The New Zealand Youth Film Festival is hosting its second award ceremony tonight, revealing the young Kiwis aspiring to be the next Jane Campion or Taika Waititi.
Presented by the New Zealand Herald, entries for the festival opened in October allowing aspiring filmmakers aged 15 to 24 to enter their work from any theme or genre.
There were 426 entries from all over Aotearoa. A winner will be chosen from each of the 11 categories. Prizes include Canon camera gear and a tour of the iconic Shortland St film set.
Hosted by comedian and actress Karen O’Leary the Wellington-hosted Oscars-inspired ceremony will be available to watch for free on the Herald.
The festival’s director, AUT business and communication studies student Ryan Chow, is excited for this year’s talent to go on display.
“We are thrilled to announce the second New Zealand Youth Film Festival presented by The New Zealand Herald,” he says.
“It’s amazing to witness the incredible talent and creativity of our young movie-makers. We’re proud to offer them a platform to shine a light on their work and connect them with industry opportunities in the hopes of kickstarting their careers.”
The festival was hosted for the first time in Auckland last year, with 357 entries from across the country and a programme of events that included tours of TVNZ’s studios with newsreader Melissa Stokes.
One of the festival judges was Marvel Studios director of technology Katie Hinsen, who said the event was “fabulous”.
“The quality of film-making from rangatahi as young as 15 really blew me away. I can’t wait to know many of these folks as colleagues on the world stage, doing Aotearoa so proud.”
The New Zealand Youth Film Festival is a non-profit event designed to discover and celebrate the next generation of Aotearoa’s movie-makers.
Full list of finalists
South Pacific Pictures Best 15-18 Age Group Film
Desolate Remnants - Jack Smillie and Jack Trounce
Fathoms - Camille Sutherland
Loop - Angus Lindsay
Space Cowboy - Emily McVicar
XO - Kate Liu
One New Zealand Best 19-21 Age Group Film
My Sister’s Shiny Stone - Dean Chung
O’live me alone - Beth Davies
The Mariner - Una Schenker
Tuned Out - Flynn Biara Allan
Warner Bros International Television Production New Zealand Best 22-24 Age Group Film
A Date With Death - Finnigan Fiebig
Little Stray - Kieran Latta
Love is Dead - Dylan Poihipi
The Adventures of Banana Man! The Rise of Tomaté! - Caleb Lay
Tokorua Hei Kotahi (Two As One) - Claudia Holmstead-Morris
South Pacific Pictures Best Acting
For Thom - Rafa Yam
Half-Truth - Chris Curtis
Murphy’s Commute - Ethan Robinson
When You See Me - Georgina Cotterill
Canon Best Cinematography
Fantasy Football - Jaeden Moore
In Conversation With the Moon - Max Libbey-Hollyman
Out Of? Order. (My Nightmare Comes From Dreaming in a 4:3 Aspect Ratio) - Jono Li
The Colorway Killer - Alex Metaxas
Voyage’ - Keven Souza
Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Best Directing
Act Blind 101 - Wei-Chi Lin
Fetu - Jesse Membrere
Honey Kaha -Te Waiarangi Ratana
In Her Steps - Kit Coira
The Empathiser - Arlo Macmillan
What the Actual?! Best Documentary
Big Kids - Tom Field
False Horizon - Jack Carden
Milking Colours - George Meehan
Skyglow - Connor Hislop
Adobe Best Editing
Blue Cow - Tom Foy
Cheese Man -Ephraim Frame
Eternal Return - Harrison Ashley
Facade - Emily Ardern
Universal Music New Zealand Best Music Video
Deliverance - Lissa Lee
Dino Party - Archie Crayford
God Complex - Hannah Davenport
Odyssey - Tyler Redmond
Supernova - Flora Xie
Wētā FX Best Visual Effects
Got the Spirit - Molly Power
Insoucism - Josiah Low-Schuemperli
Men Who Went South - Josh Robertson
User 3.0 - Casilda Tudor-Oakley