MYTH-BUSTING WEB SERIES LAUNCHED TO ENCOURAGE MORE WĀHINE INTO THE TRADE INDUSTRY

PILOT PROGRAMME INTRODUCED FOR EMPLOYERS TO KICKSTART FEMALE HIRES IN THE TRADE INDUSTRY

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Trade Careers have launched a creative myth-busting web series to encourage more New Zealand women into the trades, along with a toolkit to empower employees to hire female staff. At present, only 13.5% of all workers in the trades are women, and there are only 2.6% of women on the tools. Trade Careers believe that number should be much higher.

Hosted on tradecareers.co, the light-hearted series features multi-award-winning comedian Tess Waters in character as ‘Dave’, an employer on a journey to hire more women in the trade industry, alongside Billy-T Award winning comedian and actress Kura Forrester representing female employees.

With a new episode dropping each week, the series shares experiences of women currently working in the trades, along with inspiring industry leaders to bust myths about hiring females.

‘Dave’ represents an amalgamation of data gathered from over 1,000 NZ tradies who have expressed interest in hiring a woman. ‘Dave’ says: “I’ve learnt so much about how to get it right for women on site and also how to manage the lads' reaction to having more women in the industry. My advice? Give it a red hot go!”

Employers in the trade industry are being asked to sign up to a free pilot programme, offering useful tools and information for hiring women to their teams.

Kelly Bennett, Principal Advisor, WITC commented: “We heard that lots of Kiwi women are keen to enter the trades and that employers really want to hire them – both groups just need a chance to meet each other and find out more about how it all works. Our pilot programme with videos, toolkits, site visits, and events are a fun, useful way to get answers to all the questions you’ve always wanted to ask.”

Dave added: “Women in trades is not a new thing, it’s a great thing!”

In April, Trade Careers ran a nationwide survey to gather information and find ways to boost the number of women working in the infrastructure and construction sector, a sector crying-out for great wāhine staff. Survey results are set to be released on 25th August, with evidence found that both employers and potential employees would like to learn more about each other. Trade Careers hopes to uncover what the barriers are, and to explore the opportunities to see more females enter the industry.

Trade Careers is presented by Women in Trades Collective (WITC) and is supported by BCITO, Connexis, Skills and Competenz. Trade Careers received funding from the Tertiary Education Commission.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR THE 2021 ATTITUDE AWARDS

CELEBRATING THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF NEW ZEALAND’S DISABILITY COMMUNITY

Pictured: The 2020 Attitude ACC Supreme Award winner Grace Stratton

Pictured: The 2020 Attitude ACC Supreme Award winner Grace Stratton

Nominations for the 2021 Attitude Awards have opened today, calling for Aotearoa’s unsung heroes leading the way in the disability community. Celebrating New Zealanders excellence and achievements in the disability community, the annual televised event recognises athletes, employers, employees, young people and other game changers. Nominations for this year’s awards are open from now until July 23rd.

Last year’s Attitude ACC Supreme Award winner was 20-year-old Grace Stratton, who was recognised for her incredible work bringing accessibility and inclusion into the fashion industry. Auckland-raised Grace co-launched All is for All, an accessible communications, media and talent agency, with her friend Angela Bevan in 2019. Grace, who uses a wheelchair, understands the challenges of purchasing garments online only to discover they aren’t usable for someone who lives with a disability. All is for All seeks to solve this simple problem for millions of people around the world, by designing an accessible e-commerce space that reframes how designer garments are spoken about.

Grace’s achievements since launching All is for All are extensive, but include contracting more than ten models with disabilities and working with over 20 designers, showcasing at New Zealand Fashion Week 2019, as well as providing consultation work for 18 people with disabilities in advisory roles for The Warehouse Group, Bumble, Estee Lauder and more. Grace was a Young New Zealander of the Year finalist in 2018 and was named one of InStyle’s ’50 Badass Women for 2019’. She is a full-time student at AUT, studying a double degree in law and communications. Grace accepted the Attitude ACC Supreme Award in front of a sold-out crowd of friends, family and members of the disability sector.

Now in its 14th year, the Attitude Awards will present nine categories including Attitude ACC Employer, Spirit of Attitude, Sporting Endeavour and Youth Courage Award. The awards will take place on Wednesday, 1st December with a televised black-tie gala dinner at Auckland’s Cordis Hotel.

Attitude’s CEO Dan Buckingham, a Paralympic gold medallist who uses a wheelchair after sustaining a spinal cord injury aged 18, said the awards are not only a fantastic night of celebration, but also play a crucial role in raising awareness of the benefits of integrating people with disabilities into every aspect of life in Aotearoa. “We’re incredibly proud to share stories of success and achievement in the disability sector through the Attitude Awards, and we continue to be blown away by the amazing nominees that come forward year on year. If you know someone who deserves to be nominated, or indeed are that person yourself, we’d love to hear from you.”

Other 2020 winners include Libby Hunsdale, winner of the Youth Spirit Award for her incredible resilience and budding acting career, Hamilton City Councillor Timothy Young who received the Community Champion Award for his work improving the city’s public facilities for Kiwis with disabilities, and Jonathan Mosen, who won the Impact Award for his ground-breaking initiatives at Workbridge and efforts in advocating for the blind community.

For the 14th year running, ACC returns as principal sponsor. On the awards, ACC Chief Executive Scott Pickering says: “The Attitude Awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the achievements of Aotearoa-New Zealand’s disability community. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to nominate a friend, family member, colleague, or employer who deserves to be recognised. The awards are especially meaningful for us at ACC because many of those nominated each year are, or have been, clients. We are proud to have played a role in their recovery, and to have supported them to meet their rehabilitation and life goals.”

Other sponsors and supporters for the awards include APM Workcare, Barfoot & Thompson, Sport New Zealand and Lotto New Zealand.

The Attitude Awards will be aired as an hour-long television special on TVNZ1 on Sunday, 5th December, with thanks to NZ on Air. The special will feature entertainment, winners and highlights from the evening.

For nomination information and entry forms, visit http://attitudeawards.org. Nominations close on July 23rd and finalists will be announced in late August. Winners will be revealed at a black-tie gala for over 500 people including figures from the disability sector on Wednesday 1st December, at Auckland’s Cordis Hotel.

The nine categories for this year’s awards are: Attitude ACC Employer Award, Community Champion Award, Enterprise Award, Impact Award, Sporting Endeavour Award, Youth Award, Spirit of Attitude Award, and Creative Award.

TRAILER RELEASED FOR NEW LOCAL THRILLER COMING HOME IN THE DARK FOLLOWING RAVE REVIEWS AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

DIRECTED BY JAMES ASHCROFT, OWEN MARSHALL’S CHILLING SHORT STORY COMES TO LIFE ON THE BIG SCREEN

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Following its world premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, the gripping trailer for new local film Coming Home in the Dark has today been unveiled. Confirmed for nationwide cinema release on 12th August, the nail-biting thriller follows a teacher who is forced to confront a secret from his past when a pair of ruthless drifters take his family on a nightmare road-trip.

Based on a short story written by award-winning New Zealand author Owen Marshall, Coming Home in the Dark’s screenplay was adapted by James Ashcroft and his long-time collaborator, writer Eli Kent (Millie Lies Low). As both director and executive producer, the film is James Ashcroft’s feature film directorial debut. Coming Home in the Dark stars Daniel Gillies (The Vampire Diaries), Erik Thomson (The Luminaries), Miriama McDowell (Head High) and Matthias Luafutu (Ghost in the Shell).

Ashcroft describes Coming Home in the Dark’s short story as both brutal and poetic, capturing his attention immediately. Ashcroft first optioned the story ten years ago, commenting: “I was utterly compelled by its tone and setting, along with its events and characters. It’s a huge privilege for us to have been trusted in bringing Owen Marshall’s work to the screen. I’m looking forward to sharing this simple, terrifying and universal story with Kiwi audiences.”

Tipped by Variety magazine as one of their ’11 hottest movies for sale’ at Sundance Film Festival, Coming Home in the Dark was described by Variety’s Guy Lodge as “an unexpected left turn from its genre course, wading into tricky moral territory and not giving simple satisfaction.”

Coming Home in the Dark is produced by Mike Minogue (Talkback), Catherine Fitzgerald (Bellbird) and Desray Armstrong (Juniper) under Homecoming Productions banner. With investment from The New Zealand Film Commission, Coming Home in the Dark is distributed in New Zealand and Australia by Monster Pictures. Penguin Random House are set to re-release Owen Marshall’s short story in August, to time with the film’s release in nationwide cinemas.

TRAILER UNVEILED FOR NEW KIWI FILM ‘THE JUSTICE OF BUNNY KING’ STARRING ESSIE DAVIS AND THOMASIN MCKENZIE

THE FILM WILL RECEIVE ITS WORLD PREMIERE AT TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL, FOLLOWED BY A NATIONWIDE CINEMA RELEASE ON JULY 29

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The dramatic trailer for new Kiwi film The Justice of Bunny King has today been released ahead of its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival this June. Starring multi award-winning actor Essie Davis (The Babadook) alongside critically acclaimed local actor Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit), The Justice of Bunny King will release in nationwide cinemas on July 29th.

The Justice of Bunny King is Gaysorn Thavat’s directorial debut on a feature film. Thavat’s short film Brave Donkey was selected for BFI London Film Festival, Locarno Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival.

Written by Sophie Henderson (Baby, Done), The Justice of Bunny King tells the story of Bunny King, a mother of two, a rough-cut diamond with a sketchy past. While battling the system to reunite with her children, a confrontation leads her to take her niece Tonyah under her wing. With the world against her and Tonyah, Bunny’s battle has just begun.

"Films like this simply do not get made without the generosity and passion of many. The Justice of Bunny King is a film that celebrates the courage of ordinary women facing extraordinary struggles, and I look forward to bringing it home for the women of Aotearoa who inspired it,” said director Gaysorn Thavat.

Essie Davis added: “I think it’s a really important story and one that gives a voice to people who are often not heard. Bunny is a woman full of life and full of fury who will never give up on her children.”

Commenting on what drew her to the project, Thomasin McKenzie said: “I'm attracted to stories that mean something and that are worth telling. I knew that it was a female lead and it was using a female director, and director of photography, editor, producer, writer and so was really attracted to that power it had behind it.”

Produced by Emma Slade of Firefly Films (Come to Daddy), The Justice of Bunny King was made with financing from the New Zealand Film Commission and its 125 Fund, and with assistance from the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant and Screen Production Recovery Fund.

Madman Entertainment will distribute the film in Australia and New Zealand with world sales handled by Protagonist. The Tribeca Film Festival runs 9-20 June 2021, both online and in person at select cinemas across New York City.