Screentalk

Rob Sarkies' first three movies have all begun in southern climes, then headed in unexpected directions. Scarfies celebrates Dunedin student life, before morphing into a twisted examination of morality under fire. Out of the Blue celebrates community and the ordinary person, while recreating the 1990 killings at Aramoana. New feature Two Little Boys is a black comedy featuring Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie and Australian comedian Hamish Blake. In this ScreenTalk interview, Sarkies talks about:

• How he enjoys making films which mix different flavours, genres and ideas
• How Two Little Boys mixes elements of comedy, relationship drama and shock horror
• How the film's lovable but heinous characters offer a chance to explore relationships - especially relationships in decay
• Signing up Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie
• Writing scripts with his multi-talented brother Duncan Sarkies
• Being aware of the stakes when he made his first feature Scarfies
• Using marketing to overcome the Kiwi cultural cringe
• Creating a perception that Out of the Blue was made with heart and artistry, so people could feel comfortable about being involved

Jason Stutter - director of Ronald Hugh Morrieson adaptation Predicament - has a talent for going for the jugular, yet doing it in style. In Stutter’s movies, the camera plunges headfirst into haunted hospitals, dodgy smalltown dealings, and fight scenes with Pacific Island Ninjas whose parents were unexpectedly half-gobbled by fish. In this ScreenTalk interview, Stutter talks about

• why he makes films
• his many projects featuring Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement
• falling in love with the dialogue in Ronald Hugh Morrieson’s novel Predicament
• the lessons that can be learnt from Morrieson’s career
• the bravery of comedians, and why he loves giving them acting roles in his movies
• the genesis of Tongan Ninja, Stutter’s no-budget, three years in the making feature debut
• the unusual way haunted hospital tale Diagnosis: Death was funded
• the importance of staying loyal to the original text