Plugging the Gap – Significant New Documentary Funding Annou

Media Release – 18 March 2013 - For Immediate Release

Plugging the Gap – Significant New Documentary Funding Announced

The Documentary New Zealand Trust applauds both NZ Film Commission and NZ On Air on the two funding initiatives for documentary announced today being the $ 2.5 Million Documentary Fund with NZ On Air and Te Whai Ao – For Emerging and Experimental Documentary Makers.

At the session “Mind The Gap” held at last year’s Screen Edge Forum, the industry considered how documentary funding was becoming endangered for one-off documentaries and lamented the lack of documentary funding for emerging and experimental documentary filmmakers.

“The NZ Film Commission and NZ ON Air have taken up the call and given the kiss of life to documentaries. This is exactly what Documentary NZ Trust has been campaigning for all these years” says Alex Lee, Director of Documentary NZ Trust.

Screen Edge Forum 2013 will be held 18 -19 March. It will discuss the funding initiatives announced today by holding a session “Plugging The Gap” in which both NZ Film Commission and NZ On Air will discuss the guidelines and framework of the two new funds.

Following this, Screen Edge Forum will run the annual “DOC Pitch”. Aside from the prize package worth $ 15,000 already announced, the Documentary NZ Trust is pleased to announce that The James Wallace Arts Trust will provide a $ 2,000 cash grant to the winner of the Best Pitch. This makes the Best Pitch Prize package a grand sum of $ 17,000 in value.

“The funding news today together with the addition of the James Wallace Arts Trust as a further prize sponsor makes DOC Pitch an exciting opportunity for filmmakers to learn and receive feedback on their pitches. We are grateful to our prize sponsors for their commitment to joining us in building the confidence and quality of documentary projects in New Zealand” adds Dan Shanan, Director of Documentary NZ Trust

Applications for DOC Pitch close at 12 pm, Thursday 28 March 2013.

For more details on DOC Pitch 2013: http://www.documentaryedge.org.nz/pages/10

For more details on registering for Screen Edge Forum 2013: http://www.documentaryedge.org.nz/pages/8

For more information on the new documentary funding schemes: http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/news/te-whai-ao-%E2%80%93-for-emerging-and-experimental-documentary-makers

http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/news/new-2-5m-documentary-fund-with-nz-on-air.

ENDS

Proudly supported by The Wallace Arts Trust - www.wallaceartstrust.org.nz"