Conference co-organiser Allan Baddock, of Dunedin, likened getting a screenplay turned into a feature film to winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Mr Baddock, a New Zealand Writers Guild member, said the more than 140 delegates at the conference included 66 screenwriters from overseas, including from Italy and the United Arab Emirates. The strong representation of New Zealand screenwriters at the conference was "radical" because the conference traditionally focused on academics and their research. New Zealand Film Commission chief executive Dave Gibson, the keynote speaker at the launch, yesterday talked of the issues and opportunities in the feature film industry. The speech included the "growth potential" in screenwriting for new technology, such as altered reality and virtual reality platforms.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 28, 2017 18:11 UTC