news release
17 March 2008

Iconic images for 5th year for Auckland Festival of Photography

The Auckland Festival of Photography is delighted to announce Auckland photographer Gil Hanly as the festival patron for 2008 and Gravity coffee as the “official coffee” sponsor. 

“Gil Hanly’s photographic documentation of major social movements and public events such as the anti-nuclear protest activities of the 1980’s, has established her as a pre-eminent recorder of New Zealand’s recent history.  As a respected artist nationally, including being awarded Living Treasures status by Auckland City in 2006, it seemed fitting to the Festival Trust to invite Gil to be the 2008 patron,” says Festival Organiser Julia Durkin.

The Festival 5th ‘milestone’ season runs from 30 May to 22 June 2008, with the Olympus Auckland Photo Day, a 24 hour event, taking place on 7 June 2008. “It’s a marvellous achievement for an entirely free Festival to get to year five and we need to thank all our supporters past and present for helping us achieve this” says Durkin.

Since Photo Day began in 2004 over 750 photographers have submitted more than 2400 photographs to this iconic “day in the life” of Auckland competition.

This year Gravity coffee and Olympus are offering a very generous joint prize of an Olympus Digital SLR E410 camera kit and a state-of-the-art, Italian made, Nitro coffee machine to the winning photographer.

Marketing Manager for Gravity coffee, Chris Brown says, “At Gravity we believe life should be about fun, self expression and celebrating our individuality, so supporting the Auckland Festival of Photography, Olympus Photo Day, makes perfect sense.”
 
The Festival’s full programme will be announced on 9 April on the website:

http://www.photographyfestival.org.nz/programme/index.cfm

 “In the meantime we can mention several outstanding international and local exhibitions in the 2008 programme,” says Durkin.

Exhibition previews: 

•	Ey! Iran: Contemporary Iranian Photography at Lopdell House, Titirangi presents the work of 17 artists working in photo media based both in Iran, or as expatriates. A Gold Coast City Art Gallery Traveling Exhibition.

•	Megan Jenkinson at Two Rooms, Arch Hill presents a new body of photographic work inspired by the Antarctic Artist’s Fellowship which Jenkinson completed in late 2005.

•	Michel Birot’s 'instantanés' at the Auckland Town Hall, his third exhibition presented exclusively by Creative Exposure, Auckland City Council and Photo4 Paris, captures the passion of rugby seen through Birot's emotive black and white photography. 

Creative Exposure Festival 2008 is supported by key sponsors:
Manukau City Council, Waitakere City Council, North Shore City Council, Gravity "Official Coffee Sponsor", Heart of the City, Metro, Olympus, Auckland City Council, NZ Post, Triangle TV and Westfield Manukau.
With funding support from NZCT,  NZ Internet Services NZJEP, Creative Communities North Shore, Creative Communities Waitakere, Creative Communities Auckland City, Auckland City Council, COGS, Lion Foundation, South Auckland Charitable Trust and significant support from the ASB Community Trust.

-ends-

For more information please contact:

Suzanne McNamara
Convergence Communications & Marketing Ltd 
PO Box 41222, St Lukes, Auckland 1346
P.+64 9 815 9755 F.+64 9 815 9744 M.+64 21 933 331 www.conv.co.nz