NEWS RELEASE
17 October 2008

Deaf Short Film Festival gets $6000 grant

In May next year, Wellingtonians will have a chance to experience the world from a hearing-impaired perspective when the New Zealand Deaf Short Film Festival takes place.

Coinciding with New Zealand Sign Language Week, the festival will be comprised of two parts – a short film competition for local filmmakers and a showcase of deaf films from New Zealand and around the world.

It will be the first time the Capital has hosted the event which has previously been held in Auckland and Christchurch.

Wellington’s Chairperson for the festival, Oliver Ferguson, believes the Creative Capital is the perfect place to host the event.

“The aim of this festival is to open the deaf world up and allow both hearing and deaf people to access the films and create more awareness and understanding within the wider community.”

The Deaf Association of New Zealand received $6000 from Wellington City Council’s general grants pool earlier this year. The funding will help the Deaf Association with the costs of screening the films.

The Deaf Association was one of many groups to receive funding in the general grants round in July. Grants Subcommittee Chairperson Councillor Stephanie Cook says it’s encouraging that the Council was able to support such a diverse range of groups.

“We were pleased to receive applications from such a cross-section of community projects. In the last round we allocated funding to everything from a pottery convention to a rehabilitation programme for prisoners.”

The next round of general grants is rapidly approaching and the Council is urging non-profit groups and organisations to get their applications in by the end of October.

This is the second of the three rounds held each financial year and is designed for projects planned from 15 December 2008 onwards. There’s funding available for projects that benefit Wellington socially, culturally, economically, and environmentally.

Applications for the grants close at 5pm on Friday 31 October.

Also closing on 31 October are applications for Sports Development grants, the Betty Campbell Accommodation Assistance Fund, and the Joe Aspell Trust.

For more information about grants, including a grants calendar, application forms, seminar dates, past allocations and guides to completing your application, visit www.Wellington.govt.nz/services/grants or phone the Council on 499 4444.

ENDS

John Minto: Supercity contracts out democracy to the private sector

The dangers in the ACT/National coalition agreement are becoming clearer by the day.

The agreement goes well past maximising ACT’s 3.5% electoral support. As part of the arrangement ACT Leader Rodney Hide got himself one of the most influential cabinet roles as Minister of Local Government ahead of the development of the so-called Auckland supercity.

Up till now the focus on democracy has been how the councillors will be elected. Firstly ACT vetoed guaranteed Maori representation on the council but supported the proposal for eight councillors to be elected at large alongside just 12 elected from local wards. More>>