Archives

Home Who are Film Buffs History Interesting Articles Magazines Past Events Upcoming Events Membership Application Members' Links Links of Interest Archives

R u s s e l l C a m p b e l l - P r o j e c t i o n i s t

N g a T a o n g a A r c h i v i s t s - U n p r o c e s s e d F i l m

N Z F i l m B u f f s L e a d t h e W a y f o r A u s t r a l i a !!

T h e C o l l e c t o r s w h o S a v e d C i n e m a

Kiwi Film Legend Bill Gosden

Bill Gosden, an influential figure in the New Zealand Film industry died on 6 November 2020 just five days short of his 67th birthday. He directed the International Film Festival for almost 40 years before retiring last year due to ill health.

Catherine Fitzgerald, the Film Festival Trust Chair said his contribution to New Zealand’s film culture is unforgettable.

From his earliest years, Bill lived and breathed film and worked tirelessly to create a demand from New Zealand audiences of the highest quality films from around the world.

Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage, Camel Sepulone said “Bill had an excellent eye for cinema, a passion for the content that he brought to New Zealand audiences and created a vital platform for diverse and engaging stories and story tellers”. She went on to say that “Bill was not only highly respected in the international circuit; he was a champion for local film and contributed to raising New Zealand’s global reputation”.

Out with the Old and In with the New

7 May 2015 provided by Rainbow’s End

After 32 years, Rainbow’s End is saying a fond farewell to the cinema 180 that was housed in the iconic red dome at the Auckland theme park. The last surviving cinema of its kind in the world. Cinema 180 opened in 1983 and was specifically built to cater for the unique 180 film system which allowed movies to be screened using a bug eye lens that projected movies onto the dome shaped screen. This, coupled with Motion Master technology, meant that visitors to the Cinema 180 were given an all sensory experience.

Projectionist Tom Freeman has overseen the running of the Cinema 180 for the past 22 years and reflects that in its heyday you would get 120 people in the dome. “It was fun watching people’s reactions, with so many people in the dome you would get some start swaying and then they would all start, it wasn’t long before many fell” says Tom.

Sadly there are no films made for the cinema 180 process any more and the whole projection system has been sold to film buffs.