Merry Christmas from the Crew. We’ve had an awesome year covering the best of creativity in New Zealand. We’ll be back with even more in 2012. Have a great break, we’ll see you at the summer music festivals.
Acceptance of one short film to screen at the Flickerfest Short Film Festival in Australia is reason to celebrate, but having four short films selected is an unexpected Christmas gift for a number of talented 3d Animation students, and the director of the films, James Cunningham, at Auckland’s Media Design School.
Das Tub, Time for a Change, Rotting Hill and First Contact is the full sweepstake for the school, which entered the four films earlier this year for consideration in this Academy Award accredited film festival.
The films are not part of a student selection, instead competing to screen at the festival against over 2,000 films from the industry’s best short filmmakers and animators from all over the world in the Animation Showcase.
James told us “this is a great honour for the students and myself to be chosen to showcase at such an intense competition, and it is immensely satisfying to know so many people in Sydney will be bombarded with our films. We are very indebted to all the industry for their assistance in producing these films.”
Flickerfest began in Sydney in 1991. Over the last 21 years it has grown to become Australia’s only competitive International Short Film Festival and is considered in international circles as one of the best competitive short film festivals in the southern hemisphere.
The four films are diverse in their content and in their style – they’re all pretty funny though!
Lauren Connolly and Alexandra Dunn’s label COOP are popping up in Britomart this coming Thursday. Just in time to buy yourself something from Santa!
COOP has been described as “ sultry and relaxed, effortless and sophisticated”. Their threads are defined by a depth of texture, inventive shapes, unique prints, mood inducing colour palettes and always a touch of leather and metal. We think you’ll like.
Get yourself along to 10 Te Ara Tahahu Walking Street, Britomart for the Opening Party this Thursday at 6pm. They tell us the venue was chosen for it’s container aesthetic and the gritty industrial setting, they’ve left a lot of the features in place, like the corrugated metal walls and the bolts and hooks around the doorway. Lauren and Alex have retained the raw timber floor, which has become softened and stained with years of use. “We don’t want to convert it into something it’s not as it brings a lot of natural character into the design!”
Architecture is the bold new track from Coco Solid and her long-time collab Tim ‘Jizmatron’ Checkley. Taken from the thirty minute Pacific Rims mixtape Coco released this June, ‘Architecture’ is a dark pop turn and a cryptic tribute to Depeche Mode and New Order among others.
Inspired by the idea of her antithesis and opposite, Coco’s British sci-fi villain gives us an avant-garde take on power. This relentless synth and speech is complimented by a vivid (and somewhat shocking) Liam Bachler directed video. An excessive ride through the dark psyche, ‘Architecture’ is a towering tribute to power and excess of the 80s – and today.
‘Architecture’ is out now at all good online stores with four others tracks from the Pacific Rims Mix Tape; WOW, Hypnotizing Me (feat. Hayley J), Heeby Jeebies, & Best You Can Do.
Funny, cheeky and uplifting, the songs and stories of five proud indigenous women are set to stir hearts and minds at their Wellington Town Hall gigs. Walk A Mile In My Shoes features the power and passion of the Barefoot Divas: Whirimako Black , Emma Donovan, Merenia, Ngaiir and Maisey Rika.
Together an amazing powerhouse of talent. These women are each stars in their own right. This marvellous musical mix has got to be worth hearing! Walk A Mile In My Shoes is a telling and intimate experience of culture and storytelling in the lives of these inspiring artists, accompanied by musicians from Chile, Peru, Greece and Oceania.
The Barefoot Divas mix spoken word and song in a concert that promises to be both inspirational and a little bit outrageous.
Barefoot Divas, Walk A Mile In My Shoes is at the Wellington Town Hall on 10 / 11 March for the 2012 New Zealand International Arts Festival, Wellington, 24 February – 18 March. Tickets $38 – $78 available from Ticketek.
Barefoot Divas, Walk A Mile In My Shoes is also part of Art on the Move and will be performed at Pataka Museum, Porirua on 8 March and Southward Theatre, Paraparaumu on 9 March. GA adult tickets $36, GA child tickets $15 available from Ticketek.
Auckland jewelry designers Meadowlark made a trip to Windy Welly to launch their latest collection, Arrowhead at The Service Depot last Thursday.
Arrowhead is simplistic in design, based on a simple arrow shape, which sees a change from the usual motifs and detail but retains Meadowlark signature pieces such as knuckle-dusters and jeweled cocktail rings. Pieces such as the faceted drop earrings and multi pendants evoke an Egyptian, Cleopatra like feel, while the “bone bow” rings, charms and earrings add a fun and cheeky element to the simple but beautifully finished collection.
The Service Depot was the perfect setting for the installation type showing, with Deutz and Grolsch (you should see their awesome new bottles!) on hand for the thirsty guests. The new collection wasn’t the only new thing on show however – design duo Claire and Greg’s new baby was also a big hit with the crowd!
For those of you yet to discover Deryn Schmidt – do it now!
Deryn’s collection ‘Joy of Life’ was our pick as the stand out of the New Generation show at New Zealand Fashion week earlier this year, and as a rising star of the New Zealand fashion scene, last night Deryn took us right to the top! (of the Rydges Hotel Wellington, that is)
Deryn Schmidt’s VIP Christmas Evening in the 17th floor Penthouse Suite of the hotel was a chance to say thank you to her customers and friends with a glass of bubbles, some delicious home made chocolate and cranberry slice and Wellington’s premiere stylist, Samantha Hannah on hand for styling tips.
Gorgeous garments, one of the best views in Wellington, and New Zealand wine in the evening sun – this was certainly one of the best Christmas events we’ve attended!
From what we hear there are exciting things to come from this Wellington designer – she’s certainly one to watch!
Check out Deryn’s collections and stockists at www.derynschmidt.co.nz or get the latest updates on Facebook.
