The Moving Image Centre (MIC) and the Film Archive Mediaplex in Wellington present the last monthly short film and video art night for 2006 on December 7th. The line-up features great short films from the year and beyond, including Tama Tu by Taika Waititi and Dead Letters by Paolo Rotondo, followed by a live performance from esteemed electronica composer Warwick Blair.The Moving Image Centre (MIC) and the Film Archive Mediaplex in Wellington present the last monthly short film and video art night for 2006 on December 7th. The line-up features great short films from the year and beyond, including Tama Tu by Taika Waititi and Dead Letters by Paolo Rotondo, followed by a live performance from esteemed electronica composer Warwick Blair.Short Fuse showcases an eclectic mix of short films from a wide range of Kiwi filmmakers, which are screened in the cinema at the Film Archive Mediaplex and followed by a Q&A session with featured filmmakers.

Intersect keeps the evening going, with local VJs playing alongside turntable-driven tunes from some of Wellington's finest. The bar area becomes flooded with live mixed visuals and sound, inviting people to hang out and enjoy the rest of the evening.

In December, Intersect is proud to feature Warwick Blair, who is making a trip down from Auckland to play a live set of works from his recent album Accordian. Performing in the cinema, Blair will perform tracks accompanied by trumpet and interactive video art created by Amber De Boer and Tom Bogdanowicz.

Warwick Blair has been described as "one of New Zealand's most original musical thinkers" (NZ Herald) and the "enfant terrible of New Zealand Music" (NZ Listener). His 20-year career has included working alongside UK electronica legend Scanner, Greek composer Iannis Xenakis and Madonna/Bjork producer Guy Sigsworth.

"With evocative, oceanic swells of electronics or instruments which then drift back to the merest trickle of sounds, this is music cinematic in conception but also so inviting of reflection as to be highly personal - The final track is beamed in from another cosmos." Graham Reid, NZ Herald

The MIC promotes a dynamic and growing culture of media-arts practice in New Zealand, supporting an environment of innovation, in which the fusion of art and technology is developed and nurtured. It was established in June 1993 as a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of creative media arts in New Zealand. This is achieved by the exhibition and distribution of innovative and challenging film, video, installation and new technology art, visits by international digital media artists and filmmakers and the supply of information and workshops to filmmakers and digital media artists.

When: Thursday, December 7th
Short Fuse films - 7pm ($8/6)
Intersect with Warwick Blair - 9:30pm ($10)
Where: Film Archive Mediaplex, 84 Taranaki St

Short Fuse Programme, December 2006
(Total run-time: 88 minutes)

Dead End (Mark Albiston) 15min
Dead End is a rock'n'roll funeral road trip complete with fast cars, penile dysfunction and small town scandal.

Tama Tu (Taika Waititi) 18min
Six Maori Battalion soldiers wait for night to fall in the ruins of a ruined Italian home. Forced into silence they keep themselves amused like any boys would, with jokes and laughter. Even at war - boys will be boys.

Dead Letters (Paolo Rotondo) 14min
Blending fact and fiction to tell a story of wartime romance, Dead Letters is a bold and visually appealing period drama.

The Sunshine Man (Peter Tonks) 5min
A dark parable concerning a seriously-odd telephone salesman whose frustrations in landing a buyer lead him to malicious action.

Salt (Campbell Farquhar) 2.30min
Stylistically squishy love affair with hot baked potato.

In Between Paintings (Simon Murtagh) 7min
A look into the life of one of New Zealand's most iconic painters, Dick Frizzell.

My Bloody Valentine (Andy Hedley) 8.30min
Everyone dies in the end!

Cut Out (Kristina Simons) 18min
A teenage crisis adapted from a play to hilarious low-budget effect.

Image: Dead Letters (Paolo Rotondo), © Robert Catto