News Feed
Women Directors Make Up 8% of This Year’s 100 Top-Grossing Filmmakers in a Steep Drop From 2024, Study Shows
A new study describes 2025 as a “Great Recession” for women directors, with just nine women directors attached to the 100 top-grossing films at the U.S. box office. According to
Investment Banker Invasion: How Boutique Firms Dominated Hollywood’s Biggest Deals in 2025
Look at the biggest recent mergers and acquisitions in the worlds of entertainment, media and sports, from the record-setting $55 billion buyout of Electronic Arts to the Skydance-Paramount merger and
Ayrburn’s neighbours declare war on film studio plan
2025 will be remembered as the year the Fast Track Approvals Act bulldozed its way across Central Otago, Wānaka and the Wakatipu Basin, unsettling local residents including those living adjacent
Tasmanian zombies, Russell Crowe and Crowded House: 10 Australian films to watch out for in 2026
As usual, the Australian film industry will deliver plenty of tasty cinematic treats in 2026, spanning a wide variety of genres and styles. Here’s 10 films to look out for. Read on
NZ Box Office Report: 28 December 2025
In the final weekend report for ‘25, Avatar: Fire and Ash held the top spot very comfortably. Playing on 113 screens, it added $1,464,568 for a total take so far
Women Directors Make Up 8% of This Year’s 100 Top-Grossing Filmmakers in a Steep Drop From 2024, Study Shows
A new study describes 2025 as a “Great Recession” for women directors, with just nine women directors attached to the 100 top-grossing films at the U.S. box office. According to
Investment Banker Invasion: How Boutique Firms Dominated Hollywood’s Biggest Deals in 2025
Look at the biggest recent mergers and acquisitions in the worlds of entertainment, media and sports, from the record-setting $55 billion buyout of Electronic Arts to the Skydance-Paramount merger and
Ayrburn’s neighbours declare war on film studio plan
2025 will be remembered as the year the Fast Track Approvals Act bulldozed its way across Central Otago, Wānaka and the Wakatipu Basin, unsettling local residents including those living adjacent
Tasmanian zombies, Russell Crowe and Crowded House: 10 Australian films to watch out for in 2026
As usual, the Australian film industry will deliver plenty of tasty cinematic treats in 2026, spanning a wide variety of genres and styles. Here’s 10 films to look out for. Read on
NZ Box Office Report: 28 December 2025
In the final weekend report for ‘25, Avatar: Fire and Ash held the top spot very comfortably. Playing on 113 screens, it added $1,464,568 for a total take so far
Predicting Hollywood in 2026
Educated guesses, smart takes and back-of-the napkin math on what entertainment industry insiders will be talking about in the next 12 months. YouTube decimates TV. Netflix buys Warner Bros. Bob
Small but perfectly formed: How micro-cinemas are swimming against the tide
After almost eight years running Thornbury Picture House, the boutique cinema they built in the shell of a 1919 garage, Gus and Lou Berger felt they knew what they were
How Disney’s OpenAI Deal Changes Everything
On December 11, Disney and OpenAI announced a landmark partnership: The entertainment giant, according to CEO Bob Iger, would pay $1 billion to the artificial intelligence power player for an equity stake, while also licensing its Sora
Hollywood’s Big New Labor Deal: Studios To Offer Guilds’ Health Plans $100M Lifeline In Exchange For Longer Multi-Year Contracts In 2026
SAG-AFTRA is already lined up to be the first Hollywood guild to kick off 2026 contract negotiations with the studios and streamers, and both sides have some big asks of the
Universities Begin Teaching Microdramas Amid Industry Boom
As microdramas explode in popularity, screenwriting, film and acting professors are jumping on the trend. Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in Orange, Calif. has incorporated microdramas into its writing
Predicting Hollywood in 2026
Educated guesses, smart takes and back-of-the napkin math on what entertainment industry insiders will be talking about in the next 12 months. YouTube decimates TV. Netflix buys Warner Bros. Bob
Small but perfectly formed: How micro-cinemas are swimming against the tide
After almost eight years running Thornbury Picture House, the boutique cinema they built in the shell of a 1919 garage, Gus and Lou Berger felt they knew what they were
How Disney’s OpenAI Deal Changes Everything
On December 11, Disney and OpenAI announced a landmark partnership: The entertainment giant, according to CEO Bob Iger, would pay $1 billion to the artificial intelligence power player for an equity stake, while also licensing its Sora
Hollywood’s Big New Labor Deal: Studios To Offer Guilds’ Health Plans $100M Lifeline In Exchange For Longer Multi-Year Contracts In 2026
SAG-AFTRA is already lined up to be the first Hollywood guild to kick off 2026 contract negotiations with the studios and streamers, and both sides have some big asks of the
Universities Begin Teaching Microdramas Amid Industry Boom
As microdramas explode in popularity, screenwriting, film and acting professors are jumping on the trend. Chapman’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in Orange, Calif. has incorporated microdramas into its writing
NZ Box Office Report: 21 December 2025
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Avatar: Fire and Ash closed its first weekend on top of the heap, its take of $2,400,924 more than five times that of the #2
NZ On Screen – Tuesday Spotlight: RĀTANA RUGBY: GOD’S GAME (2004)
This documentary follows Coach Murray Ririnui and the Rātana rugby team pursuing the Whanganui Championship — a prize that’s eluded them for 76 years. Interviews highlight the team’s faith, community, and
Can Avatar Make Nearly $3 Billion and Still Leave No Cultural Footprint?
Can a movie really make nearly $3 billion and still remain culturally absent? As James Cameron’s Avatar trilogy lights up movie theaters once more, where is all the fandom? Avatar made just shy of $3
Have We Reached the Tipping Point Where Movies Could Stop Being Movies?
The first moment in my life when people began to talk about movies as if they could go away tomorrow was right after the pandemic struck. At that point, no one
New doco by John Clarke’s daughter finally brings Fred Dagg home
“This is my dad,” says Lorin Clarke, in the opening scene of her new documentary Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke – an intimate portrait of the man behind New Zealand’s
NZ Box Office Report: 21 December 2025
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Avatar: Fire and Ash closed its first weekend on top of the heap, its take of $2,400,924 more than five times that of the
NZ On Screen – Tuesday Spotlight: RĀTANA RUGBY: GOD’S GAME (2004)
This documentary follows Coach Murray Ririnui and the Rātana rugby team pursuing the Whanganui Championship — a prize that’s eluded them for 76 years. Interviews highlight the team’s faith, community,
Can Avatar Make Nearly $3 Billion and Still Leave No Cultural Footprint?
Can a movie really make nearly $3 billion and still remain culturally absent? As James Cameron’s Avatar trilogy lights up movie theaters once more, where is all the fandom? Avatar made just shy of
Have We Reached the Tipping Point Where Movies Could Stop Being Movies?
The first moment in my life when people began to talk about movies as if they could go away tomorrow was right after the pandemic struck. At that point, no
New doco by John Clarke’s daughter finally brings Fred Dagg home
“This is my dad,” says Lorin Clarke, in the opening scene of her new documentary Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke – an intimate portrait of the man behind New
“Cuz was a direct reference”: James Cameron and Cliff Curtis on Avatar’s NZ-ness
My favourite thing about the Avatar movies is how a certain Aotearoa New Zealand-iness positively shines through the screen. It makes sense, considering they were shot here, and are overseen
Why Disney’s Sora Deal Marks a Turning Point in the AI Wars
OpenAI released Sora 2 in October, unleashing a flood of copyright violations onto the internet. But instead of suing the company, or even threatening to do so, Disney is now teaming up with
Feliz Navidad
You have to be a pro user to view this. Upgrade your membership or Login here. Login
Petrina D’Rozario
Petrina D’Rozario talks about putting together the India Film Festival in NZ with the Film India Screen Collective, her recent trip to India with the NZFC-led delegation, and what might
Government considers advertising or subscription model for BBC
The government will consider new ways of funding the BBC, including via advertising or a subscription model, as it formally begins the process that will decide the corporation’s future. It
“Cuz was a direct reference”: James Cameron and Cliff Curtis on Avatar’s NZ-ness
My favourite thing about the Avatar movies is how a certain Aotearoa New Zealand-iness positively shines through the screen. It makes sense, considering they were shot here, and are overseen
Why Disney’s Sora Deal Marks a Turning Point in the AI Wars
OpenAI released Sora 2 in October, unleashing a flood of copyright violations onto the internet. But instead of suing the company, or even threatening to do so, Disney is now teaming up with
Feliz Navidad
You have to be a pro user to view this. Upgrade your membership or Login here. Login
Petrina D’Rozario
Petrina D’Rozario talks about putting together the India Film Festival in NZ with the Film India Screen Collective, her recent trip to India with the NZFC-led delegation, and what might
Government considers advertising or subscription model for BBC
The government will consider new ways of funding the BBC, including via advertising or a subscription model, as it formally begins the process that will decide the corporation’s future. It
