Are You the Next Award-Winning Iysff Nz Nationals Kiwi Filmmaker?
The search is on again for the best young Kiwi silent filmmakers in Aotearoa with the return of the International Youth
Silent Film Festival (IYSFF) New Zealand Nationals 2019.
The IYSFF is a global competition that challenges filmmakers from across the United States of America, Australia, The
United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand to create a three-minute silent film set to one of 10 musical scores composed
especially for the festival.
To enter the New Zealand competition Kiwi filmmakers, aged 20 and under (as of April 15 this year), must submit their
entries via the IYSFF global website (www.makesilentfilm.com) before submissions close at midnight on Sunday 1 September.
Once submissions close, a panel of jurors will select The Top 10-15 entries to be screened at the red-carpet National
Awards 2019 which takes place at Baycourt Community & Arts Centre in Tauranga on Friday 9 November.
“Since the IYSFF’s New Zealand debut at Baycourt in 2016 we have witnessed the competition get bigger, better and bolder
each and every year,” said Baycourt manager James Wilson.
“The IYSFF NZ team was absolutely amazed by the quality and craftsmanship of last year’s entries, so we cannot wait to
see what our young Kiwi filmmakers have to offer in 2019.”
Each film screened at the finals will feature musical accompaniment from the IYSFF’s composer Nathan Avakian who will
travel to Tauranga from the United States to perform the films’ soundtracks live on Baycourt’s Mighty 1926 Wurlitzer
Theatre Organ.
Not only are there cash prizes across 10 category awards up for grabs, the Top Three films will also represent Aotearoa
at the IYSFF Global Awards 2020 to be held at the Hollywood theatre in Portland, Oregon, US.
Founded in by Jon ‘JP’ Palanuk in 2009, The IYSFF NZ competition made its Aotearoa debut at Baycourt Community & Arts Centre in Tauranga back in 2016.
Not only does Baycourt’s Addison Theatre feature a massive 14m x 6m Cyclorama Screen which the entries are projected on
at the awards final, but it is also home to a Wurlitzer Organ (A.K.A The ‘Mighty Wurli’) which is the largest type of
musical instrument in the world.
There are only three Wurlitzers in New Zealand, and Baycourt’s is the only one in such an original condition. The
theatre organ consists of a console that dramatically rises from beneath the stage, connected to thousands of pipes; a
piano keyboard, a xylophone, castanets, bells and drums.
Wilson believes the Baycourt Wurli is a tremendous asset for Tauranga and the IYSFF NZ Nationals is a wonderful
opportunity to introduce the iconic theatre organ to a younger generation.
The IYSFF NZ Nationals 2019 is delivered by Baycourt Community & Arts Centre in partnership with Bay of Plenty Film and major media partner The Breeze Tauranga.
To view the Top 12 films from the IYSFF NZ National 2018, visit https://vimeo.com/showcase/5175310
For rules, soundtracks, or to make a submission visit the IYSFF’s website at www.makesilentfilm.com or for more information about the IYSFF NZ National 2018 competition visit www.facebook.com/groups/IYSFFNZ/
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