2020 New Zealand International Film Festival to take place online at your home

2020 New Zealand International Film Festival will be screened online - at your home

From Arthouse to Your House: NZIFF At Home – Online

New Zealand International Film Festival 2020 Edition To Screen On Line

The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has today announced its plans to
present the 2020 programme in an online format.

With COVID-19 restrictions in place and likely to continue for some months, cinemas and
entertainment venues around the country are closed or will remain under stringent
gathering and social distancing limitations. NZIFF, run by the not-for-profit New Zealand
Film Festival Trust, is unable to confidently present the 2020 programme as originally
planned in cinemas across the country.

“This is an extraordinary situation and we need to adapt and find a creative solution for
2020,” says New Zealand Film Festival Trust Chair Catherine Fitzgerald. “The shared
experience of cinema and the power of storytelling to bring communities together has
always been our driving force. With the current, and evolving situation, we believe in the
value and importance of cinema now more than ever.

“We cannot do without the Film Festival in July and so we are excited to be able to upgrade
our online platform to ensure we can bring the best of new cinema to our audiences with
new ways to share the experience and interact with the filmmakers and fellow audience
members .”

The New Zealand International Film Festival At Home – Online will take place from 24 July to
2 August with a world-class curated programme of world and New Zealand premiere films
for audiences to screen at home,

Film premieres and film festivals around the world are being severely impacted by the
global pandemic with the cancellation and postponement of festivals including Cannes, New
York’s TribeCa, and Sydney among many others, but new NZIFF Director Marten Rabarts has
assurance from key film distributors in Australia, New Zealand and around the world that
they are committed to making this online edition work well.

“After the initial realisation and heartbreak of not being able to provide our Film Festival
whānau an in-cinema experience this year we’ve worked quickly, while leaning on our
strong relationships with filmmakers, distributors and sales agents, to ensure we are able to
confidently adapt the way in which we’ll present their films to our dedicated audience
across the country.”

Rabarts said “NZIFF At Home – Online will be a true film festival experience featuring world
and New Zealand premieres of films each night, and including virtual red-carpet, and
filmmaker Q&As and we can potentially invite more international guests to present their
films to our festival audiences than ever before using virtual means.

"Some films will be screened as special ‘one-off’ events, and many of the films presented will be exclusive to NZIFF and won’t have other New Zealand screenings.”

Key to the success of the online edition is the upgrade of the existing video on demand
(VOD) portal and the necessary technology and integration to present the festival
experience.

“We are working with our OnDemand provider Shift72 on the technology to
deliver a ‘bells and whistles’ digital screening room, coupled with live streaming events
possibilities on our own website.

Full information on the programme, viewing costs and viewing windows for the online
platform will be announced on Monday 22 June.

Film festival director Marten Rabarts

Bringing the NZIFF 2020 programme to life is a team of programmers led by Festival Director Marten Rabarts, newly promoted Head of Programming Michael McDonnell, Paris-based
Programmer Sandra Reid, and specialist programmers Nic Marshall (For All Ages), Ant
Timpson (Incredibly Strange), and Malcolm Turner (Animation Now), and new for 2020, a
quartet of international guest curators.

The four international guest curators for 2020 are Argentinian film producer and Venice Film
Festival programme consultant Violeta Bava, American curator and creative producer Alesia
Weston whose track record includes Sundance International and the Directorship of
Jerusalem Film Festival, former Director of Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and
programming associate for Toronto International Film Festival Vicci Ho, and Director of
Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program Bird Runningwater.

“We are excited to introduce our guest curators for the 2020 Festival. These four curators
are highly respected programmers globally and we are delighted to be able to draw on their
knowledge of specialised territories and their diverse backgrounds to enrich this year’s
programme,” Rabarts said.

Rabarts added that NZIFF is also looking to the near-future when COVID 19 gathering
restrictions will once again allow a return to an in-cinema programme.

“In January 2021 we hope to be celebrating that return with a special summer programme of films in our flagship venues in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin,” he affirms.

“We are fully committed to a return to cinemas in 2021 and we understand our audiences
cherish the experience of sharing the festival films with others as much as we do , but until
that’s possible you’ll find us no further away than the NZIFF website or app when we launch
our At Home – Online programme in June.”

Key Dates
Monday 22 June: NZIFF 2020 At Home – Online Programme Announced
24 July – 2 August: NZIFF 2020 At Home – Online runs nationwide

The Gentlemen: DVD Review

The Gentlemen: DVD Review

Guy Ritchie returns to familiar territory in The Gentlemen, a crime caper that dials up the Cockney tomfoolery and violence, but which pales in comparison to Ritchie's greatest Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

In this latest, centring around drug kingpin Mickey Pearson (an unctuous McConaughey) and his marijuana business, Ritchie spins a tale via unreliable narrator and potential blackmailer Fletcher (Grant, in a pastiche of a camp Michael Caine and tabloid editor) who tries his hand to get cash to keep Pearson's secrets.

But when Pearson wants to get rid of the dodgy dealings to spend more time with his wife Ros (Dockery, massively underused as a moll or any kind of character), it attracts the interest of the Chinese triads and their wannabe head Dry Eye (played by Crazy Rich Asians' Henry Golding)....

The Gentlemen is a film which puts the meta into the gangster genre. Or at least tries to.

Grant's slimy Fletcher seems like an extension of Ritchie himself, weaving a web of potential lies and deceit (and even pitching a film to Miramax at the end with a Man from U.N.C.L.E poster in the background), and winking at gangster movie conventions while riffing (less than subtly) on how films like The Conversation are rubbish, and digital films aren't as good as actual film. It's all a bit too much in some ways, and detracts from Ritchie's original simplicity of plotting - though there's a strong case to be said for Fletcher being Ritchie and Pearson's No 2 (Hunnam) being the audience if you want to dig deeper.

Elsewhere, it's the usual mix of trickery and an extremely liberal use of foul language as the cast go warts and all into the proceedings, into the codes of elder gangsters versus younger rivals and the shaggy dog progress of the story.

In truth, Grant's Fletcher is the best thing about The Gentlemen, a louche snake of a man whose self-preservation is second only to his own debauchery and desires - and Grant has a ball playing him, with lines such as "I can feel myself engorging" being delivered with such relish - along with Paddington 2 and this, Grant delivers a strong case for a villainous after career.

The rest of the cast are fine - Hunnam is overlooked though he's the head of the firm in reality, a fixer who's apparently in out of his depth, and McConaughey just oozes charm as the wastrel boss.

But less successful are Dockery, who's sidelined with nothing more than a moll (and a questionable near-rape scene) and Golding, whose one note performance is script related rather than actor delivered.

A long debate over how to racially refer to someone also teeters on extremely unpalatable as well - leaving parts of The Gentlemen feeling grubby and unwarranted.

Ultimately, The Gentlemen has a criminal amount of slippery class, but its stylised edges pale when held upto to Ritchie's best. Sure, he's having a ball, and bringing the audience with him, but this old dog doesn't have any massively new tricks to showcase, merely a criminal caper the likes of which we've mainly seen before.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps: XBox One Review

Ori and the Will of the Wisps: XBox One Review

Developed by Moon studios
Released by Microsoft
Platform: XBox One

The 2015 debut of Ori on the XBox was close to platforming perfection.

Leaping around a forest, performing tricky leaps and bounds, and failing had never been so much fun.

In the long-awaited sequel, it's back to the forest as Ori welcomes the baby of Kuru, the owl that terrorised him in the last game. When Ori and baby Ku become friends, they learn to play together, and as Ku grows and learns to fly, Ori tags along.

But caught up in a storm, the pair is separated - and it's up to Ori to get Ku back home.

Jumping, climbing, leaping and hurtling through the forest, Ori and The Will of The Wisps is a fun and challenging return to the world of Nibel.

Creating a side cast of characters and various missions for Ori, the game concerns itself with its side-quests and its atmospherics, which is where it excels. A gorgeously orchestrated soundtrack complements the action as it plays out and gives the game a warm comfortable feeling.

It also adds to the fairytale level of what's transpiring on screen as well as the world expands this time, leading to a feeling of exploration being worthwhile each time the game sends you off on various missions.

Sure, it does occasionally frustrate - like all great platformers should. And there are some technical bugs that cause headaches more than they should, but overall, Ori and The Will of the Wisps is a game that enchants as much as the Blind Forest did.

Here's to a third outing for Ori.

Upload: Series 1: Amazon Prime Video Review

Upload: Series 1: Amazon Prime Video Review

Released May 1 on Amazon Prime Video

Greg Daniels' latest foray into the TV world seeks to build on success from The Office and Parks and Rec - but it never quite finds a tone it wants and settles on it.

The 10 episode first series deals with Robbie Amell's Nathan Brown, a coder whose untimely death at the hands of a self-driving car leads his frankly awful girlfriend to get him uploaded to the afterlife.

Digitally aware but technically kind of dead, Nathan begins to suspect that he's been murdered. So he gradually starts to investigate what exactly happened with the help of the voice in his ear and the digital Jeeves to his Wooster, his "Angel" Nora (Andy Allo), a glorified customer service assistant at the afterlife company.

And that's kind of it - meshing more drama than comedy, and not enough to end up in the "dramedy" genre, Upload at its digital heart is more interested in showing how shallow Nathan ends up realising the world he left behind was the one he misses the most - even though he didn't realise it at the time.

Equally, Nora discovers that she's falling in love with the upload rather than living for her daily reality.

There are little to no major discoveries in Upload, and the comedy is generally wanting - it's certainly not a show that delivers consistent laughs in its 25 minute episode chunks. If anything, the marketing will oversell this element of the series and damage it - certainly a trailer implies that there's a lot more hokey goings on in the Good Place stylings and pretensions of the show.

But mostly, Upload plays as a soft, gentle drama, that has sporadic laughs that feel more like glitches in the story's narratives than deliberately set down codes.

Amell and Allo work nicely together, and there's a building rapport between the two that feels genuine as the show builds through its 10 episode stint. But tonally the show doesn't seem to decide what it wants to be - is it murder mystery, is it love story - it's never quite sure.

Certainly, it's no biting satire on capitalism, or fantasy takedown (even if there are a nice splattering of sight gags throughout) - it itself seems stuck in an afterlife of uncertainty - and by episode 6, the narrative feels compelled to suddenly change lanes, as if to cope with the initial premise.

Perhaps it's the binge drop of the show which harms it, with each episode feeling like pieces of a jigsaw rather than a composite whole. There are Black Mirror elements here, but run through a prism of softness rather than satirical edges, and consequently Upload feels like a show that's not really sure what its actual MO is.

As a romance and a meditation on life after it's kind of okay, and watchable enough fare delivered in pristine bitesize episodes - but Upload never quite fires in the way it could or should, and with a central pairing that has your support and a premise that's rich in potential, that's a crying shame.

Upload premieres on Amazon Prime Video in its entirety on May 1. All ten episodes of the series were streamed for the purposes of this review.

Bad Education: Film Review

Bad Education: Film Review

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Alison Janney, Ray Romano, Geraldine Viswanathan
Director: Cory Finley

Inspired by true events, Bad Education's success lies greatly on the work done by Hugh Jackman as a US school superintendent who's also a fixer.

Jackman is Frank Tassone, the head of Long Island school in Roslyn New York in 2002, who spends his days charming the staff, using his charisma to appear a sympathetic ear to the unhappy parents and generally looking a million dollars in a series of slick suits and perfectly coiffed hair.

When a school paper student (Blockers' breakout Viswanathan) asks him for a brief interview about an upcoming proposal which would help Roslyn school into the upper echelons of the district, a chain of events is set in place which would ultimately horrify the region.

Bad Education, with its polished house veneers and exteriors of estates as cutaways, delivers a class divide story initially that turns ultimately into a "how did they think they could get away with this" tale, that's pivoted by a darker turn from Jackman than is usual.

But some credit also needs to go to Alison Janney's deputy administrator Pam whose scorn for everyone and the system is evident early on. It's another searing turn from Janney, who's building a back catalogue of disgust and contempt following her turn in I,Tonya.

But Bad Education belongs to Jackman - initially charming before turning into something that's more unsettling.

Dismissing claims of a puff piece while exhorting the school paper to dig deeper, Tassone's superiority comes to the fore, and Jackman's underplaying of various moments adds to the drama's more understated feel.

As Bad Education plays out, it becomes a snowballing of events, rather than a landslide of revelations thanks to a concise script, and Jackman rises to each and every challenge, delivering each with skill.

Bad Education plays on Neon from May 3

After Life: Season 2: Netflix Review

After Life: Season 2: Netflix Review

"Don't wallow, it's addictive."

It's a line spoken late in the sophomore series of Ricky Gervais' After Life - and one can't help but feel it would have been pertinent to anyone casting an eye over the script of the six part sequel to the bittersweet comedy series.

For those unfamiliar with the success of the first, After Life dealt with Ricky Gervais' widower Tony, a man filled with loathing for life and for people in general after cancer stole away his beloved Lisa (Kerry Godliman), and left him bereft and stuck in a dead end job on the local paper.

But the first series was a self-contained gem of a show; one that tapped a veracity of a messy truth and ran with it, unspoken as it was - that grief destroys everything in its path, and the road back from it is difficult, long and prone to many fails.

In the second, Tony returns, suffering to a degree with survivors' guilt and unable to sustain the relationship he appeared to be striking up with Ashley Jensen's care nurse, who looked after his father who's riddled with dementia.

But this time around, some of the thrill's gone from Gervais' show - much of it feels like a do-over, many of the side characters this time around feel one note and underdeveloped - and in one case, Paul Kaye's therapist, a grotesquely obscene caricature that's barely human and not worth spending time with. Gervais attempts to flesh out some of the characters, but still underserves them, with some feeling like skits that fall flat when they should fly.

It's a disappointment for the show - but in the central characters, it finds its heart - albeit muted.

Gervais' Tony is still sleepwalking through life, unable to move on (every episode opens with Gervais staring mournfully at a computer screen, watching good times with his wife, and every episode closes with Tony staring at a screen, red wine in hand, captive to the past) - and the truth here is again one seldom acknowledged - that moving on is at times, unachievable. Yet the script flounders with uncertainty riddling parts of it and holes showing where there were none before.

Some interactions with the Tambury Gazette's readers still throw truths into the light of everyone trying to get by in their own ways (from a 100 year old rest home resident who truly hates every day above ground to a woman whose cat is her sole companion since her husband and daughter died) and will touch some - but to those harder of heart, the script goes for the easier targets and doesn't offer the profundity it had first time around. (Though it scores points for the 36 years in the making Ever Decreasing Circles reunion.)

Yet, there is a poignancy in parts, and despite each episode following a narrative pattern, there are some moments of pathos and vulnerability as well as some wonderful explorations of regret that are affecting - there are also moments of extreme vulgarity which are unnecessary too and reek of desperation in the writing.

After Life Season 2 is not a resounding success when compared to the first, and it may not offer as much hope as the first did as it negotiates the messy world of guilt.

Any third season will have to substantially up its game and Gervais will have to provide a compelling reason to return - after all, the desire to wallow in the success is probably addictive, but feels like dipping into creatively shallow waters.

Disney Plus highlights for May 2020

Disney Plus highlights for May 2020

May the 4th - Star Wars Day This Star Wars Day, or May the Fourth, Disney+ will honour the global Star Wars fan community with brand-new original content joining the service’s comprehensive collection of Star Wars movies and shows. What started as a fan-generated grassroots holiday, Star Wars Day has become a full-fledged celebration of the Star Wars saga embraced by the entire galaxy. This year, fans can look forward to the highly anticipated conclusion of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” alongside the global premiere of the new eight-episode documentary series, “Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian", featuring Taika Waititi alongside host, Jon Favreau. Star Wars: The Last Jedi, will also be coming to Disney + on 1 May, 2020.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 2019 - Stars: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Harris Dickinson  The story of Disney’s most iconic villain continues in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, starring Angelina Jolie. Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the tangled ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies and new forces at play. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil comes to Disney+ on 15 May, 2020

Coco 2017 - Stars: Gael García Bernal, Anthony Gonzalez, Alanna Ubach  In Disney•Pixar’s extraordinary adventure, a boy who dreams of becoming a great musician embarks on a journey to uncover the mysteries behind his ancestor’s stories and traditions. Coco comes to Disney+ on 12 May, 2020

It's a Dog's Life with Bill Farmer

Host: Bill Farmer The iconic voice of Goofy and Pluto for more than 30 years, Disney Legend Bill Farmer steps out from behind the microphone to meet his own favourite characters — dogs! Join Bill as he crosses the country meeting dogs doing all kinds of incredible jobs that make our lives better. It's a Dog's Life with Bill Farmer comes to Disney+ on 15 May, 2020.

The Big Fib

Stars: Yvette Nicole Brown, Rhys Darby Ever thought you could spot a fib better than a kid? Find out on The Big Fib. A new Disney+ game show, hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown and featuring Rhys Darby as her robot sidekick, C.L.I.V.E. In each episode of this comedy game show, a kid starts by playing a warm up round where a silly liar and an authentic expert share fabulous fibs and fun facts. All 15 episodes of The Big Fib come to Disney+ on 22 May, 2020.

Also this month ... ________________________ 1 May, 2020 New Library Titles +     101 Dalmatian Street (S1) +      America's Funniest Home Videos (S13) +      Awesome Animals (S1) +      Birth of Europe (S1) +      Bride of Boogedy +      Buried Secrets of the Bible with Albert Lin (S1) +      Car SOS (S1-6) +      How to Play Baseball +      In Beaver Valley +      Kirby Buckets (S1-3) +      Lost Treasures of Egypt (S1) +      Love & Vets (S1) +      Nature's Half Acre +      Primal Survivor (S1-4) +      Prowlers of the Everglades +      Running Wild with Bear Grylls (S5) +      Secrets of the Zoo (S1-2) +      Star Wars: The Last Jedi +      United States of Animals (S1) +      Unlikely Animal Friends (S3) +      Water Birds

Disney + Originals

Be Our Chef Episode 106 - "Slimy Yet Satisfying" In this "Lion King" inspired challenge, the Perez family and Platt family are competing to rule the land as they figure out a way to include veggies in a dish that’s fit for the whole family. Just as Simba didn’t want to eat bugs at first, kids sometimes don’t want to eat their vegetables. These families will be tasked with incorporating vegetables into a dish that they all will find satisfying.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episode 711 - "Shattered" After capturing Maul on Mandalore, Ahsoka’s journey to the Jedi Council is disrupted when Order 66 is declared, turning her world upside down.

Disney Family Sundays Episode 126 - "Star Wars: Clock" The Kurzawa family joins Amber for a craft inspired by "Star Wars."

One Day at Disney Episode 122 - "Robin Roberts: Good Morning America Co-Anchor" Follow along as GMA Co-Anchor Robin Roberts takes us behind-the-scenes of America’s favourite morning show. From covering breaking world news on a daily basis to chronicling her personal health battle on air in 2012, Robin shows what it takes to be a part of the well-oiled machine that sets the tone for America’s day.

Prop Culture Series Premiere - All 8 Episodes Available Film historian and prop collector Dan Lanigan reunites iconic Disney movie props with the filmmakers, actors, and crew who created and used them in some of Disney’s most beloved films. Throughout this journey, Dan will recover lost artifacts, visit private collections, and help restore pieces from the Walt Disney Archives to their original glory. Among the films featured this season are Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Mary Poppins, The Muppet Movie, Tron and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

4 May, 2020 New Library Titles +     Star Wars: Resistance (S2)

Disney + Originals

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian Series Premiere - Episode 101 - "Directing" “Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian” is an eight-episode documentary series that pulls back the curtain on The Mandalorian. Each chapter explores a different facet of the first live-action Star Wars television show through interviews, behind the scenes footage, and roundtable conversations hosted by Jon Favreau. In the first episode, the filmmakers speak about their individual journeys on the way to the director’s chair and take us inside the filmmaking process of The Mandalorian.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Series Finale - Episode 712 - "Victory and Death" Ahsoka and Rex must use their wit and skills to survive the turbulent end of the Clone Wars.

8 May, 2020 New Library Titles +     Time Scanners (S1)

Disney + Originals

Be Our Chef Episode 107 - "Anyone Can Cook" In round seven of “Be Our Chef”, the Perez and Wells families are tasked with reimagining their own family-inspired “Ratatouille” dish. Both families explore the French Pavilion at Epcot to test out the culinary wonders of the park, while they visit with Remy and Emile for inspiration.

Disney Family Sundays Episode 127 - "Star Wars: Hanging Art" The Freeman family joins Amber for a craft inspired by "Star Wars."

One Day at Disney Episode 123 - "Joe Hernandez: Attractions Host" Ride along with Attractions Host Joe Hernandez aboard the historic Mark Twain Riverboat and take in the iconic scenery around the Disneyland Resort.  From the helm of the wheelhouse, Joe creates a mesmerizing and memorable experience for all guests, young and old, as they embark on one of Disneyland Resort’s favourite floating adventures.

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian Episode 102 - "Legacy" The team behind The Mandalorian examines the profound impact of George Lucas’ STAR WARS.

Disney Insider Episode 105 - "Running through Disney, Sorcerer's Arena, Opening the Archives" This week on Disney Insider, run Disney goes behind the scenes on how they plan a marathon through The Walt Disney World Resort that puts a smile on every racer's face. Meet the team behind the new interactive game Disney Sorcerer's Arena that lets fans play as one of over 100 Disney and Pixar characters. The Walt Disney Archives celebrates its 50th anniversary by putting 400 iconic props, costumes and original artwork on display.

15 May, 2020 New Library Titles +     Fury Files

Disney + Originals

Be Our Chef Episode 108 - "Worth Melting For" In this round the Merrill family and Platt family are challenged to create a cold delicious dessert inspired by Elsa’s icy powers. The families visit Epcot’s Norway Pavilion to see the pastry display at the Nordic bakery and after a warm hug from Olaf, they head to the kitchen to heat things up. Which family will be left out in the cold?

Disney Family Sundays Episode 128 - "Beauty and the Beast: Stained Glass" The Kurzawa family and Amber create a piece of art inspired by Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast."

One Day at Disney Episode 124 - "Stephanie Carroll: Ranch Hand" Fulfilling her lifelong dream of working with horses, Stephanie Carroll has served as a Ranch Hand at Walt Disney World Resort’s Tri-Circle-D Ranch for over 8 years. From caring for the majestic Cinderella Ponies to driving the Main Street Trolley, Stephanie creates magical moments for guests by bringing fantasies to life through her love of horses.

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian Episode 103 - "Cast" Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano and Carl Weathers discuss the making of The Mandalorian.

It's a Dog's Life with Bill Farmer Series Premiere - Episode 101 - "Whale Poop Dogs & Sheep Herding Dogs" In the series premiere, Bill is at sea with a dog who sniffs for whale poop. Then, he meets a dog keeping a sheep ranch moving.

22 May, 2020 New Library Titles +      Disneyland Goes to the World's Fair +      Doc McStuffins (S5) +      Hello, Dolly! +      Marvel's Future Avengers (S2) +      Mech-X4 (S1-2) +      T.O.T.S. (S1, Ep 1-10)

Disney + Originals

The Big Fib Series Premiere - All 15 Episodes Available  Ever thought you could spot a fib better than a kid? Find out on The Big Fib. A new Disney+game show, hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown and featuring Rhys Darby as her robot sidekick, C.L.I.V.E.

Be Our Chef Episode 109  - "Tiana's Place" The Wells and Robbins families leap into action when tasked to conjure up an inspired “Princess and the Frog” dish that could be served at Tiana’s Palace restaurant. Before heading to the kitchen, the families hop on over to Magic Kingdom Park to get cooking advice from Princess Tiana herself. Whose dish will give them a fighting chance at the finale?

Disney Family Sundays Episode 129  - "Bambi: Lanterns" The Pyle-Lawrence family joins Amber to make a craft inspired by Disney’s "Bambi."

One Day at Disney Episode 125  - "Ed Fritz: Imagineering Ride Engineer" Ride Project Engineering Executive Ed Fritz brings new attractions like Avatar Flight of Passage to life through cutting edge immersive and interactive technology. From the initial sketch to the grand opening, Ed is one of the many talented cast members behind Disney’s favourite attractions.

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian Episode 104  - "Technology" Favreau and team reveal how a new filmmaking technology was used to bring The Mandalorian to life.

It's a Dog's Life with Bill Farmer Episode 102  - "Dogs & Cheetahs & Companion Dogs" Bill meets a dog whose friend is a Cheetah. Then, he meets a helpful companion dog.

29 May, 2020 New Library Titles +      Mickey and the Seal +      The Evermoor Chronicles (S1-2) +      The Moon-Spinners +      Violetta (S2)

Disney + Originals

Be Our Chef Episode 110  - "Woody's Lunchbox" In round ten of “Be Our Chef” two families are Inspired by the Pixar film Toy Story. These two families will have to bring new life to their favorite childhood snack. Before heading into the kitchen, the families visit Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to play with Woody and Jessie and to sample some out-of-this-world snacks! There is only one spot left in the finale, and both teams want to make it in.

Disney Family Sundays Episode 130 - "Nightmare Before Christmas: Candy Bowl" The Freemans work on a Halloween -themed craft inspired by "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

One Day at Disney Episode 126 - "Jerome Ranft: Pixar Sculpton" Pixar sculptor Jerome Ranft spends his days creating characters the old-fashioned way. Through the use of clay, Ranft is responsible for helping imagine Pixar characters in a tangible way that modern technology has yet to replicate. Molding, sculpting and carving all come into play as Jerome employs his elegant – and yet occasionally messy – craft.

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian Episode 105 - "Practical" The team celebrates the artistry behind the practical models, effects and animatronic creatures.

It's a Dog's Life with Bill Farmer Episode 103 - "Mascot Dogs & Guide Dogs for Runners" Bill is at Texas A&M to meet their mascot. Then, he’s in New York to meet a guide dog for a runner.