Shorts Newsletter - 8 June

Our July funding round has closed - with a bumper crop of applications!
Our funding team is now busy assessing 266 submissions including:

• 72 Scripted and Factual productions
• 25 Development applications
• 5 Regional Media applications
• 141 HEIHEI productions
• 10 Industry Development Fund applications
• 13 New Music Projects

Thank you to everyone who submitted applications to this round. Applicants should expect to be notified from the 16th of July.

On Wednesday last week the NZ On Air Board came together virtually for an extraordinary out-of-time meeting. As part of the meeting the Board discussed a couple funding decisions.

We are pleased to announce the following funding decisions that wrap up the end of the NZ On Air 2019/2020 financial year.

Local Democracy Reporter scheme Year 2

NZ On Air will fund a second year and a modest expansion of the Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) scheme. In the 2019/20 year the scheme supported eight journalists in areas where newsrooms struggled to resource and prioritise coverage of important local democracy issues.

Run by RNZ and the Newspaper Publishers Association (NPA) and funded in its first year through the RNZ/NZ On Air Joint Innovation Fund, the scheme was a pilot based on a similar model in the UK.

In year 2 NZ On Air has approved $1.5m (from additional one-off funding in Budget 2019) to expand the scheme to up to 12 regions.

NZ On Air continues to work with government officials on how a sustainable investment in public interest journalism could be achieved.

Kiri and Lou 3

A third series of the popular, NZ TV Award-winning animated pre-school programme Kiri and Lou has been funded.

Featuring the voices of Jemaine Clement and Olivia Tennet (as well as music from Don McGlashan), Kiri and Lou is a claymation series that teaches young viewers how to understand their own feelings.

Kiri and Lou 3 will see the return of unlikely best friends Kiri – a feisty little dinosaur struggling with her emotions – and Lou – a gentle, purple elephant-like creature – as they learn lessons about friendship, sharing, kindness and acceptance in an imaginary prehistoric forest.

Kiri and Lou 3, 26 x 5 mins, Kiri and Lou Limited for TVNZ 2 and TVNZ OnDemand, up to $1,200,000.

Our heartiest congratulations to all recipients of 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours.

We were delighted to see so many recognised in the arts, culture and broadcasting sector - including Dr Brian Pauling (the 'Grandfather' of Access Radio) for his services to broadcasting and education, James Griffin (Outrageous Fortune, The Almighty Johnsons) for his services to NZ film and TV, Taika Waititi (Boy, Wellington Paranormal) for his services to NZ film, and Tom Rainey for his services to NZ music.