7 July 2014
Short Film Competition launches
A short film competition with ‘stillness’ as its focus launches at the Film Archive in Wellington, New Zealand, on 7
July 2014.
“Create a short film between 30 seconds and two minutes long on the topic of ‘stillness’ – that’s the challenge we’re
offering,” said Mark Sweeney, Co-Director of a new film festival, ‘Stillness, & The Moving Image,’ which will be taking place in Wellington, New Zealand, from 14–18 October, 2014.
“The winning film will be the one judged to have best captured the concept and will be screened at the Festival launch,”
said Sweeney. “It will be screened before each feature film, along with a selection of others which have impressed the
judges.”
“We welcome all genres of film, including animation and experimental,” said Sweeney. “The winning film will be announced
and screened at the opening night launch, and if the winner is unable to attend in person we will Skype them in from
wherever they are in the world,” he said.
Competition judges are actor Loren Taylor (Existence, Dancing in the Sky, Eagle vs Shark, Kombi Nation), director and
producer Robin Greenberg (Huloo, He Waka Hono Tangata) and Festival Co-Director Mark Sweeney.
The closing date for submissions is 30 September 2014. Information on how to enter the competition can be found on the
festival website at www.stillnesscommafilmfestival.co.nz.
“ ‘Stillness, & The Moving Image’,” said Ramsey Margolis, Festival Co-Director, “is a festival of films for people who have an interest
in mindfulness, meditation, and a secular approach to Buddhism and other religious practices, films they might find
nourishing.”
“We have selected films that we hope will encourage people to bring greater stillness into their lives,” said Margolis,
“to be more mindful, awakening to the results that their actions and their intentions are having on themselves, on
others, on the planet, and all beings on it.”
The festival will be taking place and the competition winner screened at the Film Archive, Taranaki Street, Wellington,
New Zealand.
Mark Sweeney, Co-Director
For the last 25 years, Mark Sweeney has worked in moving image culture: as a film technician, high school Media Studies
teacher, and currently a curator and film archivist. His interest is in how the moving image can help us make sense of
the world, or rather how media literacy can help us make sense of media so we can make sense of the world, and be
mindful.
Ramsey Margolis, Co-Director
Discovering stillness and the strength that comes through silence in 1995, Ramsey Margolis facilitates a group called
Simply Meditation in Wellington and runs a website for the country’s secular Buddhist communities. With the intention of
helping to create a culture of generosity in Aotearoa New Zealand, he enjoys seeing communities of practitioners spring
into life and develop.
Films to be screened in the festival include:
• Buddhism Without Beliefs
• Gardening With Soul
• Illustrious Energy
• Meditate and Destroy
• Room to Breathe
• Tatarakihi: The Children of Parihaka
The festival Co-Directors are very grateful to have received support from the following organisations.
CORE PARTNERS
Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
Secular Buddhism Aotearoa New Zealand
The Film Archive
SILVER SCREEN PARTNER
[Aotearoa Buddhist Education Trust – TBC]
BRONZE RUPA PARTNERS
Mindfulness Works
Recollective Awareness Meditation Australia
Wellington Buddhist Centre
Wellington Insight Meditation Community
and a number of individual supporters
ENDS