Stardome Zeiss Telescope

If, like us, you have been following the fortunes of our friends at Stardome then you will know about the incident when their dome covering was stolen. So you will be delighted to hear that the Stardome Observatory & Planetarium reopened its EWB Zeiss Telescope to the public on Friday – you can make bookings on their site.

The usual assortment of space based activity is also available including a tribute show for Pink Floyd’s iconic album The Dark Side of the Moon’ which is hitting its 50th anniversary.

Voting Open in 2024 GUFF Race

Voting is now open in the 2024 GUFF race to send a fan from down under to the Glasgow Worldcon. There are two candidates, Kat Clay and Ian Nichols.

Vote by (a) sending money, and (b) filling in the pdf form. Full details in the pdf ballot form. Voting closes late on April 22nd or early on April 23rd, depending on where you are in the world.

You can get more details (including the form) on the GUFF fb page.

GUFF Call for Nominations

2024 GUFF Call for Nominations Oceania to Europe

GUFF is the Get Up and Over (or Going Under) Fan Fund which transports SF fans from Oceania (Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia) to Europe (and vice versa).

Nominations in the race to send a fan Northbound to Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland (8-12 August, 2024) are open to anyone who was active in fandom prior to January 2022. The winner could also travel to other parts of the UK and elsewhere in Europe to visit fans, as time permits. The winner will be expected to take over the administration of the fund for the next northbound and southbound races, and will ideally publish a report of their trip.

If you wish to stand, please contact us at the email addresses below. You will need three nominators from the southern hemisphere and two from Europe (who will each need to confirm their nominations), a platform of no more than 100 words to appear on the ballot, and a bond of AU$25/NZ$25 to guarantee attendance at the 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow if you win. If you wish to stand and are unsure about how to go about getting any of these things, what the fund pays for or the duties of a GUFF delegate and administrator, then feel free to contact us in confidence.

Nominations are open from now until 23 March 2024. Candidates will be announced soon after, and voting will then run until 23:59 on 23 April 2024 (British Time – GMT + 1) with the winner announced online as soon as possible after voting has closed.

Nominations should be sent via email to NZ administrator Simon Litten at guff2020@ozfanfunds.com and UK administrator Alison Scott at guffeurope@gmail.com. The bond should be sent by PayPal to littenz@gmail.com.

Local SF Film Pitch

A local filmmaker reached out to us with the following…
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I’m writing to bring to your attention a new short film we shot in Auckland last year. It’s a quirky sci-fi called PleasureDora. It’s about a glitchy sex-bot at the end of her shelf life and her lonely final customer. Together they confront mortality, second chances, and what life on the scrap heap means for them.

It’s all shot and edited (we self-funded those parts) but we are currently crowdfunding to raise $10k for grading, sound design and music. I was wondering if you’d like to take a look. I think this could really vibe with local sci-fi fans who want to help create something.

There’s a video at the link below which gives you a flavour of what it will look and feel like.
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This is the link if you are curious – https://boosted.org.nz/projects/pleasuredora

Also a Facebook post with pictures relating to work with Jed Brophy on the film.

Australian Shadows Awards Open

The 2023 Australian Shadows Awards are also now open for submissions.

The Australian Shadows Awards celebrate the finest in horror and dark fiction published by an Australasian within the calendar year.

Entries are open across eight categories, for works written by an Australian or New Zealand writer.

Sci Fi at Stardome is Back

Stardome is back up and running after their renovations. They have announced a new season of their “Sci Fi at Stardome” where they show a classic SF movie on their planetarium with popcorn included in the ticket price. Shows are every second Wednesday at 8pm starting with the original Men in Black on 26th July.

If you can’t read the attached graphic (click on it to enlarge), there is a calendar tool on the main Stardome homepage where you can see what is on. As well as the films, you might want to check out the Matariki open day and the school holiday programme.

The Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit – The Concert

EDIT – read this article before you make any decisions about this concert!

THEN READ THIS!!!

The hobbits are coming – with their music! The musical world of hobbits and elves from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of The Rings” and “The Hobbit” will be performed in a concert by a symphonic orchestra, choir, and star soloists. A two-hour evening performance features original star guests and unique music, reaching from the threatening sounds of Mordor and the shrill attack of the black riders to the beautiful lyrical melodies of the elves.

These concerts are coming around the country – so far we know:

Christchurch Sat 6th May – more details of the concert on the Theatre Royal site. – link through to Ticketek from there.
Dunedin 10th May
Auckland 13th May
Wellington 15th May
(tickets for these latter 3 concerts at Ticketmaster)

Online Get-Together for Local Fans

Come along to a free local (NZ) online fan get-together this Friday 18 November from 7-9 pm, with an open text/audio/video room for folks to hangout. There will be a short presentation at 7:30, to meet local authors Kate Haley, HG Parry, Jack Remiel, Sascha Stronach, and M. Darusha Wehm to hear about their new and upcoming books. After that, the authors will be available for a text/audio/video chat.

You can register here: https://hopin.com/events/online-social

Hawke’s Bay Readers & Writers Festival

Join Gareth Ward to celebrate the launch of Tarquin the Honest: The Hand of Glodd, a comic fantasy adventure featuring the universe’s most honest wizard and his sandwich scoffing friend.

We thought we would lead with the punchline this time. There is the launch of a fantasy YA (we think) novel at the Hawke’s Bay Readers & Writers Festival. As usual we look through these events to find genre events – this is what we found. We also found a D&D event straight afterwards.

In case you are wondering about Gareth’s genre credentials, he did win the 2018 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Youth Novel.

This is all part of the Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival. Check it out – the front page of their web site features big time SF fan Che Fu.

Michael Hurst in The Golden Ass

Classical era fantasy theatre NOT in Auckland. 25 venues around the country are hosting Michael Hurst’s one man show The Golden Ass all through July.

Some details…it sounds like fantasy to us…
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Freely adapted from the notorious original by Apuleius, this brand new solo show is the story of Lucius – a young man driven by sexual desire and insatiable curiosity who is accidentally transformed into a donkey. Uh-oh!

What follows is a fantastical series of misadventures in a wicked world of witches, bandits, virgins, cultists, slaves, circuses, soldiers, pastry-cooks, prostitutes and priests.

Marvellously, sidesplittingly ridiculous, The Golden Ass is the original donkey show, inspiring such literary giants as Shakespeare, Boccaccio, Cervantes, Rabelais and Keats. It remains today a powerful plea for empathy in a world gone mad.

NZISF NanoFest

We found a few things that might possibly be of interest to fans at the New Zealand International Science Festival Nanofest 2022. Its being held in Dunedin over the next two weekends.

If you want to find things of fannish interest, have a scroll through this content from the ODT. Anybody for simulating an meteor impacts, building popsicle stick bombs or VR gaming?

A couple of things we noted about ourselves as we recorded this…

We do rather focus on artist events rather more than science ones. Its probably valid, but its also important to keep our outlook wide.

When was the last time we reported something from Dunedin? More stuff from the South Island please.

Badjelly The Witch – Live On Stage

Do you want to take your kids to something that touches on fantasy and will be fun for you too? How about Badjelly The Witch performed live on stage?

It is being performed in July in Takapuna and Mangere. You can get all the info on Eventfinda for Mangere or here for Takapuna – scroll down a bit for details including a costume parade.

In the same vein, a reminder that the Wizard of Oz is on this month in Orewa.

Fantasy Music in Auckland

Kick off June in Auckland with a pair of concerts associated with major fantasy film franchises.

The Magical Music of Harry Potter
1 Jun 2022 – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre
“A one-of-a-kind film and music experience: The Magical Music of Harry Potter is a unique and enchanting evening where original actors, star soloists, a choir and an orchestra bring the boy wizard’s world to life! The programme includes soundtracks by four-time Academy Award winner John Williams, Nicholas Hooper, Patrick Doyle and Golden Globe winner Alexander Desplat. The evening becomes truly spellbinding with illusions from Rob Lake, one of the world’s leading magicians, featured on America’s Got Talent and Disney’s Cruise Line.”

The Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit – The Concert
June 2nd – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre
“The hobbits are coming! Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Peter Jackson’s magnificent films and bring to life the legendary world of hobbits, elves and orcs in a unique concert experience with a symphonic orchestra, choir and star guests. From the ominous sounds of Mordor and the shrill attack of the black riders, to the beautiful lyrical melodies of the Elves – almost 100 performers will take you on a fantastic journey with the most popular tunes from the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. Featuring The Orchestra & Choir of the Shire, plus guests from the films.“

Aurealis Awards Shortlist Announcement

Its that time again. Every year when the major Aussie awards shortlists come out, we link to them and invite you to play “spot the kiwis”. This time its the Aurealis Awards Shortlist Announcement – knock yourselves out!

Kiwi RPG – RPG Week

Kiwi RPG is a new site who are offering a new space to show off Kiwi creativity in the tabletop roleplaying game industry. They are so new they still have that new website smell. Why not check them out…

As part of the launch, they are announcing the first ever “#KiwiRPG week”! From Sunday 1 to Sunday 8 May 2022 they will be celebrating and showcasing Tabletop Role-Playing Games design and play from Aotearoa New Zealand.

Australian Shadows Awards Finalists

At the risk of repeating ourselves, the Australian Shadows Awards are an Australasian award meaning it includes New Zealand writers. The 2021 awards finalists have been announced. Yes, there are Aussies on the list, but there are also Kiwis. And Kiwis living in Australia. And Aussies living in Aotearoa. Have a look and see if you can figure out which is which.

Congratulations to all the finalists (but especially to the Kiwis).

Rocky Horror Dinosaur Star

A couple of activities in the provinces for you…

This upcoming weekend and the one following (Mar 20-21 and 26-27), The Amazing Dinosaur Discovery is in Masterton. There are a bunch of various activities including Robotic Raptors!!!!

If that isn’t your thing then the Wairarapa is also offering, for the more astral-minded, Autumn Equinox, Music & Telescope as well as Star Safari.

Or if that isn’t your thing, across the other side of the island in New Plymouth in early April (8th & 9th) there is a The Rocky Horror Picture Show event. Not just a screening but an interactive experience with a shadow cast and a props package. This is part of OUTfest Taranaki 2022.

Middle-Earth Costume Trail

If you are in Wellington during the summer you can get a close look at a bunch of props and costumes from The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. This exhibition “Journey to Middle-Earth” is part of Weta’s celebration of the 20th anniversary of the films.

You can read more on Stuff and the Wellington NZ site has a list of locations. You can get a physical map at any of the locations. The exhibition runs until the end of March.

Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts

As you probably know, we like scan through festival progamme listings looking for things relevant to our SF/F/H genre community. It can be dispiriting at times. But then we have something like this. The Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts, in Feb/Mar next year in Wellington, has a bunch of genre related items for you to check out. Following are a list we found after a quick look through, but it almost certainly isn’t all. So check out the full list of items to see what else is on. Note we have mentioned a few of these before in a standalone context, but all these are festival item versions.

Horizons - with Prof Brian Cox
Destination Mars – From the makers of APOLLO 13: Mission Control
N.K. Jemisin – in conversation with Elizabeth Knox
Another Universe – alternate history as spoken word art
Whiti Hereaka with Cassie Hart – talking about Cassie’s new book
Nalini Singh and Steff Green – in discussion with Cassie Hart
Books in the Time of the Pandemic – including Octavia Cade
Life on Mars – more Octavia Cade, Cassie Hart and Nalini Singh
Life on Mars – Australian Edition
Tania Roxborogh – 2021 Margaret Mahy Book of the Year author

Awardwatch : The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest

This award might bend your mind a bit. The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest invites entries for the worst opening line to a novel. You can read the 2021 winners list on their site.

Why did we post this? Well firstly they have Science Fiction and Fantasy awards. But more importantly, Auckland artist and author Stu Duval won the top award. He also picked up a “Dishonorable Mention”.

Go ahead and have a read but beware your sanity.