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Francesca Rudkin

Over the last 15 years Francesca Rudkin has been working in the media as a film and music reviewer (NZ Herald, Breakfast TV), a television presenter and producer, and voice over artist. Recently, Francesca joined Rialto Channel as their resident blogger, allowing her to indulge in her love of world cinema. Her next challenge is to convince her young children that being a “Cinephile” is a legitimate profession.

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NZIFF BEST SHORT FILM WINNERS

Posted on Thursday 09 August, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

The NZIFF finished in Auckland on Sunday evening after an exhausting but enriching couple of weeks. With an International Film Festival and the Olympics at the same time it would be fair to say it’s been an emotional couple of weeks.

FRANCESCA'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK

Posted on Monday 06 August, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

As the London Olympics provides some of the most stunning backdrops to an event ever seen it seems appropriate for Rialto Channel to be screening films from a man who has made this city such a central part of his films.

INTERVIEW WITH MADS BRUGGER FOR 'THE AMBASSADOR'

Posted on Thursday 02 August, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

The Ambassador is the highly entertaining new documentary from Danish filmmaker and satirist Mads Brugger. In 2007, Brugger discovered an online website that offered diplomatic posts in third world countries – for a price.

In The Ambassador, Brugger creates an alter ego named Mads Cortzen, an eccentric wealthy Danish businessman with aspirations to make a difference in Africa by setting up a match making factory. He applies to become the Liberian Consul in the Central African Republic, and head to Africa to fulfill his dream.

Of course his real intentions are quite different. Smuggling blood diamonds and hanging out with pygmies are also on his To Do list.

The result is, well quite frankly, unbelievable. Dressed as a dapper clichéd colonial adventurer, Brugger discovers a country forgotten by the rest of the world where corruption is rife, life is hellish and anything can happen. And it does.

Brugger is visiting New Zealand as part of the NZIFF, and I had the pleasure of chatting to him about the making of his documentary.

FRANCESCA'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK 30 JULY

Posted on Monday 30 July, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

Ryan Gosling is fast becoming an actor to watch, and this week he stars in a film called All Good Things (Saturday 4 August, 8.30pm), a murder mystery based on one of New York’s unsolved and most notorious missing person cases. The names of those involved have been changed, in response to objections from the families involved, so alleged serial killer Robert Durst is known as David Marks in this film and is played by Ryan Gosling.

INTERVIEW WITH TUSI TAMASESE

Posted on Thursday 26 July, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

New Zealand produced The Orator (O Le Tulafale) is the first feature filmed in Samoan and is the creation of writer and director Tusi Tamasese. Shot in and around villages on the island of Upolu, The Orator tells the story of Saili, a dwarf and the son of a chief who must find the courage to protect and fight for his family. It’s a moving drama about courage, forgiveness and love, and a remarkable debut from Tamasese, who kindly took the time to have a chat to us about making The Orator.

FRANCESCA'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK 23 JULY

Posted on Monday 23 July, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

On the eve of the 10^th anniversary of 9/11 a first time feature film director released a documentary about a football team at a mostly predominantly Muslim High School in Dearborn, Michigan. The film is called Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football and screens this week as part of our Double Exposure series on Wednesday evening. Directed and executive produced by Rashid Ghazi, a marketing guru and sports television producer, Ghazi and his wife funded the production, marketing and distribution of this film.

RIALTO AT THE NZIFF

Posted on Thursday 19 July, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

Tonight’s the night - well if you’re Auckland based it is - as The 2012 New Zealand International Film Festival kicks off with the award winning Beasts of the Southern Wild. Quite frankly, I’m excited.

FRANCESCA'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK JULY 16

Posted on Monday 16 July, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

There have been rumours social media documentary Catfish may not be as “real” as it seems, most likely by people still trying to work out if they’ve been conned by British artist Banksy's documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop. I have to admit, this intriguing and strangely compelling documentary has moments where you wonder if its three filmmakers - Ariel and Nev Schulman and Henry Joost - are already aware of how the drama will unfold.

ARE YOU READY FOR NZIFF 2012?

Posted on Monday 09 July, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

How are you going with the New Zealand International Film Festival programme? How many times have you re-read the programme? Or re-worked your booking sheet?

It can be a mammoth task pulling your wish-list together - how many films you can get to in an evening, will you be able to get from the Rialto Cinema in Newmarket to the Civic Theatre in time?

So here are a couple of thoughts to help make planning less stressful.

FRANCESCA'S PICKS FOR THE WEEK 9TH JULY

Posted on Monday 09 July, 2012 by Francesca Rudkin

It’s week two of Rialto’s Double Exposure series, where we play complementary films from the same genre on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and it provides an opportunity for English football fans to relive Italia 90, and all cricket fans to relive the pace and fury of the West Indies cricket side at the peak of their powers.

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