Media Release – for immediate distribution 19th July 2009

Shooting for the Moon

On the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, the NZ Film Commission has ensured that a New Zealand shoot at the moon will get there the hard way.

A feature film project, The Insatiable Moon, which has been in development for seven years, is to be denied the opportunity to seek production funding from the board of the NZ Film Commission.

The film stars Whale Rider lead Rawiri Paratene, and is to be directed by award-winning Scottish director Gillies Mackinnon. It has film legends Timothy Spall, James Nesbitt and John Rhys Davies attached.

The project has received conditional funding from Screen West Midlands in the UK to the tune of NZ$1 million, and raised a further $1 million through private equity. But the NZFC has refused to allow the application for NZ support to even make it to consideration by the board.

The reason given is that the application does not have the required elements in place. The checklist demands a NZ theatrical distribution deal and a sales agency commitment. Under existing guidelines, applicants were given up until ten days to provide missing documentation.

“We have been in negotiation with distributors and sales agents for some time,” said writer and Associate Producer Mike Riddell. “We assured the Commission that we would provide the documentation in the required time frame before the board meeting.”

But staff at the Commission implemented a tough new rule, which demanded full documentation at the time of application. “This was notified to us two days before the deadline,” says Riddell. “By that stage a month of work had gone into the 250 page application, and we submitted it anyway.” But ten days later the Commission informed the producers that the application would be struck out.

The decision effectively means that the film must do without support from NZFC, given that it is scheduled to shoot in Auckland in early November.

The Insatiable Moon is an adaptation of the novel by the same name – a comedic drama about a psychiatric patient claiming to be the second son of God, and set in the streets of Ponsonby. The film shoot will go ahead, albeit on a lower budget, says Riddell.

“We’re deeply disappointed that we have not had support from New Zealand’s primary film funding body,” says Riddell, “especially as the film has such strong international credentials.”

ENDS

Web: Web: Holy Bucket Productions
Blog: Blog: The Interminable Moon