Documentary New Zealand Trust

Documentary Edge

Location	Auckland and Wellington, New Zealand
Founded	2004
Website	documentaryedge.org.nz

Set up in 2004, The Documentary New Zealand Trust is a non-profit organisation promoting documentary filmmaking and advocating opportunities for New Zealand documentary filmmakers.^[1]

Its signature events are an international film festival, DOC Pitch and DOC Lab.

The Trust engages with the government, funding agencies, creative organisations, academic institutions and other screen industry guilds to ensure maximum support and funding for documentary filmmakers in New Zealand.

The Organisation

Documentary Edge Activities

The Trustees

• Alex Lee
• Dan Shanan

The Documentary Edge Festival

History

Documentary Edge Festival Logo

The first Documentary Edge Festival, previously known as DOCNZ International Documentary Film Festival, was launched in 2005 in Auckland by the then Prime Minister, Helen Clark.

The Festival was rebranded as Documentary Edge Festival in 2010 ^[2] to reflect the festivals' cutting edge program of international and New Zealand documentaries. It also celebrates the cutting edge nature of documentaries in providing an independent and important view of the World.

The Documentary Edge Festival is held annually, from April to June, in Auckland and Wellington.^[3] The Festival showcases the best selection of award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary films from New Zealand and around the world.^[4]

It also includes a Gala Awards, Q&A Sessions with filmmakers, various social functions and special events. The first festival was launched in 2005.

The Documentary Edge Awards

The Documentary Edge Festival awards artists in the following categories:^[5]

International Selection:

• Best International Short Documentary
• Best International Feature Documentary
• Best International Director
• Best World Cinema
• Best Human Rights
• Best Generations
• Best Heroes and Incons
• Best Culture Vultures
• And two different spotlight categories every year

New Zealand Selection:

• Best Feature Documentary
• Best Short Documentary
• Best Emerging Filmmaker
• Best Director
• Best Cinematography
• Best Editing

Click here to see the full list of the Awards

Awards 2012 ^[6]

International Selection

Film	Award	Directors	Country
Vinterlys [7]	Best International Short Documentary	Skule Eriksen	Norway
The Interrupters [8]	Best International Feature Documentary, Best International Director, Best World Cinema	Steve James	United States
Five Star Existence	Best Future Watch	Sonja Lindén	Sweden Finland
Malaki — Scent of an Angel	Best Arab Spring	Kahlil Dreifus Zaarour	Lebanon
Who killed Chea Vichea?	Best Human Rights	Bradley Cox	Thailand United States
Life in Stills	Best Generations	Tamar Tal	Israel
Incessant Visions	Best Heroes and Incons	Duki Dror	Israel
Andrew Bird: Fever Year	Best Culture Vultures	Xan Aranda	United States

New Zealand Selection

Film	Award	Directors	Country
Intersexion [9]	Best Feature Documentary Best Editing	Grant Lahood	New Zealand
Gone Curling [10]	Best Short Documentary	Roland Kahurangi Rachael Patching	New Zealand
River Dog	Best Emerging Filmmaker	James Muir	New Zealand
View From Olympus	Best Director	Geoffrey Cawthorn	New Zealand
Yakel 3D[11]	Best Cinematography	Rachael Wilson	New Zealand

Click here to see the full list of the Awards

The Screen Edge Forum

Screen Edge Forum Logo

The Screen Edge Forum^[12] (previously known as DOCNZ Summit and Documentary Edge Forum) is an annual pan-screen industry event covering documentary, transmedia and other screen industry topics.

Many Pitch Projects have been developed as a result including:

• The Relocated Mountain, Julia Parnell
• The Topp Twins, Arani Cuthbert
• Lost in Wonderland,^[13] Zoe McIntosh
• There Once was an Island: Te Henua E Noho,^[14] Briar March
• Brother Number One,^[15] Annie Goldson ^[16]
• Pictures of Susan, Dan Salmon ^[17]
• Strawberries with the Führer, Amy O'Connor
• Batons & Baquettes, Campbell Cooley
• Stumbling into the Wall, Tony Foster
• 4:20 New Zealand, Arik Reiss
• Te Hono Ki Aotearoa - The Waka for Europe,^[18] Jan Bieringa
• Running for his Life, Anna Cottrell^[19]
• Varayame's Feet,^[20] Sarah Graham Read
• Wrestling Spectacular - A Kiwi Century on the Mat,^[21] Adam Simpson

DOC Lab

DOC Lab ^[22] is a three-day incubator to educate, inspire and develop filmmakers with a shared goal of developing documentaries and exploring multi-platforms for creation and delivery. Local and international experts are brought in as mentors to help the selected projects and teams.

The mentors will present their practice areas and speak on the developments and technologies that will help the selected teams in realizing their projects. They will also work with teams individually and provide feedback, suggestions and development strategies.

Starting from content ideas or from existing material, DOC Lab will discuss new documentary prototypes that use one or more new media. Workshop topics include:

• storytelling^[23] including new and different forms of platforms and storytelling devices
• collaboration across platforms and genres
• how to engage with the community and the role(s) of the audience
• interactive and data-based stories
• the use of computer games for documentary purposes
• funding and commissioning of all media documentaries
• new forms of distribution and delivery

Many Projects have been developed as a result including:

• Brother Number One,^[24] Annie Goldson ^[25]
• Finding Mercy,^[26] Roby Paterson
• PIYN,^[27] Gareth Farry, Peter Takapuna
• Ringcon, Prue Langbein
• Strawberries with the Führer, Amy O'Connor

Documentary Edge Campus

Documentary Edge Campus ^[28] is New Zealand's first resource centre for documentary films and materials. It is available to the wider community for free!

It includes:

• A film library with over 200 titles, books, magazines, and other literature
• 4 viewing stations
• A drop-in centre available for meetings and workshops
• Open all year round (excluding weekends and public holidays)

References

1. "Our Identity on Film". Kelly Burt.
2. "Documentary Edge Festival 2010". Documentary Edge Festival.
3. "Documentary Edge Festival 2012". Auckland Art Gallery.
4. "Documentary Edge Festival". filmfestivallife.
5. "Documentary Edge Festival". FestivalFocus.
6. "Documentary Edge Festival 2012 Awards". Documentary Edge.
7. "Vinterlys". Ibis Film.
8. Dargis, Manohla (28 July 2011). "The Interrupters". The NY Times.
9. "Intersexion". Gay NZ.
10. "Gone Curling Goes global". Otago Daily Times.
11. "Documentary Edge Festival 2012". NZ Herald. 21 April 2012.
12. "The Screen Edge Forum". transmedianz.
13. "Lost in Wonderland". NZ Herald. 20 August 2009.
14. "There once was an Island". There Once was an Island.
15. "Brother Number One". Brother Number One.
16. "Brother Number One". The Listener.
17. "Pictures of Susan". Radio NZ.
18. "Te Hono ki Aotearoa- The Documentary". Maoriart.
19. "Anna Cottrell". NZ On Screen.
20. "Varayame's Feet". DGA.
21. "Wrestling Spectacular". Wrestling Spectacular.
22. "DOCLAB 2012". Documentary New Zealand Trust.
23. "Transforming Storytelling". The Big Idea.
24. "Brother Number One". Brother Number One.
25. "Brother Number One". The Listener.
26. "Finding Mercy". Finding Mercy.
27. "PIYN". British Council.
28. "Documentary Edge Campus". Documentary New Zealand Trust.