October 2021 Newsletter

Our September round was focused on production applications intended to reflect and/or appeal to targeted audiences. It is the round where most of our funding for children’s content for HEIHEI and other platforms is committed.

In total we received 164 Scripted, Factual and Industry Development Fund (IDF) applications seeking nearly $62m. We are pleased to support the funding of 66 Scripted, Factual and IDF applications for up to $37.7m.

We also received 63 applications to the second round of the Public Interest Journalism Fund, asking for more than $46m for 311 roles. A panel including independent industry assessors recommended support for 25 applications for funding of $17.7m that will support 110 roles.

The full details of all funding decisions are at the end of this newsletter. You can also use the funding decisions search on our website.

December is the third round of the financial year with a focus on projects intended for general audiences. Please note that current affairs projects that previously came to this round should be submitted to the third round of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF).

Factual, Scripted and Development applications will be accepted as follows, but available funding is constrained:

• Factual – Applications for the Premier Stories, Many Perspectives and Fresh Opportunities streams of the Factual Roadmap will be considered.
  • Approximately $4m has been allocated for content intended for general audiences.
    
• Scripted – Applications for the Premier and Newer Storytellers streams of our Scripted Roadmap will be considered.
  • Approximately $12.5m has been allocated for content intended for general audiences. This round is open to Drama, Scripted and Unscripted (e.g. comedy/panel show) content genres.
    
• Development – Both Content (applications that have co-investment from a supporting platform and Diverse Development) and Industry Development applications will be considered. Please see the Development Roadmap and read the full round information document for more details.

Important dates

9 September 2021, 4pm - Funding round opens.

7 October 2021, 4pm - Application deadline. Round closes.

1 December 2021 - Decisions confirmed, applicants notified the following day. This date may be extended at NZ On Air’s sole discretion.

The latest COVID-19 restrictions continue to severely impact the music sector; especially live music, but also causing issues with access to recording studios and content creation particularly in Tāmaki Makaurau.

This is a very stressful time and we assure you our music staff are here to help if there are any delays to funded content, changes in release dates and plans etc.

Since the end of July we have completed seven separate music funding rounds with a total of 168 music grants allocated across New Music Single, New Music Project, New Music Kids, New Music Pasifika and New Music Development.

For the remainder of 2021 we have further rounds for New Music Single, New Music Project, New Music Development, Waiata Takitahi (with Te Māngai Pāho) and Music Features. More information on all our music funding opportunities can be found here.

We've recently reviewed our organisation structure to ensure we are appropriately resourced in order to be responsive to the sectors we serve.

A key change as a result of this review has been to the Funding Team. There are two Associate Head of Funding roles reporting in to Head of Funding Amie Mills.

Anna Currie, back from parental leave, has taken up the role of Associate Head of Funding- People. In this role Anna will lead the funding assessor team and be a key point of contact for stakeholders.

Glenn Usmar has taken up the role of Associate Head of Funding - Systems. In this role Glenn will lead the processes and operational management of the funding rounds.

Scripted

One Lane Bridge 3, 5 x 44 mins, Great Southern Television for TVNZ 1, up to $5,945,400. A third season of the local crime drama with a dark, supernatural twist.

Duckrockers, 8 x 22 mins, South Pacific Pictures for TVNZ 2, up to $4,318,250. A coming of age comedy series pitched as the teen prequel to Sione's Wedding.

Kura 3, 6 x 22 mins, Plus6Four Entertainment for TVNZ OnDemand, up to $990,000. Billy-John returns for a third season of Kura, which sees him discover life ‘on the other side of the tracks’ when he falls for a wealthy local girl.

Inky Pinky Ponky, 5 x 12 mins, Tikilounge Productions for Māori Television, up to $605,000. An affirmative story of gender and sexual identity which has already won the hearts of Pasifika high school students as a stage show.

Kāinga, 1 x 80 mins, Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions for RNZ.co.nz, up to $550,000. Kāinga celebrates the experiences of eight different Pan-Asian women as they navigate what it means to become ‘at home’ in Aotearoa.

Ahikāroa 5, 20 x 26 mins, Kura Productions for Māori Television On Demand, up to $476,506. Ahikāroa is a realistic urban Māori drama for rangatahi - gritty, funny, and sexy.

The Citizen’s Handbook 2, 6 x 10 mins, Kevin & Content for RNZ.co.nz, up to $257,039. After teaching the youth of Aotearoa how the country works and came to be, Robbie returns to teach them everything they need to know to change it.

Someday Stories 2022, 6 x 10 mins, Connected Media Trust for Stuff.co.nz, up to $250,000. A series of short sustainability films by emerging New Zealand film-makers that push the envelope and look to the future.

Factual

New

Passengers, 4 x 44 mins, Warner Bros Int. TV Production NZ for TVNZ 1, up to $697,158. A landmark series celebrating early Pacific, Chinese, Indian and Pan-Asian immigration through the stories of the first passengers.

Kids Don’t Come With A Manual, 6 x 25 mins, Faultline Films for Māori Television, up to $476,080. From general parenting advice to tackling specific struggles, Neuroscientist Nathan Mikaere-Wallis tackles the challenges facing whānau today.

Cool As Ice – Beijing Paralympic Winter Games 2022, 1 x 23 mins + live coverage of Games, TVNZ + Attitude Pictures for Duke, up to $394,957. Full coverage of the Paralympic Winter Games, preceded by a documentary on our new Winter Paralympians and an update on two veteran Paralympians.

The Road To Te Matatini, 6 x 12 mins, Pango Productions for TVNZ OnDemand, up to $373,949. Follow TJ Perenara as he visits six different kapa haka poised to perform at the 2022 Te Matatini festival.

Manalagi, 6 x 24 mins, Tairawhiti TV for TP+, up to $353,695. Manalagi celebrates the stories of Pacific Rainbow champions in New Zealand.

The Heart Of The Matter, 8 x 22 mins, APNA Television for APNA Television, up to $347,568. A series looking at inter-cultural marriages within NZ’s migrant communities.

Why Am I Gay?, 1 x 44 mins, Ponsonby Productions for TVNZ 1, up to $234,138. Dr Angelo Tedoldi, a neuroscientist and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, investigates the science of homosexuality.

Dusky Maiden, 1 x 60 mins, Tikilounge Productions for TheCoconet.TV, up to $212,121. This series will explore the impact of the colonial gaze on images of Pacific women through the ages.

Dark Harvest, 1 x 44 mins, Kindred Films for TVNZ 1, up to $204,786. One South Auckland town confronts its “secret” racist past in this one-off documentary.

ConspiraSeries, 6 x 7 mins, Tomorrow Rain for RNZ.co.nz, up to $197,990. Tongue-in-cheek investigations into the why, how and ‘what the heck’ of some of New Zealand's most outrageous conspiracies.

Dating While Asian, 5 x 6 mins, Re: for Re:, up to $188,620. A series about Asian New Zealanders sharing their dating and sex diaries.

Fair Game? Pacific Rugby Against The World, 8 x 30 mins, Bird Of Paradise Productions for RNZ.co.nz, up to $168,073. An in-depth investigation into the perception Pacific rugby is being held back from reaching its true potential.

Akanuanua, 5 x 8 mins, Tikilounge Productions for TheCoconet.TV, up to $154,000. The journey of five Pasifika Rainbow fuata who discuss their challenges of being Pasifika and LGBTQI+.

Disconnected – Living In The Digital Divide, 6 x 8 mins, Umbrella Media for Stuff.co.nz, up to $143,575. Exploring the impacts and looking for solutions for the one-third of Pacific Peoples who are living without digital tools and access.

What’s The Disabili-Tea?, 6 x 5 mins, Attitude Pictures for Attitude Live, up to $138,902. ‘What’s the Tea?’ is a term used in queer culture, meaning ‘What’s the truth?’; this series will explore the truth of living with a disability and being queer.

Returning

Attitude 2022, 30 x 23 mins, Attitude Pictures for TVNZ 1, up to $1,880,374. Attitude highlights how ordinary Kiwis respond to adversity and empowers people by sharing their stories.

Fresh 2022, 35 x 23 mins, Tikilounge Productions for TVNZ 2, up to $1,807,990. Aotearoa’s flagship Pasifika rangatahi TV show is back to bring more brown youth diversity to our screens.

Rural Delivery 2022, 10 x 23 mins, Showdown Productions for TVNZ 1, up to $161,642. Showcasing the people who are living and working in the primary sector, leading the way with innovation and technology.

The Nutters Club 2022, 48 x 90 mins, The Key To Life Charitable Trust for NewstalkZB, up to $81,680. The Nutters Club is a radio show that deals with all the tough stuff that historically many in society have preferred to keep in the closet.

Real Life With John Cowan 2022, 48 x 22 mins, Christian Broadcasting Association for NewstalkZB, up to $39,033. A weekly nationwide chat show, featuring a different high-profile guest every week.

Christmas 2021, 18 x 51 mins, Christian Broadcasting Association for NewstalkZB, up to $36,099. 18 hours of creative, award-winning Christmas Eve and Christmas Day radio programming.

Easter 2022, 12 x 54 mins, Christian Broadcasting Association for NewstalkZB, up to $31,549. A mix of thoughtful Easter-focused commentary, interviews, talk back, creative production and guests, sprinkled with music-stabs and vox-pops.

Ake Ake Ake (Additional), 3 x 52 mins, Scottie Douglas Productions for Māori Television, up to $26,000.

Children's

Toi Time!, 20 x 29 mins, Rogue Productions for TVNZ 2, up to $1,289,314. A live action variety-style series for preschoolers featuring singing and dancing to educate and entertain through play, movement and music.

Kiri And Lou 4, 26 x 5 mins, Filmworks for Prime, up to $1,331,724. Kiri And Lou returns with more episodes teaching young viewers how to understand their feelings, through the adventures of prehistoric dinosaurs.

Suzy And Friends 2022, 53 x 45 mins, Treehut for various Access Radio Stations, up to $136,000. The much-loved Suzy Cato radio series will return with plenty of music, laughter and stories for tamariki in 2022.

The Feed, 210 x 24 mins, What Now, 42 x 58 mins, Take The Mic, 20 x 10 mins, Whitebait Productions for TVNZ 2, up to $3,248,800. The Feed will keep youngsters entertained through weekday afternoons with interactive competitions, TikTok challenges, memes, games, skits and life hacks, and a refreshed What Now returns to Sunday mornings.

Brain Busters 2022, 160 x 25 mins, Whitebait Productions for TVNZ 2, up to $2,685,500. It's so much more than a gameshow - it's the everyday quiz for kids across Aotearoa.

For HEIHEI - New

Āio: The Last Paradise Of Kiwa, 10 x 9 mins, Pukeko Pictures GP, up to $500,000. This Māori and Pasifika-inspired anime series follows a young man destined to be the most powerful warrior in the world as he is swept into a spiritual realm Āio.

One Way Out, 20 x 10 mins, Whitebait Productions, up to $498,734. A competitive reality series where problem solving and teamwork meets stunts, scares and spectacle.

Little Apocalypse, 8 x 8 mins, Tomorrow Rain, up to $500,000. A trio of tweens have their mundane summer holiday plans turned into mischief and mayhem after they befriend a poltergeist from an apocalyptic future.

My Favourite Dead Person, 8 x 8 mins, The DownLowConcept, up to $499,688. Josh Thomson sits down with kids as they share their favourite stories from local history.

Kiwi And Cat – Mānawatia A Matariki, 10 x 7 mins, Pango Productions, up to $499,500. When Kiwi and Cat spot a new constellation twinkling in the winter sky they realise that Matariki has arrived, so they set off on an adventure to learn about this special time of year.

Fresh Fairytales!, 5 x 12 mins, Tikilounge Productions, up to $496,860. A series of musical theatre performances that comically subvert classic fairy tales with a modern Polynesian twist.

The Adventure Club, 10 x 10 mins, Greenstone TV, up to $437,614. Four rangatahi across the motu sign up for the adventure of a lifetime, leaving behind urban safety nets and learning outdoor skills to follow in the footsteps of famous New Zealand explorers.

Junior Dog Handlers, 11 x 12 mins, ASC Media, up to $398,591. Profiles junior dog handlers between the ages of 12 and 17 as they train and compete in the Junior Handler of the Year Competition at the New Zealand National Dog Show in 2022.

Masters Of The Mural-Verse, 6 x 15 mins, Good Times Company, up to $378,323. Teams of young artists compete to design, pitch and create an epic mural for their community.

In The Dirt, 10 x 10 mins, Tomorrowland Television, up to $237, 923. Documenting six young dirt bike riders who practice, train and prepare to compete in the New Zealand national Motocross Championships.

The Pooh Files, 20 x 2 mins, Rude Girl Productions, up to $211,650. A series showcasing bizarre, fascinating and funny facts about animal poohs and the animals that made them.

Night Eyes, 16 x 5 mins, Mukpuddy Animation, up to $441,100. An animated comedy-horror series that follows the adventures of a small film crew (made up of animals from the New Zealand bush) who host an internet series hunting ghosts and other paranormal activity.

The Kids of Korero Lane, 8 x 2 mins, Attitude Pictures, up to $257,248. Inspired by the classic series Little Rascals but with deaf children in the lead and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as the primary language, this series will encourage kids to embrace NZSL.

For HEIHEI - Returning

K-Pop Academy 3 – Level Up, 8 x 15 mins, 8 x 5 mins & 7 x 3 mins, Greenstone TV, up to $464,073. Kids aged 9 – 16 years old come together to learn, train and perform K-Pop routines.

Lifesavers 2, 10 x 10 mins, Scottie Douglas Productions, up to $350,000. Get an intimate look at the lives of a small group of dedicated junior life savers, their coaches and their families.

Young Ocean Explorers 3- Kaitiaki O Te Moana, 6 x 4 mins, 4 x 1 min, 5 x 5 mins, & 5 x 2 mins, Underwater Promotions/TA Young Ocean Explorers, up to $267,643. This series aims to teach rangatahi about the ocean and waterways, and motivate them to protect these taonga.

HEIHEI Games

Eel Story, Grapefruit Games, up to $70,040. An adventure/survival game about a young tuna kuwharuwhau (longfin eel) journeying upstream through Aotearoa New Zealand avoiding predators, navigating pollution, climbing dams and foraging for food to return to family waters.

Pinball Play, Method Studios, up to $56,740. A classic pinball game that features an illustrated backdrop of an Aotearoa Forest with a variety of native birdlife.

Mystery Beats, Adrenalin, up to $55,628. A music mixing game that takes the main characters from HEIHEI’s Island of Mystery animation series and turns them into beatboxers .

Kiwi Hatch!, Tough Love Tonic, up to $50,000. A virtual pet game where the player will help hatch and raise kiwi chicks and eventually release them back into the wild.

Ocean Adventurer, RoundPenguinStudio, up to $47,925. A 2D puzzle/adventure game where the player controls a diver who cleans up plastic waste in the ocean under time and oxygen constraint.

Animal Tracks, SpookySoft Games, up to $47,800. A free-form music-making game. Players compose rhythms and melodies out of native New Zealand animal noises.

Aotearoa Explorers, GameLab T/A Gamefroot, up to $34,900. Aotearoa Explorers takes players on a journey around the Asia and Pacific regions where they will visit distant lands, meet indigenous peoples, and learn about those places and what makes them special.

Public Interest Journalism roles

All roles are funded for two years unless otherwise stated.

Stuff, 20 x Community and Pou Tiaki roles for Stuff publications, up to $2,789,240

RNZ, 20 x Local Democracy Reporting roles for 26 publications/platforms, up to $3,554,000

NZME, 15 x roles for Open Justice - Te Pātiti scheme for 11 publications, up to $2,995,702

Māori Television, 7 x roles for Māori Television, up to $1,593,000

School Road Publishing, 1 x role for Woman magazine, up to $189,660

SunPix, 2 x roles for TP+, up to $273,600

Local Matters, 1 x role for Local Matters, up to $150,148

Crux Publishing, 1 x role for Crux, up to $151,200

The Spinoff, 2 x roles for The Spinoff, up to $427,800

Ashburton Guardian, 1 x role for the Ashburton Guardian, up to $150,000

Central App, 1 x role for Central App, for one year, up to $31,200

North & South, 1 x role for North & South Media, up to $230,000

Newsroom, 4 x roles for Newsroom and 1 x shared role Newsroom and North & South, up to $528,316

Allied Press, 4 x roles for Otago Daily Times and other Allied Press properties, up to $711,797

Valley Media, 1 x role for The Valley Profile, up to $127,096

The Gisborne Herald, 1 x role for The Gisborne Herald, up to $183,240

Metro Media Group, 1 x part-time role for Metro Magazine, up to $47,600

Mana Trust, 4 x roles for E-Tangata, up to $650,000

Kiwi Media Publishing, 4 x roles for The Indian Weekender, up to $705,000

National Pacific Radio Trust, 4 x roles for Pacific Media Network, for one year, up to $275,000

Television New Zealand, 2 x roles for TVNZ News, for one year, up to $206,000

Te Reo Irirangi O Te Hiku O Te Ika, 1 x role for Te Reo Irirangi O Te Hiku O Te Ika, up to $176,200

Very Nice Productions, 1 x role for Local Focus, for one year, up to $105,000

UMA Broadcasting, 6.5 x roles for Radio Waatea, for one year, up to $774,000

Discovery New Zealand, 3 x roles for Newshub, up to $695,560

Music

New Music Project

Alayna, Nicnak Media, up to $39,984

Amila, Impact PR, up to $40,000

Clap Clap Riot, Nicnak Media, up to $30,000

Delaney Davidson, Pippa Ryan-Kidd, up to $40,000

Fazerdaze, The Label, up to $40,000

Jessb, Native Tongue, up to $30,000

Lepani, Sony Music Entertainment, up to $30,000

Lomez Brown, DRM, up to $40,000

Mara Tk, Worldpeace.FYI, up to $40,000

Reuben Fleetwood, Sony Music Entertainment, up to $40,000

Solomon Crook, The Label, up to $40,000

There's A Tuesday, Universal Music New Zealand, up to $20,000

Tiny Ruins, The Label, up to $40,000

New Music Single - up to $10,000

1814, Holiday

33 Below, 92 Ft. Fiveofive

Adam Snow, What Do You Want

Alien Weaponry, Kai Whatu

Ashy, Mirror Ft. Valle

Belladonna, Love Like This

Chelsea Jade, Best Behaviour

Christabel, Someone Else

Church & AP, Church On A Sunday

Daily J, Stay The Night

DblDbl, Lemon Drop Ft. Imugi

Edy, Brand New Ft. Sally

Estère, Bpm

Hina, Tararua

Hot Donnas, Fear Me

Isla Noon, Easy

Jack Berry, Notice

Jaz Paterson, La

Kédu Carlö, Don't Call Me On My Birthday

La Felix, If Perfect Was Real

Lips, Not Today

Luca George, Somebody New

Mermaidens, Tear It Down

Miakie, Infatuated

Mild Orange, F.E.A.R

Park Rd, Coastline

Phodiso, Look

Phoebe Rings, Lazy Universe

Sophie Gibson, Deeper Waters

The Beths, When You Know You Know

There's A Tuesday, Girl@Nite

Tobias, One Night

Tomorrow People, Give It To Me Again

Who Shot Scott, Love We'll Never Know

Wiri Donna, No Follow Through

Zoe Moon, In Person

A.R.T, Runner Up

Adeaze, Walk Into The Light Ft. Tone 6

Brothers Lørd, We Ain't Gotta Rush

Chong-Nee, Music

Denzel, Perfect

Ezra Phoenix, Storm

Foundation, Closer Ft. Israel Starr,

Jordyn With A Why, Brown Melodies

Junior Soqeta, Time Goes On

Lepani, Take Me Home

Love Is King, Darling Ea

Mel, You'll Never Know

Mo Etc., Next October

Moana Leota, Not Done Loving

Pati Umaga, Pepeve'a

Siavani, Think About It

Snare, Leai Se Paga

Three Houses Down, The Dream

TJ Taotua, Overdue

Tree, Tupulaga Samoa

Village90, Say A Word

Platforms

Samoa Capital Radio 2021/22, Siufofoga O Le Laumua Trust, up to $50,000

Planet FM Studio Refit, Access Community Radio Auckland, up to $17,560

Coast Access Radio Stl Replacement, Coast Access Radio Trust, up to $8,600

95bFM Capital Funding (UPS), Campus Radio bFM, up to $5,282

RDU98.5FM Stl and Transmission Upgrades, RDU 98.5FM, up to $12,649

IDF

Doc Edge Awards 2022, The Documentary New Zealand Trust, up to $15,000

SRN Awards, Naked PR, up to $10,000

WIFT NZ Awards 2022, WIFT NZ, up to $10,000

Doc Edge Forum 2022, The Documentary New Zealand Trust, up to $15,000

Doc Edge Clinics 2022, The Documentary New Zealand Trust, up to $10,000

Doc Edge Pitch 2022, The Documentary New Zealand Trust, up to $10,000

Equaliser, Arkh (Muse Creative), up to $10,000

The Aotearoa Music Producer Series (Amps), The Aotearoa Music Producer Series, up to $20,000