Matthew Saville DEGNZ Director Attachment on Bombshell

Matthew Saville DEGNZ Director Attachment on Ric Pellizzari's Bombshell

14 September 2015

The Directors & Editors Guild of NZ (DEGNZ), NZ On Air and Screentime New Zealand Limited are pleased to announce the first attachment through DEGNZ’s TV Drama Director Attachment Scheme.

Matthew Saville will attach to director Ric Pellizzeri on Screentime’s telefeature Bombshell: The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior for TV One, which will begin production in October.

The DEGNZ TV Drama Director Attachment Scheme is an industry professional development initiative funded by NZ On Air and the production company involved and managed by DEGNZ. It will see three emerging directors attached to New Zealand drama productions in the 2015/2016 year.

“It’s a great opportunity to observe a director at work on a major drama production and learn,” said Saville. “I’m excited by the opportunity and the project, and thanks to DEGNZ, NZ On Air and Screentime for making it happen.”

“We’re delighted to have Matthew on the production team. We believe he will be a great asset and hope we can provide experiences for him that will enrich his skill base,” said Screentime’s Managing Director Philly de Lacey.

”As the funding agency for television we have a significant vested interest in ensuring great talent is coming through the ranks; it will determine the quality of the projects we may fund in the future. We are really keen to see Matthew’s progress through this attachment,” said Jane Wrightson, Chief Executive of NZ On Air.

Saville is an experienced actor and screenwriter who has directed two highly successful short films. His first, Hitch Hike, premiered at the internationally recognized Tampere International Film Festival in 2012. Dive, Saville’s second short, was long listed for the Academy Awards for winning best short film and best screenplay at New Zealand’s Show Me Shorts Film Festival, and selected for the prestigious Telluride International Film Festival amongst others.

Initiated by DEGNZ, the Drama Director Attachment scheme is intended to give emerging drama directors the opportunity to shadow an experienced director through the pre-production, production and post-production process as a means to improve their craft skills. The ultimate outcome is to increase the talent pool of drama directors available to domestic and international productions in New Zealand.

This scheme follows on from DEGNZ’s recent AVED Director Attachment initiative, which was funded by the New Zealand Film Commission and Ash vs. Evil Dead Limited. It saw New Zealand directors Regan Hall, Roseanne Liang, Louise Leitch, Joe Lonie and Rene Naufahu attach to the Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series, shot in Auckland and now in post production.

ENDS

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