Latest news with #StreetSmart
NZ Autocar
10 hours ago
- Business
- NZ Autocar
Star Insure and Street Smart unite to save young lives
New Zealand insurance provider, Star Insure, today announced a new partnership with Street Smart. The latter is a nationwide programme dedicated to empowering young drivers with crucial road safety skills. This collaboration marks a significant step for Star Insure in its commitment to fostering a culture of safer driving nationwide. L to R: Chair and Ambassador Street Smart, Greg Murphy, Star Insure CEO, Nick Baker and Street Smart Programme Director, Hayden Dickason. Star Insure's Founder and Chairman, John Baker, said 'This is a deliberate and meaningful investment by Star Insure towards the safety and well-being of young Kiwi drivers. 'Personally, this resonates deeply as an opportunity to give back to New Zealand in a way that creates a lasting impact. 'Street Smart's proven programme aligns perfectly with our philosophy of creating tangible pathways to upskill young drivers. It also nurtures responsible road behaviour for future generations. We are deeply invested in its potential to save lives and build a safer New Zealand.' Echoing this commitment and vision for a safer future, Star Insure CEO, Nick Baker, elaborated on the cooperation. 'This partnership is fuelled by a shared vision to actively reduce road fatalities by equipping young drivers with the crucial tools for safe navigation,' Baker said. 'For us at Star Insure, this goes far beyond a traditional sponsorship; it's about doing, not just donating. We are committed to providing a tangible pathway that upskills young drivers. It also fosters responsible road behaviour, and creates a lasting legacy of safety for generations of New Zealanders. We're proud to actively contribute to a movement that has the potential to save lives across the country.' The Street-Smart programme was reinvigorated in 2024 with generous funding from the Tony Quinn Foundation. It delivers practical, hands-on driver training that goes beyond the standard learner curriculum. Hayden Dickason, Programme Director, welcomes Star Insure's commitment: 'Insurance is such an important consideration when owning and driving a vehicle. We are so pleased to have Star Insure join us as a partner. We are a not-for-profit charitable trust that relies on external funding to deliver the Street Smart programme. Our common goal is building our young drivers to be safer and more aware on our roads.' The partnership has also garnered strong support from renowned motorsport legend, Street Smart Ambassador and Street Smart Charitable Trust Chair, Greg Murphy. 'Street Smart is all about equipping drivers with the skills and awareness to handle the many challenges they face on the road, ultimately helping reduce crash rates through better decision making. We're proud to welcome Star Insure to the Street Smart family. They fully recognise the importance of this mission, and we're honoured to have them join us on our journey to improve road safety, change outcomes, and save lives.' Star Insure's partnership with Street Smart NZ will see them actively involved in supporting the programme's delivery across the country. It will enable more young drivers to access vital training and education. This collaboration underscores Star Insure's long-term commitment to creating safer communities and empowering the next generation of drivers.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Catherine Hardwicke, Rick Carter Lead Jury for Mediterrane Film Festival
Mediterrane Film Festival has revealed its international jury, which will include director Catherine Hardwicke and production designer Rick Carter. The new creative team for the festival, which runs from June 21 to 29 in Valletta, Malta, is led by festival director Ray Calleja and festival curator Mark Adams. More from Variety Malta's Mediterrane Film Festival Sets Jury and Special Programming Marcia Gay Harden, Virginia Madsen, Paris Jackson and Skeet Ulrich Join Catherine Hardwicke's 'Street Smart' Catherine Hardwicke Casts Isabelle Fuhrman, Yara Shahidi, Daniel Zovatto and Michael Cimino in 'Street Smart' The festival features three programming strands: the Main Competition, showcasing films from across the Mediterranean; Out of Competition, featuring a selection of international films; and Mare Nostrum (a.k.a. Our Sea), for films dedicated to sustainability and environmental themes. In addition to public screenings, the festival will host an industry strand, housed in the 400-year-old Fort Ricasoli, offering panels, roundtables and masterclasses from leading industry figures. The Main Competition jury will decide on the winners of the Golden Bee Awards, which will be announced at a gala event on June 29. As well as Hardwicke, director of 'Twilight, 'Thirteen' and 'Lords of Dogtown,' which will screen at the festival, and Carter, who won Academy Awards for 'Avatar' and 'Lincoln,' the jury also includes: costume designer Charlese Antoinette, whose credits include 'Air' and 'Judas and the Black Messiah,' for which she received a Costume Designers Guild Award nomination; set decorator Elli Griff, who was Oscar nominated for 'Napoleon'; production designer James Price, who won an Oscar with 'Poor Things'; and Maltese director Mario Philip Azzopardi, known for 'ZOS: Zone of Separation,' 'Habbilni Ha Nirbah' and 'Il-Gaġġa,' which is considered to be the first full-length feature film made entirely in Maltese. The Mare Nostrum jury will include Grainne Humphreys, artistic director of the Dublin Film Festival, and Ania Trzebiatowska, senior programmer at the Sundance Film Festival. Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech said: 'The Mediterrane Film Festival was born from a simple yet powerful idea – to connect creative minds from the Mediterranean and across Europe and transform their ideas into reality. We stand for opportunity, collaboration and creativity.' Calleja said: 'As we celebrate 100 years of filmmaking in Malta, we're honored to welcome an exceptional panel of judges who reflect the depth, diversity, and global reach of contemporary cinema. Together with our festival curator, Mark Adams, we're committed to shaping a program that not only honors Malta's cinematic past but also champions bold new voices from across the Mediterranean and beyond.' Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Malta's Mediterrane Film Festival Sets Jury and Special Programming
The Mediterrane Film Festival has set its international jury for the event that runs June 21 to 29 in Malta. Led by festival director Ray Calleja and curator Mark Adams, the third edition of the festival celebrates the centennial of film in the island nation, set in the capital city of Valletta. More from Variety Marcia Gay Harden, Virginia Madsen, Paris Jackson and Skeet Ulrich Join Catherine Hardwicke's 'Street Smart' Catherine Hardwicke Casts Isabelle Fuhrman, Yara Shahidi, Daniel Zovatto and Michael Cimino in 'Street Smart' 'Life,' 'To a Land Unknown' Win Main Prizes at Sophomore Edition of Mediterrane Film Festival The festival features a main competition selection featuring films from across the Mediterranean, an out of competition section with global programming and the Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) highlighting narrative and documentary films dedicated to sustainability and environmental themes. The festival also hosts an industry section at the 400-year old Fort Ricasoli featuring panels, roundtables and masterclasses from industry figures. Past speakers have included director Mike Leigh, 'Kinds of Kindness' editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis and 'Top Gun' casting director Margery Simkin. The jury for the Golden Bee awards, which are given at a gala event on June 29, will include Oscar-winning production designer Rick Carter, costume designer Charlese Antoinette, set decorator Elli Griff, director Catherine Hardwicke, production designer James Price, and Maltese director Mario Philip Azzopardi, director of the first feature film made in Maltese. The Mare Nostrum jury includes Dublin Film Festival artistic director Grainne Humphreys and Sundance senior programmer Ania Trzebiatowska. 'The Mediterrane Film Festival was born from a simple yet powerful idea – to connect creative minds from the Mediterranean and across Europe and transform their ideas into reality. We stand for opportunity, collaboration and creativity,' said Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech added. 'As we celebrate 100 years of filmmaking in Malta, we're honoured to welcome an exceptional panel of judges who reflect the depth, diversity, and global reach of contemporary cinema. Together with our Festival Curator, Mark Adams, we're committed to shaping a program that not only honors Malta's cinematic past but also champions bold new voices from across the Mediterranean and beyond.' said Festival Director Ray Calleja. The theme of the 2025 festival is 'We Are Film' – celebrating film, and connecting people through stories, emotions and shared experiences. Malta hosted its first feature film, 'Sons of the Sea,' in 1925, and has become a notable production hub for films and television programming including 'Gladiator,' 'Troy,' 'Popeye,' 'Game of Thrones' and 'Napoleon.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
NZ Autocar
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Check out the new Subaru Forester hybrid at Fieldays
The incoming sixth-generation Subaru Forester will make its first public New Zealand appearance at Fieldays 2025. The new sixth-generation Forester debuts the strong hybrid e-Boxer flat four engine. On display at Site I48, the new Forester is ready to meet the rural Kiwi audience from June 11 to 14 at Mystery Creek Events Centre. The latest Forester is the first Subaru model in New Zealand that features the strong hybrid e-Boxer powertrain. Kym Mellow, General Manager of Inchcape New Zealand, the distributor for Subaru of New Zealand, says it's a double milestone for the brand. 'This is our first time at Fieldays, and what better way to make an entrance than with the all-new Forester. It'll be joined by its Subaru SUV siblings, the Crosstrek and Outback. All are equipped with Subaru's legendary Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) technology, and built for the kind of back roads many Fieldays visitors travel every day. 'AWD is an essential feature for New Zealand conditions. When your Subaru detects a loss of traction, it instantly transfers power to the wheels that still have grip. That gives you greater stability, more control, and added confidence behind the wheel,' he says. MY25 Subaru WRX will also turn up for Feildays. There's a racing simulator where you can take a WRX for a virtual high-speed lap around the Taupo Motorsport Park track. Whoever sets the fastest lap will win a real-life WRX Experience at Taupo Motorsport Park. Check out our review of Subaru WRX Todoroki here. Subaru will also host the team from Street Smart. They will talk about their role as one of New Zealand's leading driver education programmes. And they will stress the importance of road safety for Kiwi teens learning to drive. Subaru of New Zealand is Street Smart's Official Vehicle Partner. It provides vehicles for the Street Smart programmes at all three of Tony Quinn's New Zealand tracks. Subaru ambassadors Art and Matilda Green will be at Fieldays to share their take on lifestyle, wellness, and life on the road. More details on the Subaru Forester model line-up, specifications, and availability for New Zealand are due closer to launch. Customers eager to experience the next-generation Subaru Forester can register their interest here.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Walking Billboards' to promote bike and pedestrian safety hitting DC region
The Brief "Walking Billboards" are part of the Street Smart campaign, reminding drivers to slow down and prioritize pedestrian safety. Last year, 110 pedestrians and cyclists were killed in the D.C. region, nearly half on D.C. streets alone, despite Vision Zero initiatives. Campaign officials emphasize eye contact and attentiveness for both drivers and pedestrians as key to reducing accidents. WASHINGTON - If you see billboards walking in the area, you're not seeing things! The 2025 spring season Street Smart campaign is officially launching on Monday, which includes "Walking Billboards." Some of those walking billboard signs are reminding drivers to slow down. What they're saying "Slow down. Speed is one of the deadliest factors on our roadways. We know that even going an extra five or ten miles per hours, just so temping, really does create an extra risk for those who are on our sidewalks, in our roadways. So, the message is clear: slow down. Speeding is not worth it. It puts you and everyone else on the roadway at risk," said the Director of D.C.'s Highway Safety Office, Rick Birt. The D.C. Highway Safety Office, V-DOT, M-DOT, D-DOT and more have partnered with the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments to launch the Street Smart safety effort. Members carrying a backpack that hoist up the "Walking Billboards" patrolled the area over by Georgia Ave. and Park Rd. NW. FOX 5 tested a crosswalk a few blocks south of there, by Georgia Ave. and Morton St. NW and found plenty of vehicles not stopping for a person in the crosswalk, even though signs around the crosswalk clearly warn drivers to do so. Last year, the MWCOG says the DC Region saw 110 pedestrian and cyclists killed. That number is down from the region's peak in 2022. However, it's still far from Vision Zero efforts that, in DC for example, called for ZERO pedestrian and cyclist fatality by 2024. Almost half of the 110 people killed last year, lost their lives on DC's streets alone, according to District data. There are several important safety tips to follow. Whether you're in a car, on a bike or walking, one Street Smart Ambassador hopes people at least heed this one: "I think eye contact is the main thing. I know a lot of the times, people are in the cars -- they're not always looking, looking, looking. As a pedestrian, you're on your phone or you're distracted or you're in your beats and you're not looking, looking, looking, making sure that that driver is seeing you and you're seeing them," said Ayana Aquila Garzillo . The region will be seeing these "Walking Billboards" all across the greater D.C. Region starting on Monday and lasting into early May. Track DC traffic fatalities and incidents usingVision Zero DC Crash Analysis. The Source Information in this article comes from the Council of Governments.
