Free Speech and Freebies
Plenty of people use the comments facility on blogs like this one (and that one) as a discussion forum, but unless you’re actually one of the blog writers you can’t start your own threads. But the Texture public forum allows anyone to start their own thread (as long as they’re signed up). Texture concentrates on nightlife, music, art & dining, but comments on anything about Wellington that you like (such as Thai food) or loathe (such as tagging) are most welcome.
They’re also starting to give away lots of free stuff, from tickets to Little Bushman or the Alternative Rugby Commentary to Floriditas vouchers. It’s all a shameless ploy to get people involved in the forums, of course, but then again … free stuff!
Kids’ Film Festival
One of the more excellent things we’ve seen land in the Wellingtonista’s intray that allows harried parents to entertain their kids for FREE these holidays, is the Film Festival taking place down at the Film Archive. So if you’ve got a loved one at home looking after some housebound kiddy-winkles, give ’em a call and tell them to head along…
Classic Cartoons for Kids includes the world’s first Mickey Mouse cartoon Steamboat Willie (1928), Walt Disney classics To Itch His Own (1958) and Ferdinand the Bull (1938), plus a 1933 puppet animation by New Zealand’s own Len Lye. Also on the programme is Maurice Sendak’s classic childrens tale Where The Wild Things Are (1973). This programme is for children aged 5–12.
Animation Nation — New Zealand Animation 1936–2006 collects New Zealand animations from the past 70 years for an audience of kids aged 10–13+. The programme takes in classic stop-motion, claymation and 3D animation. One of the highlights of Animation Nation is Mr Stinky’s World of Trash (2006), a 3D film made by local animator Mike Heynes. Visitors to the screening will be given a special pair of glasses to enhance the effect of characters leaping out from the screen and moving in space! Also on the entirely New Zealand bill are two films by Len Lye including The Birth of the Robot (1936), and James Cunningham’s award winning digital animation Delf (1997). This programme is for children aged 10–13+.
Both programmes run for approximately 45 minutes are guaranteed to entertain kids and their parents. The Archive will selling it’s usual range of coffee, tea and refreshments to hungry Kids Film Festival goers.
Location: New Zealand Film Archive Mediatheatre
Time: 11am
- Wednesday 4th July
Classic Cartoons for Kids (Ages 5–12) - Monday 9th July
Stop Motion, Claymation & 3D (Ages 10–13+) - Tuesday 10th July
Classic Cartoons for Kids (Ages 5–12) - Wednesday 11th July
Stop Motion, Claymation & 3D (Ages 10–13+)
[photo: frame enlargement from The Birth of the Robot (1936) by Len Lye. courtesy of the Len Lye Foundation Collection; New Zealand Film Archive / Ngä Kaitiaki O Ngä Taonga Whitiähua]
10 Unbelievably awesome and original questions
I’m going to ask 10 somewhat inane questions to some great local talent, and report back here. First in the series is the divine Mr Taika Cohen Waititi. His film Eagle Vs Shark is currently taking America by storm, and we here at Wellingtonista headquarters are almost exploding with pride.
Read the questions after the jump…
Pecha Kucha Dontcha Know
The first Wellington Pecha Kucha night is being held this Thursday, 5th July at Hope Bros.
It is a format for creative talks restricting each speaker to 400 seconds, comprising 20 slides shown for 20 seconds each. Some more info at the esteemable Wikipedia .
Audience spaces are limited — by all accounts the Auckland event was a blast — and tickets cost 7 clams.
Lolmembers
This might quite possibly be illegal, but then again, they asked for it.
More “satire, ridicule and denigration” after the jump…
Where do you go when the birds start sneezing?
Just up the road, right next to Rimutaka Prison, Trentham Military Base and the police dog training venue, into the decommissioned General Motors assembly plant. The GM factory has been upgraded to become a new destination … the Bird Flu Pandemic Centre, we think. Or something more sinister?
Right up your Hutt Valley
The winter carnival is on in sunny Petone next weekend (7th July). There will be circus acts, trapeze, and extremely chilling dip in the ole briny during the day.
The best bit of all is in the evening, when there is a huge fireworks display off the pier. The middle of winter lends itself to a very civilised start time of 7.30pm.
Wrap up warm and bring a thermos of whatever you like to warm you from the inside.
Come early, enjoy dinner at one of the local eateries and avoid the traffic, which can get a little sticky approaching kick off.
More sensible and detailed information can be found here.
Wellingtonista Twitter
Being the hep cool web cats that we are, the Wellingtonista has recently set ourselves up a Twitter account so that we can send out updates about what you should do with yourselves. If you’re already a twitter user, head on over to our account and sign up to receive the word from the streets, generally at a one-or-two updates per day rate. If you haven’t used Twitter before, we’ve got a little specific how-to after the jump.
Free tickets to Downstage (limited time, conditions apply)
The lovely people at Downstage have offered Wellingtonista-readers the chance to see the new NZ play Finding Murdoch free next Monday or Tuesday.
Reviewer John Smythe at theatreview.org.nz said of the show:
My partner loved it and rugby is not her bag. But then it’s written by a woman about a woman’s desire to achieve and understand, and it’s directed by a woman, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Which isn’t to say rugby orientated blokes won’t like it too. Heading for the car (after the Monday 6.30 show) I bumped into Keith Quinn – of sportscasting fame – and asked him if he’d just been to Finding Murdoch. “Saw it on opening night,†he said. “It’s terrific. You should go.â€Â
There’s more about the show here, and we have 20 double-passes to give away to either Monday or Tuesday of next week. Simply email theatre@downstage.co.nz with the word “Wellingtonista†in the subject line, and the name of the All Black the play is about in the body of the email, and the magic of time-stamping will do the rest. First 20 are in.
“V” 48 Hours National Final — Live at The Establishment
Friends, supporters and other interested parties are invited to assemble at The Establishment on the corner of Blair St and Courtenay Place on Sunday evening to watch a bit of telly, specifically the C4 broadcast of the “V†48 Hours National Final.
Three Wellington films are in contention for the big prize (and the even bigger prize for Best Cinematography): Wellington winner Maori Detective and the Boogie Fever (Team Good Times) and Peter Jackson-selected wildcards Shooting Star (Will She Wait) and WhoreCop 3: Night Justice (The Three Dicks).
Viewers around the country will be voting by text as soon as the show finishes — come along and add your support. The broadcast starts at 8.30 but the entire Wellington Final 12 (plus Taika Waititi’s ineligible but hilarious Arab Samurai) will be screened again from 7.30 to warm you up.