Young Bay film makers win national crown

Protesters fight against the riot squad in a scene from Saving Trees, a movie created by a team of students at Pongakawa School.

A young movie crew from Pongakawa School has been named among the winners crowned in a sustainability film challenge.

The concept of filming a news crew as they witness the cutting down of the last tree, and the civil unrest that ensues in the fight to save it, was enough for the school to be named The Someday Challenge 2014 winners.

The movie was named Saving Trees and was created by Lachlan Robinson, 10, Joshua Purdie, 11, Hailey Reid, 11, Elysse Samson, 11, Trea Clarke, 10 and Meghan Mackay, 10, who were up against individuals and teams aged from 7 to 24 years old.

A judging team of people from media, education, government and business selected the 20 winners out of 130 entries from all over New Zealand.

Now in its eigth year, the Someday Challenge asks young people aged up to 24 to make short sustainability-related films of any genre, filmed with any camera and any length up to 5 minutes.

Films from the Someday Challenge in recent years have gone on to achieve international success, with entries by film-makers aged from ten to 24 selected for prestigious film festivals.

This year, for the first time, each winning film-maker will receive a commitment from The Outlook for Someday that their film will be entered into at least one international film festival in 2015.

The film-makers will be honoured at The Someday Awards red-carpet ceremony at the Aotea Centre in Auckland on December 4.

The online vote for Element Audience Favourite starts today and closes at midnight on Monday, December 1. People can view their favourite films at www.theoutlookforsomeday.net.

The climax of the ceremony will be the announcement and screening of the film chosen as The Body Shop Standout Winner, for which the prize package includes a mentorship with actor, film industry professional and Someday Ambassador Kiel McNaughton, membership of the Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand, and a Canon DSLR camera kit ready for film-making.

The objective of the Someday project is to help grow a generation of sustainability storytellers.

Project director David Jacobs said: "The Outlook for Someday is a vehicle for media citizenship. By making films about sustainability young people are contributing their talents to changing the world.''