Jim Colzato: Film Maker Extraordinaire

Jim has lived in New Zealand for five years, working as a tattoo artist when he first arrived before beginning to make films.

 

Since then he has become fully involved once more in a long held passion for photography and cinema.

 

I first met Jim in 2010, and in early March this year Jim contacted me again and said he'd like to make some films about local artists. These are part of a portfolio of films he has been working on recently.

 

This represented a great opportunity for a lucky few and I readily agreed.

 

Doreen Mc Neill, the much respected abstract artist, was to be Jim's first subject and arrangements were quickly made for filming in her Tauranga studio.

 

Jim's professionalism and expert use of an impressive array of equipment quickly became apparent and a short film was completed in a remarkably short four days as the opening for Doreen's new exhibition was looming.

 

Doreen assisted admirably and was a natural in front of what can be an unnerving camera.

 

 

Rotorua artist Kristian Lomath is Jim's latest subject and with more time available Jim tells me the resulting footage will be quite different.

 

On March 20 we spent a hugely enjoyable day at the Art Expo Gallery on Eruera Street in Rotorua filming Kristian talking about his art and painting one of his extraordinary abstract works on a large canvas.

 

Kristian's forebearance was noteworthy when you consider the intrusive nature of filming into his usually private intense art making process.

 

I will post out the link for Kristian's film when it becomes available.

 

Doreen has, and Kristian will have, a finely made film about his art that we can share on You Tube.

 

 

At the end of May Jim will be at the famous Cannes Film Festival in France to promote his latest film "The Fracture".

 

Jim hopes his film will be successful and this will allow him to further his career in the cinema industry.

 

"The Fracture" is a thriller and will be one of many short films presented at this year's festival.

 

The film is of seven minutes duration and if picked up by major distributors could go on to be seen worldwide.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing where Jim goes next with his photography, video art and filming.

 

Bonne chance Jim.

 

You can find out more about Jim Colzato's photographic and film work on Google.

 

BTW - the Avalon exhibition 'Kit and Caboodle' at Creative Tauranga Community Gallery is fantastic - not to be missed. Check out all these wonderful  works. I was personally drawn to the pieces by artists Nadine Mott and Paul Lascombe.

by Pete Morris (April 2013).