Jane Campion for Best Director!

Only three women have been nominated for the oscar for best director. Jane Campion was one of them for The Piano in 1994. Campion has a new film out called Bright Star and the reviews have been brilliant so far. Now is the time for a woman to get her hands on that oscar. Jane Campion has the pedigree and should take it away next year. If anyone out there reading this is a member of the academy then get the word out now.

The Vintner's Luck has had early bad reviews from the Toronto Film Festival. As I mentioned in an earlier post the trailer was uninspiring and bode ill for Niki Caro's third feature. Caro was hot property after Whale Rider but if this film flops her next film will have to hit the mark.

Films!

I thought I better point out that the Film Commission does actually make films and some very good ones. Here are links to the trailers for Niki Caro's first film since Whale Rider - The Vintner's Luck and Under The Mountain which pretty much every child of my generation saw the televised version of back in the early 80's. Under The Mountain looks okay although something feels missing. The director is Jonathan King of Black Sheep fame. It will be interesting to see how this mixture of science fiction and kiwi gothic plays to a modern audience. I'm a fan of Niki Caro but I fear the trailer for The Vintner's Luck puts it in Euro-pudding Perfume territory.

There is also a reel of the short films screening in this years NZ Film Festival. It's a great reel and makes me desperately want to see these films, if only to see what my contemporaries are up to.