NZ Film Brings Home the Prize
The New Zealand film Shopping, by directors Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland, has won The Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus for best feature film at the Berlin Film Festival. ‘An extremely compelling first…
News of New Zealanders via Global Media
Real Romantic Treats
The romantic Kokohuia retreat in Hokianga is one of six New Zealand lodges recommended in Britain’s Independent newspaper. “This off-grid B&B opened above a scenic swathe of Hokianga Harbour a year…
Walker’s Youthful Sophistication
‘Karen Walker pits arty school girls against working women for a youthful but ultra-sophisticated new fall collection,’ writes Olivia Fleming in The Daily Mail. Walker’s fall 2013 collection is called New Rose. The inspiration…
Characters Screaming to Get Out
Award-winning actor New Zealander Jacob Rajan plays 17 different characters in the play Guru of Chai, which was recently performed Off-Broadway in New York. Rajan is the only actor in the play, which is…
Busting into Song
She’s only 26, but New Zealander Gin Wigmore has already acted alongside Daniel Craig and recorded in Frank Sinatra’s studio. You may already have heard the first single, a bawdy barrelhouse stomp called Man…
Sky Tower to Join St. Paddy’s Day Festivities
The Auckland Sky Tower will go green on St Patricks Day, March 17 2013, says the Daily Mail. The ‘greening’ has been organised by the Irish Tourist Board to promote Ireland’s tourism. Other world…
NZ Police Get Tech Savvy
More than 6,000 New Zealand police officers are getting an iPhone, writes Louis Bedigian in Forbes. Almost 4000 of these officers will also receive an iPad. The deal is ‘the most lucrative Apple has…
Samoa Backs Tom Groser
Samoa supports New Zealand’s Minister of Trade, Tim Groser as the next World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General. Deputy Prime Minister Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo gave Samoa’s support at a meeting with Mr Groser, according…
Greetings from New Zealand
In the column “Postcard, from New Zealand”, originally appearing in The San Francisco Chronicle on 8 February 1966, American travel writer Stanton Delaplane said: “I must say the country is much improved for the…
Alice Englert Almost Turned Down Starring Role
Kiwi actress Alice Englert almost turned down her role as ‘caster’ Lena Duchannes in Beautiful Creatures. Speaking to Eric Eisenberg, from Cinema Blend.com, Englert said that initially she ‘wasn’t interested. I heard…that it was…
Make Your Own Plane
New Zealander John Nicol is the founder of Makerplane, the first open source aviation organization allowing people to download its aeroplane plans for free. Canada-based Nicol says the use of home-based…
Clark Discusses Mali’s Future
According to former Prime Minister Helen Clark, head of the United Nations Development Program since 2009, Mali needs a very clear timetable for national dialogue, constitutional reform and improved governance. “You have to do…
A Damn Good Reporter
Longtime NBC news correspondent New Zealander Tom Aspell has died aged 62. NBC News president Steve Capus described Aspell as “understated, selfless, perpetually cool, shrewd, wry, curmudgeonly, and a damn good reporter”. “From Southeast…
Beautifully Scarce
Iranian-New Zealand artist Nabil Sabio Azadi’s travel book, For You The Traveller, is “probably the best guide book has ever seen.” “It is available in a strictly limited…
Glowing Gold at Grammys
New Zealand pop star Kimbra, 22, has won two Grammy Awards for record of the year and best pop duo/group with Australian musician Gotye. “Somebody That I Used To Know” was…
Campion Returns a Champion
New Zealand director Jane Campion makes a ‘haunting’ and near-perfect return to TV production, according to Andrew Pulver, The Guardian’s Film Editor. Campion’s return to high-end TV film-making comes with her directing the first…
Critical Mass
The Auckland University Press Anthology of New Zealand Literature edited by Jane Stafford and Mark Williams of Victoria University is reviewed by Peter Pierce for The Australian. He traverses the customary literary punch-ups that…
Architectural Designs
Feminine beaded tops over boy shirts were paired with punky skinny pants adorned with zippers on the New York Fashion Week runway of New Zealand fashion designer Rebecca Taylor as she…
On Foreign Affairs
Prime Minister John Key spoke with The Diplomat’s Zachary Keck concerning nuclear security, Afghanistan, relations with the United States and China as well as the Trans Pacific Partnership. “New Zealand views nuclear security as…
New Creatures from the Deep
In a recent joint expedition between the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and the University of Aberdeen, to one of the deepest parts of the Pacific Ocean, scientists turned up something…
Cup Hope in Culture
Team New Zealand can’t match billionaire Larry Ellison’s budget in the America’s Cup this year so it’s relying on sailing nous for what managing director Grant Dalton sees as a last chance to reclaim…
Class Written All Over It
“New product from Bright Star director Jane Campion is always welcome,” the Guardian says about the New Zealander’s six-part television series, Top of the Lake, which is showing in the Berlinale Special section at…
Sheep, Lizards and Hobbits
February 6 is New Zealand’s national day. Known as Waitangi Day, it marks the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 between the British Crown and the Maori, New Zealand’s first peoples. Britain’s…
Howling at the Moon
In real time, Wellington photographer Mark Gee shot this video of the moon rising over the capital with the silhouettes of people gathering to watch the spectacle at the Mount Victoria…
Challenging Perceptions of Beauty
This week, designer Karen Walker will show her 14th season at New York Fashion Week. And then there’s her jewellery collection, homeware, a range of paints for Resene and the diffusion label Hi There…
YouTube Whizz-kid
Corey Harris is a 16-year-old high school pupil from Kerikeri, who likes hanging out with his mates, gaming, photography and spending time on his computer. The bright-eyed teen with spiky hair is also New…
Campion a Cannes Jury President
Oscar-winning director Jane Campion has been named Short Film Jury president and head of the Cinefondation at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. Campion has strong ties with the festival, winning the short film Palme…
Looking Back at the Beginning
In the year of McLaren’s 50th anniversary celebrations, a new short film directed by leading Swedish music-video maker Marcus Söderlund, sheds light on McLaren’s very human back-story – namely that of New Zealander Bruce McLaren,…
That Maybe So, But
Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand’s Marlborough region is now Australia’s top-selling white wine. A “savalanche” has left chardonnay and other whites for dust, and that gets right up the noses of Australian winemakers, who…
Shucks, it’s a Hit
Waiheke Island’s The Oyster Inn, “is a charming project that opened late last year, set up by Andrew Glenn and Jonathan Rutherfurd Best,” Simon Farrell-Green writes for Monocle in an article about “How to:…
One of the Boys
New Zealander Jesse Peach is the director of a new production of Alan Bennett’s multi-award-winning play The History Boys, which opens at the Sydney Opera House on 8 February. Australian actor John…
Asset Allocation Win
New Zealander Alex Kim (right), a junior at Duke University in the United States, was one of three to win an asset allocation contest sponsored by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager….
He Leaves a Chasm
Broadcaster Sir Paul Holmes has died at his home in Hawkes Bay. He was 62. Holmes rose through the ranks of media in New Zealand, and not long into fronting his self-named TVNZ current…
Unleashing the Brapp
“A.J. Fairbairn mashes the 1966 Ford GT Mark II’s throttle, unleashing the brapp of its NASCAR V-8 as it echoes off the safety walls of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Todd Lassa writes for Motor…
What’s with All the Padding
Executive creative director at marketing agency RAPP New York, New Zealander Wayne Pick tells Branding Magazine what Super Bowl means to New Zealanders, in an article about how the American game…
New Zealand Dolphin Faces Extinction
An estimated 55 adult Maui dolphins are left in the world. The Maui is unique to the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. It is the world’s rarest and smallest dolphin. And, by…
Pinot Noir Our New Obsession
“They don’t call is the only grape that generates such enthusiasm,” actor and winemaker Sam Neill said at the Pinot Noir…
Penguin Paradise
Farmer Francis Helps and his wife Shireen have converted much of their Banks Peninsula land into a safe haven for one of the word’s smallest penguins, the rare white-flippered penguin, also known as korora….
Big Beauty in Small Town
Queenstown is one of the world’s top 10 best small towns, according to Ben Groundwater of The Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s got all of the adrenalin-charged clichés you can think of,…
Mythologising Mayhem
New Zealand band Unknown Mortal Orchestra is currently on tour – promoting their latest album II – in Europe before heading to the United States. Band member Oregon-based Ruben Neilsen, 32, formerly of…
On the Wing for Scotland
Tokoroa-born Sean Maitland, 24, made his Scotland debut against England in the RBS 6 Nations Championship opener against England on 2 February at Twickenham, scoring the first try of the match. Maitland qualifies for…
Lloyd Phillips, Film Producer
New Zealand’s first Oscar winner, international film producer Lloyd Phillips has died in Los Angeles after a heart attack, aged 63. Born in South Africa and raised in New Zealand, Phillips had a long…
Tim Groser Favorite for WTO Director-General
London bookies Ladbrokes have named Tim Groser, New Zealand’s Trade Minister, ‘joint favourite’ to be the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) new Director-General. Mr Groser is at 3:1 to take out the top job, along…
Another Record Pocketed
Professional pool player Macau-based Rocky Lane has broken his own jump-shooting world record time, potting 15 pool balls from the table in 11.29 seconds. New Zealand-born Lane is newly invited as…
Dodson’s Insulin Legacy
Distinguished biochemist and “outstanding x-ray crystallographer”, Palmerston North-born Guy Dodson has died in York, aged 75. Dodson was world-renowned for his research on the three-dimensional structure of biologically important proteins, particularly insulin; for his…
Century and a Win
Black Cap Kane Williamson, 22, finished unbeaten on 145 from 136 balls before New Zealand fielded their way to a 27-run victory over South Africa in Kimberley. New Zealand secured their first series victory…
From the Top and On Fire
New Zealander Victoria Ransom is chief executive of Wildfire, a provider of social media marketing software, which was acquired by Google last year. In an interview with Adam Bryant of The…
London Kiwi Chef Brings ‘Balm to the Soul’
Kiwi chef Tyler Martin hails from New Plymouth. His Fulham restaurant is called Manuka Kitchen. The name is entirely apt, according to Independent food writer John Walsh. Martin and his partner Joseph Antippa’s food…
Secrets of the Mask
New Zealand stuntwoman and actress Zoë Bell, 34, who recently starred as the mysterious masked tracker in Quentin Tarentino’s Django: Unchained, also appears as the Tall Witch in this year’s release Hansel and Gretel:…
Half a Century of Legend
Fifty years ago, New Zealander Bruce McLaren launched a company that has gone on to become one of the greats of world motorsport and on 2 September this year, McLaren…
Rocky Horror Turns Forty
New Zealand-raised actor Richard O’Brien, 70, writer of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, talks about family shame over working class roots, being transgender, the difficulty of born- again Christians, wanting to be a fairy…
Scary Script Tops US Box Office
Horror film Mama, co-written by Wellington-based novelist and scriptwriter Neil Cross, recently took the top spot at the North American box office. Mama earned $28.1 million from Friday through to Sunday at…
Cat-free Isles?
Prominent New Zealand economist and environmentalist Gareth Morgan wants his country 100 per cent cat-free and he’s willing to go extraordinary lengths to make it a reality. Cats are a “friendly neighborhood serial killer”…
Networked Lab Rats
New Zealanders have become the Internet’s most beloved lab rats, according to Bloomberg Businessweek writer Ashlee Vance. New Zealand has a large enough population to adequately test products, and the population is self-contained. Last…
NZ to Aid UAE
New Zealand will help improve food security for the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) and particularly the UAE, Murray McCully, New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a special interview with Gulf News. “New…
Touring about Canvases
Queenstown artist Alice Blackley runs Art Adventures, a tour company that takes visitors about the resort town’s galleries and studios. The Washington Post’s Michael Kaminer joins in for a day out. “A…
