The SPADA Awards were presented on Friday November 18 as part of the Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA) annual "Small Country: Big Picture" conference.

New Filmmaker of the Year is Roseanne Liang.
Independent Producer of the Year is Elizabeth Mitchell
Onfilm Industry Champion 2005 is independent producer Dave Gibson (right)
The SPADA Awards were presented on Friday November 18 as part of the Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA) annual "Small Country: Big Picture" conference.

New Filmmaker of the Year is Roseanne Liang.
Independent Producer of the Year is Elizabeth Mitchell
Onfilm Industry Champion 2005 is independent producer Dave Gibson (right)
The SPADA New Filmmaker of the Year is Roseanne Liang.
SPADA Independent Producer of the Year is Elizabeth Mitchell, producer of TV3 hit series Bro Town, which has just completed another strong season and has received funding for another series. Bro Town has won best comedy script at the NZ Screen Awards, TV Guide Best on the Box People's Choice Awards for best comedy and best comedy at the Qantas Television Awards. It is now part of New Zealand's popular culture.

Last year SPADA initiated the Independent Producer of the Year Award as a way of recognising an independent producer who has made a significant contribution in the last year towards the growth, development and promotion of the independent screen production industry.

The SPADA/Onfilm Industry Champion 2005 is independent producer DAVE GIBSON. Associate Minister for the Arts, Judith Tizard, in presenting this award, said, "Dave Gibson's contribution to the industry, his staff and colleagues, and to the Wellington creative sector that he has helped to build, is never less than 100 percent.

"Without him, the industry would be less colourful, less professional, less successful and definitely less interesting."

His company, The Gibson Group, has produced numerous popular television drama series including THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO LOVE and THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO HAPPINESS, THE STRIP, DUGGAN and COVER STORY. He has also paved the way in arts programming with SUNDAY, THE EDGE, BACKCHAT and FRONTSEAT. In children's television there are MIRROR MIRROR, CUCKOOLAND and HOLLY'S HEROES and in comedy AWAY LAUGHING, SKITZ, THE SEMISIS and political satires PUBLIC EYE and FACELIFT and the feature film THE SILENT ONE.

He has been a member of the Film Commission Board, was founding chairman of the Independent Producers and Directors Guild (IPDG) and has served as chairman and executive member several times of SPADA.

The industry champion award was created seven years ago to recognise a leading industry figure or organisation who has demonstrated passion and professionalism in making a significant contribution to the production industry. It is open to all levels and sectors of the industry, and the contribution could be a single action, activity or achievement or a lifetime commitment.

The winner of the SPADA Small Country Big Picture pitching competition is JESS FEAST with her pitch for a documentary COWBOYS AND COMMUNISTS.

International judge, independent consultant Tom Gutteridge, COWBOYS AND COMMUNISTS would have a place anywhere in the world and that all of the pitches in the competition were at the level of the best in the many pitching competitions he has attended around the world.

Sponsored by South Pacific Pictures, the pitching competition carries a prize return to Cannes Film Festival, provided by Voyage Affaires, a longtime supporter of the film and television industry.