Young New Zealand Film-Makers Receive Unprecedented Level of International Recognition
Young New Zealand film-makers aged from ten to 24 have been recognised this week with nominations in prestigious
international film festivals.
Eight films made for New Zealand’s sustainability film challenge The Outlook for Someday have received a total of twelve
nominations in three European and Asian festivals.
The Outlook for Someday film challenge asks young people under 25 to get their cameras out and get filming for
sustainability. Entrants make short films of any genre, filmed with any camera and any length up to 5 minutes.
Young people can enter the film challenge in teams or on their own. The entry deadline in 2014 is 12 September.
20 Winning Films will be selected by judges from media, education, government and business. The film-makers behind each
film will walk the red carpet and receive prizes at The Someday Awards ceremony at the Aotea Centre in Auckland at the
end of the year.
One film will be chosen as The Body Shop Standout Winner and there will be an online popular vote for the Element
Audience Favourite.
Each year Connected Media, the charitable trust which runs The Outlook for Someday, also enters a selection of the
winning films in international film festivals.
The achievement of this year’s festival nominees marks an unprecedented level of success on the global stage for an
emerging generation of sustainability storytellers.
At the Wildscreen Panda Awards in the United Kingdom, known as the ‘Green Oscars’, nominations announced this week
include Arboraceous, made in 2012 by then 16-year old Natasha Bishop, and 15 Ways, made in 2013 by Aucklander Michelle Vergel de Dios.
Their films are two of only four from around the world nominated for the Youth Award, making Natasha and Michelle’s
selections a coup for New Zealand and The Outlook for Someday film challenge.
Arboraceous also received international recognition last year as the film by the youngest ever nominee and award winner at the
Japan Wildlife Film Festival. Then in March this year it had its US premiere at the Environmental Film Festival in the
Nation's Capital in Washington DC.
At the Seoul International Youth Film Festival, Hunter Meets Pollution Queen by Upokongaro Film-making Club was announced this week in the 9+ completion; andToday Is the Day by Better Than Mike Productions was announced in the 13+ competition.
Upokongaro Film-making Club is a team of six young people from Upokongaro near Whanganui, all of whom were 10-12 years
old when they made their film in 2013.
Better Than Mike Productions is a team of ten young people from Hamilton, who were 14–18 when they made their film last
year.
At Green Screen International Wildlife Film Festival in Germany young New Zealand film-makers and The Outlook for
Someday are responsible for five of the seven international finalists in the Best Short Film for Kids category, and for
three of the 10 finalists in the Wild Laugh category. The winners of each category will be chosen by audience votes at
the festival in early September.
Selected films at Green Screen include: Arboraceous; Today is the Day; I'm A Little Molecule Of H2O by a team from Avalon Intermediate School in Lower Hutt led by their teacher Paascalino Schaller; The Bin Mistake, made in 2012 by a team from the University of Auckland, AUT and Manukau Institute of Technology; Renno by Christopher Williams from Gisborne; and Environmental Man by Nathan Thomas from Auckland. BothRenno and Environmental Man were made in 2011.
"We’re over the moon about how these young film-makers are cutting it on the world stage,” says David Jacobs, project
director of The Outlook for Someday.
“Their success in being nominated at these international festivals establishes them as powerful voices for the future.
They are impressive in the way they apply their creative juices and technical skills to important social, cultural and
environmental issues.”
“I think a key reason for their success is that they are telling their own stories in their own ways.”
ABOUT THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY
Now in its 8th year, The Outlook for Someday is New Zealand’s sustainability film project for young people. It includes
an annual film challenge and a national series of sustainability film-making workshops. 1089 young people participated
in the film challenge and workshops in 2013.
In 2014 over 40 one-day workshops are taking place throughout New Zealand between May and August.
The Outlook for Someday film challenge asks young people aged up to 24 to make a short sustainability-related film of
any genre, filmed with any camera and any length up to 5 minutes. The entry deadline in 2014 is 12 September.
At the end of the year The Someday Awards red-carpet ceremony will take place for the fourth year running at the Aotea
Centre in Auckland. Last year winning film-makers received their awards from acclaimed New Zealand and Hollywood
film-maker Andrew Adamson.
“If there’s a formula behind The Outlook for Someday it’s actually a non-formula,” says project director David Jacobs.
“We do our best not to be prescriptive.”
LINK TO IMAGES FROM FILMS
Arboraceous
http://www.theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2012/winning-films/The+Outlook+for+Someday+2012+-+Arboraceous+2.jpg.php
http://www.theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2012/winning-films/The+Outlook+for+Someday+2012+-+Arboraceous+3.jpg.php
15 Ways
http://www.theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2013/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2013-15-ways-2.jpg.php
http://www.theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2013/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2013-15-ways-3.jpg.php
Hunter Meets Pollution Queen
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2013/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2013-hunter-meets-pollution-queen-1.jpg.php
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2013/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2013-hunter-meets-pollution-queen-2.jpg.php
Today is the Day
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2013/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2013-today-is-the-day-1.jpg.php
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2013/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2013-today-is-the-day-3.jpg.php
I'm A Little Molecule Of H2O
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2013/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2013-i-m-a-little-molecule-of-h20-1.jpg.php
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2013/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2013-i-m-a-little-molecule-of-h20-2.jpg.php
The Bin Mistake
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2012/winning-films/The+Outlook+for+Someday+2012+-+The+Bin+Mistake+1.JPG.php
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2012/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2012-the-bin-mistake-3.jpg.php
Renno
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2011/winning-films/The+Outlook+for+Someday+2011+-+Renno.jpg.php
Environmental Man
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2011/winning-films/the-outlook-for-someday-2011-environmental-man.jpg.php
DOWNLOAD PROJECT IDENTITY
THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY PARTNERS
The Outlook for Someday in 2014 is based on partnerships between Connected Media Charitable Trust and The Body Shop New
Zealand, The Enviroschools Foundation, the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, Ministry of Youth Development,
Department of Conservation, Te Puni Kōkiri and Auckland Council.
Funding Partners are ASB Community Trust and Creative New Zealand’s Creative Communities Scheme.
ENDS