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The annual national Making a Difference competition is run by the charity Inspiring Stories, led by 2015 Young New Zealander of the Year Guy Ryan.

The judges of the Creativity & Culture Award, backed by The Big Idea, were impressed by the quality of Sarah Ridsdale's clay-mation film Whenua Finds a Future, about Whenua the Whio (a native New Zealand duck), who comes to his DOC ranger friend, Bubs, with a question. "Sarah presented an important message in a fluid and fun way, keeping the viewer entertained while discovering the importance of the topic. We were also very impressed with her animation skills."

Finalists for the Creativity & Culture Award were Tactile Dance by Elizabeth Guthrey, which featured creative dance in diverse environments affected by the Christchurch earthquakes and considered the significance of native timbers and their reuse. And Aspire by Samantha Smyrke, about The Aspire Programme for year 8 students on-campus experience at Otago University that introduces the possibilities of higher education.

Sarah's prize included use of The Soundroom music production and composition studio based in Auckland, with technical advice from Tom Fox and Marshall Smith. She also received a stop motion animation studio kit from Mohawk Media director Helen Baxter, The Big Idea digital columnist, who presented the award at a ceremony in Wellington on December 5.

The overall grand prize winner for the Making a Difference film competition was Michelle Vergel de Dios, who made the film Sehar’s Story. It explores the adversity and challenges of a young migrant woman in New Zealand, Sehar Moughal, who decided to lead a new initiative to help other young migrant and refugee women better integrate into society. The film resonates all the more in the current global climate, where numerous countries are debating their willingness to accept Syrian, and other, refugees. The judges of the competition said the film fostered greater understanding and compassion for those making a home in a new society.

Finalists for the awards were announced in October, after judging by a panel of industry professionals, and the winners awarded at the ceremony on Saturday at the Sustainability Trust Building. The awards challenge aspiring Kiwi filmmakers to tell the story of a young person who’s doing something extraordinary.

Finalists and their friends and families, as well as local film industry members and supporters, shared drinks and nibbles and enjoyed the tunes of Wellington band Lost Bird, before the prizes were awarded. The overall winner received $2000 and a two-day internship at Images & Sound in Auckland. Finalists had traveled from as far away as Invercargill and Kaitaia to attend.

Each year, aspiring filmmakers are given the challenge each year of making a film of no more than 5 minutes in length, about a young person doing something awesome that makes a difference in their community or the world. Guy Ryan, himself a documentary filmmaker, set up the competition to help tell a different story about young Kiwis to the one that is often heard.

Recently, a number of films by previous winners and finalists of the competition have been screening as part of Air New Zealand’s in-flight entertainment service - a big honour. Past winners have included a story about a young Kiwi battling cancer and a group on a quest to combat plastic waste.

The winning films can be watched on the Making a Difference website.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS:

Social Justice Award - Youth Pride, Youth Passion, Youth Change
Nina Griffiths (Northland)

Leadership Award - Rewind
Liam van Eeden and Jean-Martin Fabre (Invercargill) 
Awarded with backing from the Sir Peter Blake Trust.

Creativity & Culture Award - Whenua Finds a Future
Sarah Ridsdale (Palmerston North)
Awarded with backing from The Big Idea.

Environment/Kaitiaki Award - Whenua Finds a Future
Sarah Ridsdale (Palmerston North)
Awarded with backing from Sustainable Coastlines.

Best Cinematography Award - Sehar's Story
Michelle Vergel de Dios (Auckland)

Best Editing Award - Rewind
Liam van Eeden and Jean-Martin Fabre (Invercargill)

Honorable Mention 1 - Strands of Hope
Amy Huang

Honorable Mention 2 - Mountains for Malawi
Henry Donald

Making A Difference Award - Sehar's Story
Michelle Vergel de Dios (Auckland)

Secondary Schools Category Award - Rewind
Liam van Eeden and Jean-Martin Fabre (Invercargill)

Tertiary Institution Category Award - Aspire
Samantha Smyrke (Otago/Rotorua)

Open Category Award - Youth Pride, Youth Passion, Youth Change
Nina Griffiths (Northland)

Overall Winner and Most Inspiring Story - Sehar's Story
Michelle Vergel de Dios (Auckland)

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Making a Difference Awards challenge aspiring Kiwi filmmakers to tell the story of a young person who’s doing something extraordinary. See more storytelling and filmmaking resources on their website.

Inspiring Stories is a nationwide charity founded by Guy Ryan in 2011 that helps young New Zealand leaders unleash their potential to change the world. It has empowered more than 5,000 young New Zealanders through its programmes. The organisation is known for its Festival for the Future, a gathering of 500 young Kiwis, that explores the big issues of our time and allows young people to share ideas and learn skills that do good in the world. It also runs the summer social entrepreneurship accelerator programme, Live the Dream.