Show Me Shorts Film Festival 2016 Finalists announced

Media Release: Monday 26 September 2016

Show Me Shorts Film Festival 2016 Finalists announced

New Zealand’s leading international short film festival, Show Me Shorts, has announced the finalists in this year’s line up.

The 2016 Show Me Shorts opens on 1 October with an awards ceremony and film screenings at Auckland’s The Civic. Prizes will be presented for nine award categories, including the two Oscar®-accredited awards, the Lightbox Best Film Award and the Best International Film Award. The full list of nominees can be found below.

Still from Shout at the Ground

The nominees for the Lightbox Best Film Award are Mhairead Connor, Feeder; Leela Menon, Shout at the Ground; Vicky Pope and Dan Higgins, Wait; Georgiana Plaister and Ned Wenlock, Spring Jam. These four New Zealand short films have all been nominated across multiple award categories. Wait is the most broadly acknowledged with six nominations.

Still from Die Badewanne (The Bathtub)

The nominees for the Best International Film Award are: Elizabeth Brown and Dan Hodgson, Love is Blind; Tim Ellrich, Die Badewanne (The Bathtub); Daniel Mulloy, Chris Watling, Scott O'Donnell, Tim Nash, Shpat Deda and Afolabi Kuti, Home.

The judging panel deciding the 2016 Show Me Shorts Awards includes award-winning actress, Antonia Prebble (Outrageous Fortune, White Lies, Pork Pie); Tickled co-director Dylan Reeve; and one of New Zealand's leading film and television producers, Steven O'Meagher.

Speaking about the judging process, Reeve said, “It's great to see a wide variety of films told in unique ways.” O'Meagher was impressed by the "world class standard" of the nominated films, while Prebble commented: "For me the standout feature this year was the high standard of cinematography. In general, the New Zealand films were shot beautifully and absolutely stood up to the international entries.”

The winner of the 2016 Lightbox Best Film Award will gain eligibility to enter the Oscars®, they will also receive $2,000 cash, $5,000 worth of gear rental from Rubber Monkey, a membership to StarNow, a copy of Final Draft screenwriting software, a bottle of Opawa pinot noir and flowers from Enchanted Rose. A total of $6,500 will be given out in prize money for award winners, as part of a total prize pool valued at more than $35,000.

The winners of the Show Me Shorts Awards will be announced at the Auckland Opening Night & Awards Ceremony at The Civic on 1 October. Tickets for this event are now on sale from Ticketmaster. Tickets include entry to the Official After Party, where the band behind nominated music video Secret Lives of Furniture, Ha the Unclear will be playing.

Show Me Shorts will present the full programme of 47 top local and international short films in cinemas nationwide from Kaitaia to Stewart Island following the awards announcement and launch party.

Show Me Shorts 2016 Finalists:

NZ On Air Best Music Video
THUNDERLIPS & Candlelit Pictures, Lifeguard by LarzRanda
Simon Oliver, Secret Lives of Furniture by Ha the Unclear
Parallel Teeth, Beffy by Ladi6
Alexander Gandar & Billie Ruck, Low Brow by Chelsea Jade
THUNDERLIPS & Candlelit Pictures, Breathe by Sheep, Dog & Wolf

Panavision Best Cinematographer Award
Simon Baumfield, Feeder
Ryan Alexander Lloyd, Wait
Ian McCarroll, Cradle

Starnow Best Actor Award
Jacqueline Joe, Cradle
Katlyn Wong, Wait
Cohen Holloway, Feeder

Best International Film Award
Elizabeth Brown & Dan Hodgson, Love is Blind
Tim Ellrich, Die Badewanne (The Bathtub)
Daniel Mulloy, Chris Watling, Scott O'Donnell, Tim Nash, Shpat Deda & Afolabi Kuti, Home

Final Draft Best Screenplay Award
Hugh Calveley, Cradle
Yamin Tun, Wait
Joe Lonie, Shout at the Ground

DEGNZ Best Editor Award
Simon Price, Wait
Jonno Woodford-Robinson, Feeder
Bryan Shaw, Shout at the Ground

DEGNZ Best Director Award
Ned Wenlock, Spring Jam
Yamin Tun, Wait
Joe Lonie, Shout at the Ground

Lightbox Best Film Award
Mhairead Connor, Feeder
Georgiana Plaister & Ned Wenlock, Spring Jam
Leela Menon, Shout at the Ground
Vicky Pope & Daniel Higgins, Wait

The winner of the NZFC Special Jury Prize will be announced during the ceremony on 1 October (nominees are not pre-announced for this category). The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be announced in January when audience votes are counted. Audience members can vote for this award category by completing the audience surveys at cinema venues or online at www.showmeshorts.co.nz.

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About Show Me Shorts Film Festival

Show Me Shorts is New Zealand’s leading international short film festival. Their mission is to connect audiences with quality short films, celebrate excellence in short filmmaking and foster the New Zealand short film community.

In 2015 Lightbox came on board as a principal sponsor of the Show Me Shorts Film Festival. With the addition of ten new films from 2015, the agreement now delivers 75 of Show Me Shorts’ back catalogue to thousands of Lightbox viewers throughout New Zealand. www.lightbox.co.nz

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