Telecom Sponsorship Boost for Film Festivals

Wed, 19 May

Telecom Sponsorship Boost For New Zealand International Film Festivals

Telecom is getting behind New Zealand’s film action and fronting up as the principal sponsor of the nationwide New Zealand International Film Festivals this year.

More than 200,000 tickets were sold to the New Zealand International Film Festivals held at 16 New Zealand towns and cities last year. This year the nationwide Festival has a new major sponsor and a new name – the Telecom New Zealand International Film Festivals.

Telecom’s Public Affairs and Government Relations Manager John Goulter said Telecom was proud to be joining forces with The New Zealand Film Festival Trust.

“Telecom’s sponsorship of the Telecom New Zealand International Film Festivals marks a national sponsorship association between Telecom and The New Zealand Film Festival Trust, the non-profit charitable trust established in 1996 to run the Festivals. The sponsorship is a two year agreement and will cover the 2005 Festivals as well”, Mr Goulter said.

“We’ve long had a small association with New Zealand film – for instance through the short films we host on Xtra’s broadband channel.

“This sponsorship is a great fit for Telecom. It follows on from Telecom’s earlier work for The Lord of the Rings: Trilogy and also fits with the “movie-mania” theme of this year’s Telecom Information Technology Roadshow.

Telecom is also developing an education programme to take some of the 2004 Telecom New Zealand International Film Festivals to secondary schools throughout New Zealand. “We hope that our support of the Telecom New Zealand International Film Festivals will help make the world of film accessible to even more New Zealanders”, Mr Goulter said.

Bill Gosden, Film Festival Director said the new association was a significant boost for the Festival. “We’re very encouraged by the vote of confidence. We’ll be putting new resources into technical facilities and we’re hoping for a significant increase in the number of filmmakers visiting New Zealand for the event.”

This year the Festival celebrates 36 years in Auckland; its 33rd year in Wellington; and its 28th in Christchurch and Dunedin. Most recent newcomers were Gisborne and Whangarei in 2003.

This year’s programme draws from a pool of 120 features, documentaries, animated and short films, hand picked over the last year from all over the world. Festival programmer Sandra Reid is currently in Cannes putting final touches to the programme.

This year’s programme will include a tribute to the martial arts film - including Hero which was box office phenomenon in China, and new prints of 1960/70's Hong Kong martial arts classics. Picked as a documentary highlight by Festival organisers is the mountaineering film, Touching the Void, the true and gripping survival story of two ambitious British Climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, whose daring expedition in the Peruvian Andes turns into a desperate fight for their lives.

The entire programme will be announced in Auckland on 15 June and Wellington 17 June.

When and Where?

Auckland July 9 – 25, Wellington July 16 - August 1, Dunedin July 22 - August 8, Christchurch July 29 - August 15, Palmerston North August 5 – 22, Hamilton August 12 – 29, Napier August 19 - September 5, Tauranga August 26 - September 8, New Plymouth September 2 -15, Masterton October 6 - 20 Nelson October 14 – 27, Queenstown October 21 - November 3, Levin October 28 - November 10, Gisborne November 11 – 21, Whangarei November 18 - 28

The 2004 website www.nzff.telecom.co.nz is expected to launch on 26th May.

ENDS

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