Six short films have been selected by Andrew Adamson (Mr Pip, The Chronicles of Narnia) as finalists for the New Zealand International Film Festival’s New Zealand’s Best Short Film Competition in 2014.
The films will compete for four cash prizes, with winners to be announced at the closing night event of the Auckland leg of NZIFF.
Guest selector and international filmmaker Andrew Adamson selected the six finalists from a shortlist of 12. Festival programmers Bill Gosden and Michael McDonnell viewed 115 entries to prepare the shortlist.
Andrew Adamson was impressed with the standard of shorts entered this year, describing some of the finalists as “well structured, beautifully shot”, “witty and imaginative”, “poignant and well put together”. His comment for each entry is noted below.
The finalists are:
Eleven
New Zealand 2013 | Director: Abigail Greenwood
A beautifully painful story of peer pressure and betrayal. Well shot and well acted by the young cast, it’s a very moving story that takes one back to the difficult years of childhood.
Cold Snap
New Zealand 2013 | Director: Leo Woodhead
A well structured, beautifully shot narrative… It leaves the audience contemplating life, death and pain – and how confusing such things can be for a child dealing with death every day.
Over The Moon
New Zealand 2013 | Director: James Cunningham
A witty and imaginative take on the ‘battle of the sexes’. Cunningham has made great use of technology and whimsical production design to create a fun but pointed commentary on one of the many testosterone heavy occupations.
Ross & Beth
World Premiere | New Zealand 2014 | Director: Hamish Bennett
A well crafted character study of ageing rural New Zealand. Lovely subtle performances paint a sweet, sad and gentle story rooted in relatable characters.
School Night
World Premiere | New Zealand 2014 | Directors: Leon Wadham, Eli Kent
Hayley Sproull’s performance is perfectly subtle as a sympathetically insecure young woman caught between youth and premature aging. A very complete and satisfying narrative that is rare in the short film format.
U.F.O.
World Premiere | New Zealand 2014 | Director: Gregory King
A unique take on a child escaping his surroundings. Good use of makeup and effects sets you up for a turn from the surreal to the tragically real. In the bleak New Zealand tradition the film is affecting and stays with you.
NZIFF will begin in Auckland (17 July – 3 August), open in Wellington one week later (25 July – 10 August), then Christchurch and Nelson (6 – 24 August) and Dunedin (31 July – 17 August) before continuing to travel around New Zealand screening in Timaru, Gore, Hawke’s Bay, Hamilton, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Masterton, and New Plymouth.
The Festival has already announced 12 films including Pulp, 20,000 Days on Earth, Jimi: All Is By My Side, Frank, The Congress, Consuming Spirits, Is The Man Who Is Tall Happy?, Patema Inverted, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (3D), Why Don’t You Play In Hell? and the Live Cinema Event in Auckland, Prix de beauté, for the 2014 programme.
Festival programmes will be available online and around town from June 24 in Auckland, and June 27 in Wellington. For Festival updates visit www.nziff.co.nz and register to receive e-newsletters.
