NZ feature film's nationwide release starts with Q&A in Auckland this Thursday

“…a touching, beautifully drawn Kiwi film … well worth hunting out”
****
Sunday Star Times

“Year’s Most Tasteful Depiction of Nudity”
New Zealand Listener

This Thursday (16 June), the nationwide cinema release of New Zealand feature film Russian Snark kicks off with a Q&A with the filmmakers at Rialto Cinema, Newmarket.

Attending the 6pm screening and then answering questions about the making of the movie will be writer-director Stephen Sinclair, producer Liz DiFiore, and cast members Stephanie Tauevihi, Stephen Papps and Elena Stejko.

Stephen Sinclair is a successful screenwriter (The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, Braindead, Meet the Feebles) and playwright (Ladies Night, The Bach, The Bellbird) who is making his feature film directorial debut with Russian Snark.

Best known for her long-running role on Shortland Street, Stephanie Tauevihi won Best Supporting Actress at the 2010 Qantas Film & Television Awards for her role in the film.

Cast mate Elena Stejko has also appeared on Shortland Street and Mercy Peak, while Stephen Papp’s many screen acting credits include The End of the Golden Weather and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Producer Liz DiFiore has worked on many high-profile projects, including Hollywood movie Anacondas and US TV series The Amazing Race and The Bachelor.

Sinclair describes the film as “an eccentric comedy-drama-art movie” about a Russian filmmaker struggling to further his career in NZ and the pressure this puts on his marriage and mental health.

A central theme of the movie is whether it’s better to be a great artist or a good man, something Sinclair laughingly admits has great personal resonance for him.

“Filmmaking is not a family-friendly profession,” he says, “and the conflict between work and private life was certainly an issue during the making of Russian Snark. Though my wife is still talking to me – so at least the outcome wasn’t disastrous!”

Sinclair will also be attending Q&A screenings of the film in New Plymouth (Art House Cinema, 18 June, 8.20pm), Wellington (Paramount Cinema, 19 June, 5pm) and Palmerston North (Cinema Gold, 23 June).

MEDIA INFO
Local screening times: http://www.rialto.co.nz/vistait/village/Default.aspx?Control=Sessions&CinemaID=R08
Trailer: http://www.flicks.co.nz/movie/russian-snark/
Official website: www.russiansnark.com
Media requests, including interview, high resolution photos: nof.grant@gmail.com