"The industrial campaign targeting the production of the New Zealand film 'The Hobbit', being waged by the Australian Union, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance is threatening thousands of Australian and New Zealand film industry jobs," Senator Abetz said today.

An Australian trade union, the MEAA, has generated a world wide actor boycott on The Hobbit, to bolster their demand that producers on the film enter into collective bargaining with the NZ Equity/MEAA.

Wellington Aug 26 NZPA - A recommendation to ban the construction of dams on a Central Otago river to protect a rare fish called Gollum, named from The Hobbit book, has been hailed as a major victory by environmental groups.

Wellington illustrations student Bridget Monro's work is set to delight thousands of school children after winning a competition to illustrate a play in the School Journal.

Documentary producer Emily Anderson has been overwhelmed by support from the arts community for her film about the Queen Mary Hospital in Hanmer Springs.

Wellington, July 13 NZPA - New Zealand writer-director Andrew Niccol plans to cast only actors in their mid-20s for his new film, sci-fi action thriller, I'm.mortal.

Forest & Bird is calling for a halt to farm tenure review in the Mackenzie Basin, after a Landcare Research report said intensive farming in the past decade has wiped out more native plants than at any time since Europeans arrived.

Wellington, March 16 NZPA - Veteran New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison and Eagle vs Shark director Taika Waititi have scored supporting roles in Warner Bros' 3-D superhero movie Green Lantern, directed by fellow Kiwi Martin Campbell.

Avatar celebrated becoming the most successful movie of all time by staying in the top spot in the Kiwi charts.

AVATAR, the motion picture, is released tomorrow in New Zealand and Australia, after four years in production, including groundbreaking and revolutionary technology breakthroughs never before achieved.