Oscar-winner Guillermo Del Toro may be a big guy in Hollywood circles but the director of The Hobbit is only too happy to help some of the local film industry’s “little guys”. He has pledged his name and support to a Q&A fundraising event for Wellington producer Bonnie Slater and director Sam Kelly’s first feature film, One for the Road. Billed as New Zealand’s first musical drama, it’s slated to shoot early next year and follows the fortunes of a struggling, small town band.
“We’re thrilled to have Guillermo’s support,” Slater says. “He has not done any event of this kind in New Zealand before and it’s a coup to have attracted him to headline our fundraiser and help promote our cause. More..
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Steampunk is coming to Oamaru. Weta Workshop, the visual effects company that has won many Academy Awards, has confirmed its involvement in a steampunk exhibition opening at the Forrester Gallery on November 7. Yesterday, Weta Ltd general manager Tim Launder said he was looking forward to being involved. “We hope it’s something that’s going to grow. This year is about planting a seed.” It was part 1920s, part 1930s Victoriana, with some Jules Verne, Flash Gordon and “a bit of Monty Python” thrown in, Mr Launder said. More..
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Dr Dimitra Fimi, Associate Lecturer: University of Wales Institute, Cardiff writes: Festival in the Shire: A celebration of all things Tolkien inspired! Announcing the biggest and most exciting event for Tolkien enthusiasts in 2010: Festival in the Shire is a conference, exhibition and fair celebrating themes inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien, which will be held in mid-Wales, in Machynlleth’s historic Y Plas house and grounds between 13 and 15 August 2010. Continue reading “Announcing ‘Festival in the Shire’”
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Say whatever you wish about James Cameron or his movies (“Terminator 2,” “Aliens,” “Titanic” “The Abyss”) but he doesn’t play things safe. He showcased some 3-D footage of the upcoming “Avatar” (December 18) at this summer’s Comic-Con and then in one of the convention’s all-time highlights, took the stage with Peter Jackson to talk about technology, film and the future. Our friends at Weta have been heavily involved and will share some credit or blame for the success or failure of his latest, risky $230 million film. Dana Goodyear at The New Yorker has an excellent profile of the film director with a dose of Weta thrown in. Read it here
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Sir Ian Mckellen is enjoying a relaxing holiday before throwing himself into filming The Hobbit – because it’s the first time he’s taken a break in his entire career. The veteran actor celebrated his 70th birthday in May and admits reaching the landmark age prompted him to slow down his hectic filming schedule and take some time to himself.
He says, “I’m in the middle of a holiday. I’m not working at the moment and it means I can do lovely things. It’s a change for me because, for the first 50 years of my life, I just worked and worked and worked and I didn’t feel happy unless I knew what the next job was going to be. And then I hit 70 this year and I thought, ‘Oh, I’m going to have a little bit of downtime for myself.'” More..
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From telegraph.co.uk: Tolkien’s books have been irresistible to generations of teenage boys, but until Jackson’s triumphant trilogy of films, all attempts to bring Middle Earth and its hairy denizens off the printed page had fallen flat. While owing much to advances in CGI, it is Jackson’s skill as a visual storyteller that gives the films their pulling power. More..
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