Show Me Shorts Film Festival will screen eighty-five short films in cinemas across Aotearoa New Zealand this October. The films have been curated from 2,400 submissions.

Show Me Shorts is the premier short film festival in the Asia Pacific region, and this will be their 19th edition. The festival is Oscar accredited and BAFTA qualifying, meaning they provide a pathway to international awards glory for filmmakers.

A massive 126 screenings will take place at 40 venues nationwide.

Highlight films include My Week With Maisy featuring Joanna Lumley; Māori Time featuring Manu Bennet; Payback by acclaimed Kiwi actor Mia Blake; and Morning Hate the directorial debut of New Zealand actor Dean O’Gorman (The Hobbit, Shortland Street) with a powerful story set in the trenches of WWI.

Eight world premieres will be celebrated during the festival, where local and international filmmakers will introduce their films for the first time: Pack Rat, New Followers, Morning Hate, Cold Feet, My Dying Place, The Journey of Cooking, Trapped (Mexico), and Rock Paper Scissors (United Kingdom).

There are eleven themed collections of films, with 7-8 shorts and a run-time around the same as a feature film. The themes include a science fiction section – Dystopian Dreams, a section for fans of horror and gore called Slashers and Splatters, as well as the ever popular Whānau Friendly collection for children and their families to enjoy together.

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Full list of themed sections of the programme:

The Sampler
Whānau Friendly
Aotearoa – Ka Awatea
German Focus
Dystopian Dreams
Deeper into Love
Generational Threads
Finding Your True North
Slashers and Splatters
Lives in the Firing Line
Defy Expectations

Germany is the country of focus this year, presented in partnership with the Goethe-Institut of New Zealand. There are two collections of German short films, with twelve German shorts screening in total. German guests attending the festival include director Hans Jakob Harms, wo will present his science fiction short film S/N:05 on opening nights in Auckland and Wellington. A programmer from Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg – Anna Feistel – will speak at events and sit on the Show Me Shorts national awards jury. Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck of shorts/salon will present a playful event she has created called Hallo Stranger. The event includes a screening of German short films about communication and encompasses the opportunity to write postcards to friends or strangers.

Aspiring filmmakers can take advantage of a number of educational industry events running as part of the Festival. Filmmaker Talks provide an opportunity to hear how films were made directly from the creators and ask questions about their process. These take place in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. For those in Auckland, Industry Day provides a full day of interactive professional development workshops, panel discussions, networking and screenings on 13 October. Guest filmmakers and content curators will be attending from Australia, Germany, China, Norway, the United States and across Aotearoa.

To help make short films even more accessible the Festival will provide collections with Audio Descriptions and Closed Captions at Show Me Shorts On Demand. For the first time this year, select screenings with Closed Captions will also take place at cinemas in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Show Me Shorts Festival Director, Gina Dellabarca says: “I believe short films have a magic to them, distilling a story down to its essence. That is why this format is so popular and filmmakers continue to embrace it. This year’s festival provides a wealth of inspiring ideas, quirky characters and surprising bursts of laughter. I can’t wait to introduce audiences to the shorts, meet the filmmakers and share their stories.”

Hon Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, says: “Show Me Shorts recognises the importance of short films in the success of our screen industry. For the uninitiated, what a great introduction to the genre. And for the more serious film buffs, it’s a chance to get immersed in the latest and best of local and international short film, at venues throughout the country or online. Whether our preference is fiction, documentary or animation, we can all look forward to an exciting selection of short films this October.”

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.

SHOW ME SHORTS LOCATONS:

Whangārei
Auckland – Avondale
Auckland – Central
Auckland – Devonport
Auckland – Takapuna
Auckland – Māngere
Auckland – Howick
Auckland – Great Barrier Island
Auckland – Matakana
Auckland – Titirangi
Auckland – Waiheke Island
Thames
Whitianga
Hamilton
Te Awamutu
Katikati
Tauranga
Ōpōtiki
Gisborne
New Plymouth
Napier
Ōtaki
Wellington
Picton
Nelson
Tākaka
Kaiapoi
Christchurch
Selwyn
Alexandra
Arrowtown
Dunedin
Invercargill
On Demand