Rialto Channel

The Rialto channel will be available to all Sky TV subscribers for free for a five day period at the end of this month.

Sky is opening up the channel for all Sky domestic subscribers with the basic package from Friday, April 26 to Tuesday, April 30. Continue reading »

Following on from a press release issued by CrossRoads Bar on Ponsonby Road about screening the Rialto Movie Channel on Tuesdays, Sky has responded.

SKY has a dedicated SKY Business team who are fully versed in what we can sell to commercial premises like the CrossRoads Bar. We promote a
dedicated phone number for SKY Business customers to call on our invoices, website and printed promotional material, this number is answered by a dedicated SKY Business team that is separate to our call centre for residential customers.

We have no record of the initial call CrossRoads made, should they have tried to subscribe to the Rialto channel or any Movie Channel their inability to do so would have been explained by the SKY Business team.

We apologise for any early mis-information there may have been and have applied a credit to the customers’ account as compensation towards expenses they may have incurred.

From a press release:

CrossRoads Bar on Ponsonby Road in Auckland feels it has been kicked in the guts after being told last week it could screen the Rialto Movie Channel on its quiet night (Tuesday’s) but today, in an apparent about-face by Sky TV, the bars owners have been told this afternoon they cannot legally screen the movies offered for broadcast. This essentially puts the kibosh on an event that was planned to start tomorrow night with a number of confirmed guests on the bars Facebook page. Like many venues away from Party Central the flow on effect hasn’t been as great as expected. While Eden Park game days have been up to expectations the pinch on non-game days is still being felt especially with the latest cold snap. The movie night was seen as a way of inviting people in out of the cold and also appealing to the many international guests Auckland will be hosting over the coming weeks.

The bar’s Promotions Manager, Stuart Williamson, says he called Sky TV last week to check the bar wouldn’t be infringing copyright by screening the foreign movies Sky TV offers on its Rialto Channel 25 service before promoting the event to customers. At that time he also informed the Sky representative that the bar didn’t have Rialto at present to which he was told the bars owner just had to call and it could be activated.

“I spent a great deal of time and company resources planning and promoting this event but I made sure we could do so. Having worked in music retail and artist management for a number of years I do understand the importance of copyright. When I talked to the Sky TV representative by phone last week she thought it was amusing that I was even calling to check. She said we had a commercial licence to screen Sky transmissions and all we needed to do was call them and have Rialto Channel added to our current Sky package. I had already received a very positive response from people and we were expecting a good group of international movie fans to come down to watch the movies on the bars three metre screen with surround sound. We were offering free pop-corn and happy hour prices plus I had arranged to have one of our Barista’s work late to provide good coffee for guests.”

Ken Hix, one of the venue owners, says he can’t understand what the issue is. “If people watch the movie at home or at our bar they will still see any peripheral advertising broadcast by Sky TV on the channel, and if anything, we will probably turn more people on to Rialto as they wouldn’t normally watch these kind of films.”

Mr Williamson says he has decided to take Tuesday as his day off this week and will be hiring a DVD of French movie ‘The Concert’  that was to be shown on Rialto Channel tomorrow night, Tuesday 4 November. Furthermore he has hired one of the private lounges CrossRoads Bar has available where he will host his birthday party and show that movie as entertainment for his guests. Williamson added, all welcome, no present necessary…

Sky TV were contacted but a spokesperson was unavailable for comment.

We did, however, contact Video Ezy on Ponsonby Road and they were able to confirm that Williamson has rented a copy of The Concert on DVD.

Rialto Channel – More Than Just Movies – Experience high quality independent film and documentaries that will inspire, provoke, inform and entertain you. 20 new films every month, commercial free.

THURSDAY MAY 5, 8.30PM

IT MIGHT GET LOUD

A documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: The Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White.

THURSDAY MAY 12, 8.30PM

MAYOR OF THE SUNSET STRIP

One unlikely man made America listen – the history of fame in the world through the eyes of pop star impresario, Rodney Bingenheimer.

THURSDAY MAY 19, 8.30PM

WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE

2010 Grammy Music Award Winner – Best Long Form Music Video

With never seen before rare exclusive footage of ‘The Doors’ in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

THURSDAY MAY 26, 8.30PM

RETURN TO GOREE

Youssou N’Dour gathers a group of musicians and takes them on a journey through the different styles of music that grew up in and out of slavery.

ALL SKY subscribers* can view Rialto Channel 25 from midnight on Friday April 15 to midnight on Monday April 18.

Rialto Channel – More Than Just Movies – Experience high quality independent film and documentaries that will inspire, provoke, inform and entertain you. 20 new films every month, commercial free. The channel that uncovers the movie world’s best hidden treasures. From international winners to movies made in NZ’s own backyard, you’ll find them all here.

Some of the films featured:

Precious – Saturday April 16, 8.30pm

Housewife – Saturday April 16, 2.30pm

Carlos – Sunday April 17, 10.30pm

The Damned United – Monday April 18, 8.30pm

*Available to SKY direct, domestic subscribers. Starts 12am on April 16th and finishes 11.59pm on April 18th.

The Six Dollar Fifty Man will premiere on Rialto Channel (SKY Channel 25) at 5.55pm on Saturday 1 January, with additional screenings throughout January and February.

The film is based on the real life experiences of Wellington film makers Louis Sutherland and Mark Albiston, growing up together at primary school on the Kapiti Coast.  

The Six Dollar Fifty Man has had a successful run at film festivals all over the world, winning awards at A-list festivals like Cannes and Sundance, and has also achieved a place on the 2011 Academy Awards short-film long list. 

The Six Dollar Fifty Man

It’s hard to look after yourself in the playground when you’re different. Set in 1970s New Zealand, The Six Dollar Fifty Man follows Andy, a gutsy eight year-old boy who lives in a make believe superhero world where his imagination allows him to perform extraordinary physical feats, to deal with playground bullies. But when Andy gets in trouble with the headmaster, he realises that to save himself & his only friend Mary, he must face up to the real world.

For a full schedule on screening times please visit www.rialtochannel.co.nz

Saturday 11 July & Sunday 12 July 2009

A reminder from the team at Rialto Channel (SKY Digital Channel 25) to make the most of the 48 hour showcase weekend, from Saturday 11 July – Sunday 12 July.

Rialto Channel is open for 48 hours to all SKY Digital residential subscribers to view festival favourites, Oscar-nominees and Oscar-winners.  From midnight on Friday 10 July, a compelling range of feature films and documentaries can be viewed by SKY digital subscribers for 48 hours.

Highlights include:

Rialto Premiere
CASSANDRA’S DREAM
Directed by Woody Allen, Cassandra’s Dream stars Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell as two brothers, both in dire financial straits, who agree to help their rich uncle sort out a whistle-blowing business associate.

World Cinema
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralysed body.  4 x Oscar-nominee directed by Julian Schnabel.

British Theatre
THE BAKER
Classic British comedy about a hit man who has second thoughts about his career and seeks refuge by finding work as a baker in a rural Welsh village.

Real View
SURFWISE
The inspiring, tumultuous, and fascinating documentary about 85-year old surfer, health advocate and sex guru, Dr. Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, his wife Juliette, and their nine children who were all
home-schooled and raised in a small camper on the beach.

Also screening over this weekend is the Oscar-nominee AWAY FROM HER, Oscar-winner THE COUNTERFEITERS, THE VALET, HALF NELSON and PRICELESS.

Visit the new look Rialto Channel website – www.rialtochannel.co.nz to view a showcase of all of the new films and documentaries premiering in your selected month, all year round!

The team at Rialto Channel (SKY Digital Channel 25) is delighted to announce an exclusive television event on the weekend of 11 July and 12 July – Rialto Channel is open for 48 hours to all SKY Digital residential subscribers!

Festival favourites, Oscar-nominees and Oscar-winners have been selected for one special weekend to allow viewers to experience the full realm of what Rialto Channel has to offer.  From midnight on Friday 10 July, a compelling range of feature films and documentaries can be viewed by SKY digital subscribers for 48 hours.

Highlights include:

Rialto Premiere
CASSANDRA’S DREAM
Directed by Woody Allen, Cassandra’s Dream stars Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell as two brothers, both in dire financial straits, who agree to help their rich uncle sort out a whistle-blowing business associate.

World Cinema
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralysed body.  4 x Oscar-nominee directed by Julian Schnabel.

British Theatre
THE BAKER
Classic British comedy about a hit man who has second thoughts about his career and seeks refuge by finding work as a baker in a rural Welsh village.

Real View
SURFWISE
The inspiring, tumultuous, and fascinating documentary about 85-year old surfer, health advocate and sex guru, Dr. Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, his wife Juliette, and their nine children who were all
home-schooled and raised in a small camper on the beach.

Also screening over this weekend is the Oscar-nominee AWAY FROM HER, Oscar-winner THE COUNTERFEITERS, THE VALET, HALF NELSON and PRICELESS.

‘This weekend is the perfect opportunity for SKY Digital residential subscribers to experience the mixture of genres of films and documentaries that Rialto Channel offers 365 days a year’ says SKY Subscriber Marketing Manager, Chaz Savage.

‘If you are a discerning viewer who demands top quality film and documentaries, this weekend is your chance to experience a taste of what Rialto Channel represents throughout the year’.

Rialto Channel will celebrate its 10th anniversary in November.  The channel has evolved from a niche art house film channel to New Zealand’s premiere independent film and entertainment channel.  Rialto Channel offers 20 new films every month, and proudly remains commercial free!

Thursday 12 March at 8.30pm on RIALTO CHANNEL

Real View

Michael Moore turns his attention to another hot-button issue: health care in the United States. The points he makes – that the health care system is badly broken and other countries accomplish what the U.S. have trouble doing – aren’t revolutionary, but they are presented in a compelling manner. He begins by cherry-picking horror stories from the American health care system in which people die because they are denied treatment or referrals, lose fingers because they can’t pay the hospital to have them re-attached after an accident, and are prematurely discharged from hospitals because of cost issues. While the cases Moore documents are extremes, anyone who has battled an HMO or sat in an emergency room understands that when it comes to medical coverage in the United States, greed trumps need.

Tuesday 10 March at 8.30pm on RIALTO CHANNEL

World Cinema: Denmark

Frank (Kim Bodnia), a pusher, likes his job, and the beautiful women and fast cars that go with it. One day, he is caught by the police while in possession of a bag of heroin. He’s set free, but the heroin’s owner wants his money. Suddenly, Frank becomes a hunted man: If he doesn’t come up with the money in a few days, he’ll be killed. His desperate journey through Copenhagen’s underworld becomes more and more violent. Also starring Mads Mikkelsen and Zlatko Buric and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.