SPADA Congratulates 'The Power of the Dog' Team
Rāpare, 10 Hui-tanguru / Thursday, 10 February 2022
A huge congratulations to the team behind The Power of the Dog, this week confirmed as leading the nominations for the 94th Academy Awards which will be announced late next month.
The film, shot exclusively in New Zealand and featuring a powerhouse local production crew as well as several key Kiwi creatives, is up for 12 Oscars including Best Picture.
The Academy Award nominations are the jewels in the crown of a stellar festival and awards season for The Power of the Dog and follows 8 BAFTA nominations (sharing the lead with Dune for 2022). These accolades are a testament to the hard work and dedication of all those who worked behind the scenes to make the production equally as seamless as it is successful.
In SPADA’s October 2021 edition of our news round-up for local media we snapshotted The Power of the Dog in our production case study section:
Who: Written and Directed by Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog is an official New Zealand/Australian co-production made with funding from Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission, Netflix, BBC Film, and the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant.
The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, The Imitation Game), Kirsten Dunst (Spiderman, Melancholia), Jesse Plemons (The Irishman, Fargo), Kodi Smit-McPhee (X-Men: Apocalypse, Slow West), Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit, Leave No Trace), Keith Carradine (The Big Bang Theory, Deadwood), Frances Conroy (Joker, Six Feet Under) and Genevieve Lemon (The Piano, The Dressmaker).
Co-produced by independent local producer Chloe Smith, key New Zealand creatives on the crew include Oscar-winning Production Designer Grant Major and acclaimed Costume Designer Kirsty Cameron. Additional Kiwi cast members include George Mason (The Gulf, My Life is Murder, Go Girls), Cohen Holloway (Cousins, Educators, Fresh Eggs), Bryony Skillington (The New Legends of Monkey, The Rehearsal), Jacque Drew (One of Us is Lying, The Royal Treatment, Mr Corman), Yvette Parson (Creamerie, Educators, Shortland Street) and more.
What: The Power of the Dog is based on Thomas Savage’s novel of the same name. The film follows charismatic rancher Phil Burbank (Cumberbatch) who inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother (Plemons) brings home a new wife (Dunst) and her son (Smit-McPhee), Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.
Recently announced as the opening night film for the 2021 Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival, The Power of the Dog had its world premiere in early September at the 78th Venice International film Festival where it received a four-minute standing ovation. Jane Campion was also awarded Venice’s Silver Lion for Best Direction.
The film has since had Special Presentation screenings at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival and is set to screen at more film festivals across the globe, including London, Mill Valley, Montclair, New York (centrepiece screening), San Diego, San Sebastian and Zurich.
When: Production on the film started in January 2020 and, following a pause for New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown, shooting resumed in June of the same year.
Following its festival run and limited US theatrical release, The Power of the Dog is available to stream on Netflix.
Where: Production locations included Otago, Dunedin and the Walls Road studios in Penrose, Auckland.
Did you know?: Fewer than 1 in 15 cinematographers are women.
As part of the Cushla Lewis Gender Diversity Program, Bailey Mitchinson was given the role of Camera Trainee on The Power of the Dog. She relished the role and quickly stepped up as a truck loader/2nd Assistant Camera.
The NZ Cinematographers Society has a full report on the placement from Bailey, as well feedback from Co-Producer Chloe Smith and 1st Assistant Camera Ben Rowsell.
The Cushla Lewis Gender Diversity Programme is run by the NZSC with help from the NZ Film Commission. The objective of the programme is to inject a new level of diversity into the camera community by supporting more women in the earlier stages of their career, increasing visibility and building change. Read more about the Programme here.
Watch: Trailers, Featurettes and Clips from behind the scenes with cast and crew from The Power of the Dog.
Watch this space... Jane Campion has announced that she is now looking to set up a pop-up film school in New Zealand. The concept has backing from Netflix and will provide advanced film education for around 10 people.