Arts festival film proposed

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33664, 14 October 1974, Page 4

Arts festival film proposed

(By

RON PALENSKI,

r . N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent)-

The television actor and South Pacific advocate, Raymond Burr, wants to take an American film crew to the South Pacific Arts Festival in Rotorua.

The festival to be held late next year or early 1976, will include national acts from all South Pacific countries, including Papua New Guinea and Australia. Mr Burr, who owns an island 100 mites north of Suva and has invested heavily in Fijian business in

recent years, met the Minister for Maori Affairs (Mr Rata) and told him he would like to film the whole festival. “I’ll have to go into the

details" Mr Rata said “but I don’t see why Mr Burr couldn’t do it.” New Zealand’s application to stage the festival was approved at last week’s South Pacific conference in Rarotonga. Mr Burr now a familiar figure in Suva, has also said he wants to make a television series based in the South Pacific. “We could film in Fiji, .Tonga, the Cooks, New Zealand and even Australia” Mr ■Burr told Mr Rata. Mr Burr, television’s “Perry Mason” and “Ironside” was in New Zealand recently raising money for handicapped children.