New Zealand’s leading international short film festival, Show Me Shorts, is making a final call for local and international submissions in the 11th annual festival.
The final deadline for submissions in this fast-growing festival is 1 July. Short films entered into Show Me Shorts can be from New Zealand or anywhere in the world.
Films must be between two and 20 minutes long and made within the last two years. New Zealand music videos can also qualify for selection if they are between one and 10 minutes long.
Entry numbers for Show Me Shorts are up 50% from last year, with over 1,300 entries received so far. This is partly as a result of the new Academy Awards®-qualifying status in the Best International Film category. Show Me Shorts is an Academy Awards®-qualifying festival, with the winners of their top two awards (Lightbox Best Film and Best International Film) qualifying for entry to the Oscars®.
Festival Director of Show Me Shorts, Gina Dellabarca, says, “We are looking for well-crafted short films that look great on the big screen. We want our audience to think and feel something, whether its laughter, nostalgia, surprise, or something more sinister; it is unique voices and unexpected ideas that create the world-class quality of short films people can expect to see at our festival.”
The awards are judged and decided by a panel of experienced film industry practitioners. The winners are then announced and prizes presented at the Opening Night and Awards Ceremony, this year being held at The Civic on 1 October.
Last year’s top prize went to Alyx Duncan for The Tide Keeper. Her film is now eligible to enter the 2017 Oscars®. Duncan also received $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. The total prize pool provided by Show Me Shorts and their sponsors across ten award categories is valued at more than $25,000.
Additionally, the festival connects filmmakers with thousands of New Zealanders, from Dargaville to Stewart Island. The 2016 tour includes a number of new locations such as Gisborne, Paekakariki, Pahiatua and Hokitika. In Wellington, the festival moves to a new home at the prestigious Embassy Theatre – where Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films made their debut.
More details are available at www.showmeshorts.co.nz
