The Show Me Shorts awards celebrate filmmakers who have achieved excellence, with their films selected for this year’s festival. The winners of the top two awards become qualified to enter the Academy Awards.

There are fourteen films and three music videos nominated across eight categories. The most nominated film is Honey Kaha, directed by Te Waiarangi Ratana with four nominations. Figment, directed by Ian Sweeney, received three nominations while three films received two nominations each: Vivie, The Sea Inside Her and Rochelle.

Here is the full list of Show Me Shorts award nominees:

Department of Post Best New Zealand Film

1. Hweiling Ow, Sara Chen, Mia Maramara for Vivie

2. Te Waiarangi Ratana, Ben Bamford, Mike Minogue for Honey Kaha

3. Vea Mafile'o, Eldon Booth, Alex Lovell for Lea Tupu'anga (Mother Tongue)

Best International Film

1. Franz Böhm, Hayder Hoozeer for Rock Paper Scissors

2. Joe Weiland, Finn Constantine, Sienna Miller, Marija Djikic for Marion

3. Kevin Biele, Philip Malewicz for Long Time No See

4. Mahdiye Ghotbedinmohamadi, Mohadeseh Pirhadi for The Brother

NZ on Air Best Music Video

1. Hattie Adams, Ryan Bradley, Summer Vaha'akolo for Tōtara

2. Ryan Ferris, James Allen, Caleb MacDonald for Beacon Bloom

3. Stephen Coad for Mac Glocky - Never Get Nowhere

Toi Whakaari Best Actor

1. Kilda Northcott for The Sea Inside Her

2. Kura Turuwhenua for Honey Kaha

3. Manu Bennett for Māori Time

DEGANZ Best Director

1. Alyx Duncan for The Sea Inside Her

2. Ian Sweeney for Figment

3. Te Waiarangi Ratana for Honey Kaha

DEGANZ Best Editor

1. Liddy Whiteman for Figment

2. Tom Furniss for Rochelle

3. Meg Trotter for Hitchhiking is Safe

Studio Butter Best Cinematographer

1. Mark Papalii for Honey Kaha

2. Ryan Heron for Rochelle

3. Simon Waterhouse for Figment

Best Screenplay

1. Hweiling Ow for Vivie

2. Isla Macleod for Cold Feet

3. Lucy Suess for Pack Rat

Jury members praised the high calibre of films overall. 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 so 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 4.30pm on Sunday 13 October at The Classic in Auckland. Tickets to Industry Day are available here. The Award Winners films are available as one collection that can be watched in Auckland, Matakana, Katikati, Wellington and Christchurch, as well as On Demand.

Audience members will have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award, which will be presented at the conclusion to the festival. Voting is open throughout the festival via www.showmeshorts.co.nz.

This year’s honourable jury members consisted of:

National Jury

· Manukaroa Anderson (Ngāti Rangiwewehi) – Head of Content Curation, Whakaata Māori

· Professor Sun Lijun – Vice-Chair, Beijing Film Academy

· Anna Feistel – Programmer, Hamburg Kurzfilm Festival

International Jury

· Christina Andreef – Funding Executive, NZ Film Commission

· Bo Li – Chairman, NZ Asia Pacific Film Festival

· Dale Corlett – Executive Director, Script to Screen

Screenplay Jury

· Steve Barr: Producer, Writer, Commissioner

· Steve Newall: Editor, Flicks.co.nz

Show Me Shorts Film Festival will take place in forty locations during 10-28 October 2024. This will be followed by a three-day online Festival at Show Me Shorts On Demand during Labour Weekend. Tickets for all screenings and events nationwide are now available to book.

Book tickets now