Live: New Zealand Youth Film Festival winners announced

The New Zealand Youth Film Festival is hosting its second award ceremony tonight, revealing the young Kiwis aspiring to be the next Jane Campion or Taika Waititi.

Presented by the New Zealand Herald, entries for the festival opened in October allowing aspiring filmmakers aged 15 to 24 to enter their work from any theme or genre.

There were 426 entries from all over Aotearoa. A winner will be chosen from each of the 11 categories. Prizes include Canon camera gear and a tour of the iconic Shortland St film set.

Hosted by comedian and actress Karen O’Leary the Wellington-hosted Oscars-inspired ceremony will be available to watch for free on the Herald.

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The festival’s director, AUT business and communication studies student Ryan Chow, is excited for this year’s talent to go on display.

“We are thrilled to announce the second New Zealand Youth Film Festival presented by The New Zealand Herald,” he says.

“It’s amazing to witness the incredible talent and creativity of our young movie-makers. We’re proud to offer them a platform to shine a light on their work and connect them with industry opportunities in the hopes of kickstarting their careers.”

The festival was hosted for the first time in Auckland last year, with 357 entries from across the country and a programme of events that included tours of TVNZ’s studios with newsreader Melissa Stokes.

A behind-the-scenes look at this year's New Zealand Youth Film Festival ceremony. Photo / Instagram

One of the festival judges was Marvel Studios director of technology Katie Hinsen, who said the event was “fabulous”.

“The quality of film-making from rangatahi as young as 15 really blew me away. I can’t wait to know many of these folks as colleagues on the world stage, doing Aotearoa so proud.”

The New Zealand Youth Film Festival is a non-profit event designed to discover and celebrate the next generation of Aotearoa’s movie-makers.

Full list of finalists

South Pacific Pictures Best 15-18 Age Group Film

Desolate Remnants - Jack Smillie and Jack Trounce

Fathoms - Camille Sutherland

Loop - Angus Lindsay

Space Cowboy - Emily McVicar

XO - Kate Liu

One New Zealand Best 19-21 Age Group Film

My Sister’s Shiny Stone - Dean Chung

O’live me alone - Beth Davies

The Mariner - Una Schenker

Tuned Out - Flynn Biara Allan

Warner Bros International Television Production New Zealand Best 22-24 Age Group Film

A Date With Death - Finnigan Fiebig

Little Stray - Kieran Latta

Love is Dead - Dylan Poihipi

The Adventures of Banana Man! The Rise of Tomaté! - Caleb Lay

Tokorua Hei Kotahi (Two As One) - Claudia Holmstead-Morris

South Pacific Pictures Best Acting

For Thom - Rafa Yam

Half-Truth - Chris Curtis

Murphy’s Commute - Ethan Robinson

When You See Me - Georgina Cotterill

Canon Best Cinematography

Fantasy Football - Jaeden Moore

In Conversation With the Moon - Max Libbey-Hollyman

Out Of? Order. (My Nightmare Comes From Dreaming in a 4:3 Aspect Ratio) - Jono Li

The Colorway Killer - Alex Metaxas

Voyage’ - Keven Souza

Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Best Directing

Act Blind 101 - Wei-Chi Lin

Fetu - Jesse Membrere

Honey Kaha - Te Waiarangi Ratana

In Her Steps - Kit Coira

The Empathiser - Arlo Macmillan

What the Actual?! Best Documentary

Big Kids - Tom Field

False Horizon - Jack Carden

Milking Colours - George Meehan

Skyglow - Connor Hislop

Adobe Best Editing

Blue Cow - Tom Foy

Cheese Man - Ephraim Frame

Eternal Return - Harrison Ashley

Facade - Emily Ardern

Universal Music New Zealand Best Music Video

Deliverance - Lissa Lee

Dino Party - Archie Crayford

God Complex - Hannah Davenport

Odyssey - Tyler Redmond

Supernova - Flora Xie

Wētā FX Best Visual Effects

Got the Spirit - Molly Power

Insoucism - Josiah Low-Schuemperli

Men Who Went South - Josh Robertson

User 3.0 - Casilda Tudor-Oakley