KEY POINTS:
Insider gossip from behind the scenes at the Air New Zealand Screen Awards
* So much for exclusivity. As actors, directors and other industry insiders filled the SkyCity Theatre lobby last night, many were surprised not to be asked for tickets. Indeed, security was so lax that one mischievous member of the public sauntered straight in to the after party, filled up on free drinks and then took to the dance floor where he tried to get to know as many female guests as possible. You would think his cheap puffer jacket and over-sized jeans might have been a giveaway that he didn't belong at the black-tie event. Apparently not. Later, said larrikin was seen high-fiving his mates back in Bar3 having completed his gatecrashing mission.
* Investigate editor Ian Wishart teamed up with host Oliver Driver to prove he has a sense of humour, filming the opening screener for the ceremony - an investigative spoof Or Is It? Mayor Dick Hubbard also joined in the fun, as did Bill Ralston, South Pacific Pictures head John Barnett and Driver's pet dog Jack. Reality television mogul Julie Christie couldn't be convinced, however, leading to an unflattering stand-in (Driver in drag) to take her place.
* Outrageous Fortune star Frank Whitten proved himself the consummate performer, delivering the best acceptance speech of the night. With Driver's dog still sitting under the award lectern (supposedly there to deter long-winded speeches), Whitten claimed the prize and said: "This is for the geriatrics. [Pause] I think I just pissed on the dog. No, I think the dog just pissed on me. [Pause] It's a question of timing."
* While Driver was all too happy to extol the virtues of the Screen Awards, saying they were made "for the industry" and not for television (like rival ceremony the Qantas Television Awards), he was pretty quick to disappear once the formalities had ended. It seems Mr Driver may love the screen industry - he's just not too keen on the people that work in it.
- NZHERALD STAFF
