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PRESS RELEASE: THE WHALE RIDER

London based sales outfit The Works is delighted to announce the addition to its slate of New Zealand film WHALE RIDER, written and directed by Niki Caro (‘Memory and Desire’, Official Selection Cannes 1998). The film is based on the novel by acclaimed New Zealand writer Witi Ihimaera (‘The Matriach’, ‘Tangi’). The deal was negotiated by producer John Barnett of New Zealand based South Pacific Pictures with Aline Perry, Chief Executive of The Works.

WHALE RIDER is produced for South Pacific Pictures, ApolloMedia and Pandora Film by BAFTA winner Tim Sanders (‘Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’, ‘The Frighteners’); John Barnett (‘What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?’) of South Pacific Pictures; and Frank Hübner (‘The Musketeer’, ‘FearDotCom’) of ApolloMedia. Executive Producers are Bill Gavin (‘What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?’) and Linda Goldstein Knowlton (‘The Shipping News’, ‘Crazy in Alabama’).

Set in a Maori community, WHALE RIDER tells the story of a young girl’s fight to prove her love, her leadership and her destiny. The film was shot on location in Whangara, on New Zealand’s East Coast.

The film was delivered in August and stars newcomer Keisha Castle-Hughes in the lead role, and Cliff Curtis (‘Collateral Damage’, ‘Training Day’, ‘Blow’, ‘Jubilee’, ‘The Insider’, ‘Three Kings’, ‘Once Were Warriors’).

Says Aline Perry, Chief Executive of The Works: “We are thrilled to represent this hauntingly beautiful piece of work from Niki Caro. It is a film that we feel has international appeal – the emotional story between the generations is timeless and Leon Narbey’s photography invites you to engage in the landscape of the relationships.”

Producer John Barnett, of South Pacific Pictures comments: “We are delighted to have The Works represent what is a truly magical film. Keisha Castle-Hughes's debut performance is outstanding and Niki Caro has created a film that will stay with you long after you see it.”

Whale Rider has a budget of around NZ$10 million. Investors in the film are the New Zealand Film Production Fund and ApolloMedia in Germany, Filmstiftung NRW, The New Zealand Film Commission and NZ on Air. BIM (Italy) have pre-bought rights for their territories.

The Works (formerly The Sales Co) was established in 1986 and is one of Europe’s leading sales agents. In addition to acting as sales agent for its shareholders (Civilian Content – parent company of The Film Consortium (a National Lottery Franchise) and BBC Worldwide), the company handles non-shareholder product from all over the world.