütea 2003-2004 are available from Creative New Zealand offices or can be downloaded from the publications page of its website (www.creativenz.govt.nz).

The Complete List Of Grants In This Funding Round:

$20,000 to Gillian Ashurst of Tempelton, Christchurch: towards the production of a documentary, Rocket Men and Space Cadets

$11,620 to Geoffrey Clendon of Balmoral, Auckland: towards the post-production of a short film, Poroporoaki

$17,250 to Daniel Belton and Good Company of Dunedin: towards the production of an experimental short film, Game

$3,455 to Candida Keithley of Grey Lynn, Auckland: towards the production of a short dance film, Compromise

$25,000 to Russell Kirkby and Kristian Eek of Auckland: towards the production of a short experimental film, Cogito

$7,763 to Naomi Lamb of Riccarton, Christchurch: towards the production of a moving image- based installation, Contact

$22,583 to Roseanne Liang and Jochen FitzHerbert of Auckland: towards the production of a short film, Rest Stop

$4,460 to Lovelyhouse Productions of Wellington: towards the production of a short documentary, Colin, Martin and Sue

$4,934 to Tracy McCaw and Ruth Korver of Christchurch: towards the production of a short film, Ribcaged

$15,000 to Elizabeth Pollock of Kingsland, Auckland: towards the production of a documentary, Atlantis Appraoching

$11,385 to Janine Randerson of Epsom, Auckland: towards the production of a moving image- based installation, Off cuts

$19,984 to Robert Rowe and Dane Giraud of Auckland: towards the production of a feature film, Luella Miller

$30,000 to The Human Garden of Warkworth: towards the production of a short dance film, Break

$17,000 to The Simmonds Brothers of Raumati Beach, Kapiti Coast: towards the production of an animated short film, The Paselode Story

$20,000 to Dale Trueman of Upper Hutt: towards the post-production of an experimental short film, Johnny Gets the Blues

$1,000 to Tom Reilly of Titirangi, Waitakere City: towards the costs of tape copying, Man With Issues

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