The inaugural New Zealand Youth Film Festival will take place in December 2022, with the gala opening night being hosted
at AUT’s City Campus on 9 December 2022.
AUT is also sponsoring the Best 19-21 Age Group Film category. Acting Head of School and documentary film-maker
Associate Professor Dafydd Sills-Jones says he is excited to see what the young film makers produce. “The creativity of
young film makers is inspiring, and we are thrilled to be able to support this inaugural festival, which was born from
the initiative of several of our current students, including Festival CEO Ryan Chow, who understands the power of film to draw people into a story.”
Ryan says the Festival’s mission is to celebrate and energise young people aged 15 – 24 through film. “Through my
studies in Screen Production at AUT’s School of Communication Studies I’ve seen first-hand what a difference it makes
when you can access mentoring and introductions to help you bridge between study and working as a professional in the
screen industry. I want the Festival to help build a more supportive film industry in Aotearoa, and for it to shine a
light on up and coming talent.”
People between aged 15 – 24 can submit films for consideration now, and the Festival is open for entries until 11 November 2022.