On Wednesday evening, the New Zealand Writers Guild held its inaugural Scriptwriters Awards NZ 2010 (SWANZ). Twenty-one nominations competed for the seven awards on offer, ranging from the new (Best New Writer) to the more mature (Industry Mentorship Award), and over a hundred people turned up to enjoy, applaud, laugh and cheer their way through what will possibly be the shortest awards bash. But that’s screenwriters for you, pared back and succinct.
Oscar Kightley proved a perfect choice of MC, setting a light-hearted tone for the evening by offering a series of quotes about writers and writing. “‘Writers are like ladies of easy virtue. They write first for love, then for the love of others, and finally for money.’ Whatever stage of your career you’re at, welcome.”
