accelerated careers..

Many of our most talented New Zealanders in the screen industry export themselves and never come back. We want to give them another option.

In 2007 WIFT Auckland will launch its specialist mentoring programme.

We also have entry level internships for tertiary film, television and media studies students and welcome volunteers.

In recent years New Zealand cinema has enjoyed a high profile both at home and abroad, due primarily to the success of films like The Lord of the Rings, The Last Samurai, Rain, Whalerider, In My Father's Den, The World's Fastest Indian and King Kong. Our television programmes are sold all over the world.

"Many of our most talented New Zealanders export themselves and never come back"

Mentoring: not only for beginners

Due to our location in the south pacific we experience the challenge for our film industry professionals of being geographically distant from others who can assist their professional development. Far too many have made the one way trip out of the country because they couldn’t get that next level of experience here to make the leap in their career. “Kiwi’s” have a great reputation for working hard and being innovative.

We aim to give talented New Zealanders already working in the industry a career accelerator by partnering them with appropriate industry professionals around the world as part of a mentoring programme. The New Zealander gets valuable experience, the mentor gets someone who has already proven they have the skills to do the job rather than a fresh graduate.

"We want to offer a hands-on “hand up” to someone who has already proven they have talent"

The scholarships will only be awarded to Kiwis who have already demonstrated they have what it takes and now need that extra boost to really fly. While there are be primary benefits for one person there are secondary benefits for many in the local industry as this person returns to train and mentor others right here, thus raising the bar across the industry. This is a condition of accepting the scholarship and the second, equally important aspect of the programme; bringing the knowledge back home and sharing it.

So how does this mentor programme actually work?

• The period of mentoring would be eight to twelve weeks, depending on the nature of the project.
• WIFT pays for all expenses relating to the selection process, airfares, visas and travel related expenses.
• Some mentors are able to pay the interns through their film/project budget, others are not. In these instances we raise corporate sponsorship to cover all reasonable living expenses of the person being mentored.
• There is a wide publicity process to attract relevant applications followed by a selection process.
• The mentor would be involved in the selection process, viewing applications and holding a telephone interview with finalists. This ensures we place someone who not only has good skills but will be a good fit with the mentor and any other team/project members.

Interested?

• become a mentor
• I would like to be a sponsor