New Zealand’s only Academy Awards-accredited film festival, Show Me Shorts, has unveiled a stellar line-up of top local and international short films to screen as the festival enters its eighth year.
Show Me Shorts received their largest number of entries ever this year, coming in from over 50 countries. They have also launched several new award categories, and announced cash prizes.
There are 40 shorts in the programme this year, divided into six sessions. “The team and I watched over 800 films this year, so it was incredibly difficult to choose the best,” says festival director Gina Dellabarca. “The final selection reflects the premium quality befitting our new Oscar qualifying status.”
Countries represented this year are: New Zealand, France, Germany, Korea, Czech Republic, UK, Iran, Austria, USA, Canada, Netherlands, Australia and Belgium.
Some of the films feature high profile talent such as Michael Richards (Seinfeld‘s Kramer) in Walk the Light, and the voices of Cate Blanchett and David Wenham in the award winning animation A Cautionary Tail, about a little girl born with a tail that expresses her emotions. Closer to home, Aidee Walker stars in the already award winning short film that she also directed – Friday Tigers. In Honk if You’re Horny, Andy Anderson gives a career highlight performance as a lascivious taxi driver telling a hilarious dirty story to an enigmatic young musician, the captive audience on a taxi ride from hell. Dame Kate Harcourt stars in The Silk and Chelsie Preston-Crayford features in Here Now (which she also wrote and directed).
The six themed sessions for 2013 are: ‘Dad’s Decision’, ‘Laughing at Ourselves’, ‘Our Place’, ‘Through the Looking Glass’, ‘Interface’, and ‘My Generation’. “Strong themes of place and identity are evident in the films this year, as outstanding filmmakers explore who we are and what is important to us,” says Dellabarca. “Staying connected to our loved ones is high on the list, either physically or digitally in this modern plugged-in world. These shorts tells us something about who we are. As a nation, a community and an increasingly connected world.”
The ‘My Generation’ session is being offered to school groups with a specially developed education pack of curriculum-based questions for students and teachers. The festival reports a strong interest in these screenings already.
Show Me Shorts launches with the Rialto Channel Opening Night & Awards Ceremony on Wednesday 6 November at Auckland’s Capitol Cinema. The other locations this year include: Waiheke Island, Matakana, Pukekohe, Paramount Wellington, Cinema Gold Palmerston North, Alice Cinematheque Christchurch, Movie Max Timaru, Rialto Dunedin, Downtown Cinemas Paraparaumu, Cinema Gold Havelock North, Limelight Cinema Oamaru, Bay City Cinemas Tauranga, and The Monkey House Cinema in Whitianga.
Ten awards will be presented on Opening Night. The winner of the Rush Munro’s Best Film will take away $2,500 cash courtesy of Rush Munro’s, $10,000 worth of VFX work from Cause FX, $5,000 worth of equipment rental from Rubber Monkey, a one-year membership to Screen Hub, a six-month membership to StarNow, a one-year membership to SDGNZ for the director and the editor, and a one year subscription to OnFilm magazine.
The other awards are Panavision Best Cinematographer, StarNow Best Actor, SDGNZ Best Director, SDGNZ Best Editor, Script to Screen & NZ Writers Guild Best Screen Play, Mexicali Fresh Best Student Film, NZFC Special Jury Prize, Best International Film, and a new award this year – RPM Pictures Best Colourist.
$7,000 will be given out in prize money this year, taking the total prize value to over $35,000. During the festival, audiences can also vote for their favourite film to win the People’s Choice award by filling out the survey in cinemas or at www.showmeshorts.co.nz.
Pick up a brochure with the full Show Me Shorts 2013 programme from cinemas, cafes and libraries, or check it out online.
