2023 Award Nominees

Show Me Shorts Film Festival has announced the finalists for the Show Me Shorts awards. New Zealand’s largest and most important short film festival kicks off on 6 October and runs through the month at more than 35 cinemas and community venues nationwide.

There are 17 short films nominated across eight award categories. Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le directed by Julie Zhu from New Zealand – is the most-nominated film, competing for three awards, including the coveted Department of Post Best New Zealand Film. The other two nominated films for Department of Post Best New Zealand Film are Anu by Rachel Fawcett and Buttons & Dumplings by Calvin Sang, Mei Ling Lee.

The nominees for the Cause and FX Best International Film include films from Indonesia (Basri & Salma In A Never Ending Comedy by Khozy Rizal, John Badalu, Sue Turley), Canada (Muscat by Philippe Grenier, Charlotte Beaudoin-Poisson, Sophie Ricard-), and the United Kingdom (Such a Lovely Day by Simon Woods, Polly Stokes, Emma Norton, Kate Phibbs).

Basri & Salma In A Never Ending Comedy by Khozy Rizal, John Badalu, Sue Turley (Indonesia), is nominated for the Cause and FX Best International Film Award

Here is the full list of award nominees.

Best Cinematographer Award

• Ian Powell for Te Whakawhitinga

• Clayton Carpinter for When You Went Away - The Transits

• Marty Williams for The Ballad of Maddog Quinn

 Toi Whakaari Best Actor Award

• Yan Lin for Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le

• Prabha Ravi for Anu

• Michelle Ang for Nai / Milk

• Moana Ete for Ministry of Jingle

Best Screenplay Award

• Anna Rose Duckworth & Ali Burns for Just Kidding, I Actually Love You

• Ian Sweeney & Alex Scott for Good Luck

• Maza White for Daughter of God

NZ on Air Best Music Video Award

• Kingmaker - Tami Neilson by Alyx Duncan, Emma Mortimer

• Daithí – Familial by Ayla Amano

• When You Went Away - The Transits by Ian Sweeney & Johnny Gilbert

DEGANZ Best Editor Award

• Jeremy Leatinu’u & Ian Powell for Te Whakawhitinga

• Kevin Schlanser & Jack Brown for Nai / Milk

• Jonno Woodford-Robinson for The Ballad of Maddog Quinn

DEGANZ Best Director Award

• Michelle Ang for Nai / Milk                

• Pulkit Arora for Anu

• Julie Zhu for Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le

Cause and FX Best International Film Award

• Such a Lovely Day by Simon Woods, Polly Stokes, Emma Norton, Kate Phibbs (United Kingdom)

• Basri & Salma In A Never Ending Comedy by Khozy Rizal, John Badalu, Sue Turley (Indonesia)

• Muscat by Philippe Grenier, Charlotte Beaudoin-Poisson, Sophie Ricard-Harvey (Canada)

Department of Post Best New Zealand Film Award

• Lǎo Lao Lǎo Le by Jazz dos Santos, Puteri Raja Ariff, Julie Zhu

• Anu by Rachel Fawcett, Pulkit Arora

• Buttons & Dumplings by Calvin Sang, Mei Ling Lee

Show Me Shorts is an Oscar-accredited film festival, meaning the winners of the top two awards, Department of Post Best New Zealand Film and Cause and FX Best International Film, will become qualified to enter the Academy Awards. Other prizes include $8,500 cash, $12,000 worth of post-production services from Department of Post, $5,000 of gear rental from Rubber Monkey, membership to DEGANZ, flowers from Enchanted Rose, engraved winner’s badge and certificates. The total prize pool is valued at more than $40,000.

Kingmaker - Tami Neilson by Alyx Duncan, Emma Mortimer, is nominated for the NZ On Air Best Music Video award.

In addition to the eight awards listed above, audience members can vote for their favourite short films to win the People’s Choice Award by scanning the QR code on screen at the end of every session. The winner of this award will be announced at the end of the festival.

The jury were impressed by strong performances throughout the selected films, as well as skillful use of filmmaking tools that result in a “compelling and thought provoking cinema experience.” Dion Nash (ex-Black Cap, entrepreneur and arts enthusiast) was among this year’s Jury members. He had this to say about the films: “Among the array of films we had the pleasure of viewing, there was a consistently high standard.”

Anu directed by Pulkit Arora, is nominated for the DEGANZ Best Director Award

 National awards Jury members

·       Angela Cudd: Producer

·       Bronwyn Kidd: Programmer at Flickerfest (Australia)

·       Dion Nash: Ex-Black Cap, entrepreneur and arts fan

·       Fransiska Prihadi: Programmer at Minikino Film Festival Short Film Week (Indonesia)

 International award Jury members

·       Simona Meriggi: Founder and Artistic Director of Amarcort Film Festival (Italy)

·       Steve Newall: Editor at Flicks.co.nz

·       Tui Ruwhiu: Executive Director at the Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand

 Screenplay award Jury members

·       Katie Bignell: Film Festival Strategist at Festival Formula

·       Nick Ward: Award winning screenwriter

 Festival Director Gina Dellabarca commented: “I’m thrilled to see such a large range of types of short films nominated for awards this year. My thanks go out to our esteemed jury members for their time and care in choosing the winners. As well as all the screen industry organisations that have sponsored awards and by doing to are supporting the careers of these amazing filmmakers.”

The award winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony taking place as part of Industry Day, at 5.30pm on Sunday 8 October at the Hollywood Avondale, in Auckland. Tickets to Industry Day are available here. The winning films can be watched together in the Award Winners collection at the following locations: Auckland, Matakana, Katikati, Wellington and Christchurch.

There are 86 short films and music videos in the 2023 Show Me Shorts Film Festival programme. The films will screen at cinemas nationwide from 6 to 29 October, with a selection also available On Demand from 14 to 29 October. All screening dates, locations and booking information is available here.