News

The mood at Wednesday’s 40th anniversary Artios Awards may have been celebratory, but several casting directors acknowledged that Hollywood’s ongoing contraction is continuing to have a negative impact on their profession. Before the awards show at the Beverly Hilton that…

A long-held dream for the team behind the University of Canterbury’s (UC) screen and digital production complex has come to fruition, with its first commercial international feature film contract. Kōawa Studios – the first commercial operation of its kind in…

Call it the Kneecap effect. Rich Peppiatt’s raucous Irish-language comedy drama racked up an impressive $2.7m in UK and Irish ticket sales for Curzon and Wildcard when it was released in August 2024. Now UK independent film distributors are striking…

Pre-show advertising in cinemas is a key revenue driver that significantly contributes to operators’ bottom lines. As the cinema industry evolves—diversifying its offerings to meet changing audience expectations—cinema advertising must also adapt to stay relevant and competitive. Embracing digital solutions,…

This story was originally published on The Spinoff. What’s all this then?  This morning the Ministry for Culture and Heritage released its draft proposed changes to media and screen industry legislation in Aotearoa. “We now live in a time where…

Well, it’s happening. If you have a “basic” Netflix plan (previously the cheapest option at $10.99 per month) you’re about to be hit with ads for the first time – or hit up for more money if you want to…

After picking up an Annie Award earlier in the week, Weta added the top VES award – for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature – to its haul for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Weta’s work on…

In November, a new type of content studio, Promise, was launched. Backed by high-profile investors, including producer Peter Chernin, Promise announced at its outset that it aimed to produce film and TV series by incorporating generative artificial intelligence tools into…

Last year I published a study which showed that sex on screen has declined by almost 40% over the past quarter-century. At the time, I was asked whether we could see a comparable decline in levels of romance or if…