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Show Me Shorts Film Festival has announced the winners in ten award categories for the 10th anniversary event.

The Oscar-accredited Lightbox Best Film Award was awarded to Alyx Duncan for The Tide Keeper.

Show Me Shorts Film Festival has announced the winners in ten award categories for the 10th anniversary event.

The Oscar-accredited Lightbox Best Film Award was awarded to Alyx Duncan for The Tide Keeper.

Duncan also took home the DEGNZ Best Director Award, while her cinematographers Chris Pryor and Ben Montgomery were jointly awarded the Panavision Best Cinematographer Award.

In their statement, the judges, Peter Elliot, Siobhan Marshall, Cushla Dillon and Matthew Saville, said, “The Tide Keeper is concise, intelligent, beautiful and moving. This film created another world within a world, incorporating an intriguing sense of choreographic movement and the best elements of story-telling and cinema. It is totally original.”
 
Screenwriters Ryan Heron and Guy Montgomery won the Final Draft Best Screenplay Award for their coming-of-age comedy set in rural New Zealand, Return.
 
US filmmaker Jonathan Stein received the Best International Film Award for Out of the Village, which made its world premiere screening on the night. The judges said, “This film delivered without artifice or slant. Stunning. The performances are amazing.”

James Cunningham received the DEGNZ Best Editor Award for Accidents, Blunders and Calamities. This animated comedy features a father possum reading a bedtime story to his children about the most dangerous animal of all… humans! Accidents, Blunders and Calamities also made its world premiere debut on the night, along with Best Student Film Award winner The Grind.

Speaking about Tina Cleary’s StarNow Best Actor Award winning performance in Cub, the judges commented: “Cleary’s performance was amazing – it had distinctive depth and humanity. It was an extraordinary role that she rose to.”

The Best Music Video Award category was fiercely competitive, with the prize going to last year’s winners, directing duo Thunderlips, for The Eversons – Emily. The judges also acknowledged the work of Mhairead Connor, who produced UFO, with the NZFC Special Jury Prize - calling it “Exceptionally bold and brave. Cinematic. Art department, the lighting and the make-up are all really well done. Fantastic.”
 
As the winner of the coveted Lightbox Best Film Award Alyx Duncan is now eligible to enter The Tide Keeper into the 2017 Oscars. She also receives $2,000 cash, $5,000 worth of gear rental from Rubber Monkey, a membership to StarNow, a copy of Final Draft screenwriting software, a bottle of Opawa pinot noir and flowers from Enchanted Rose.

Show Me Shorts is now playing 40 short films and six music videos in 22 cinemas across Aotearoa, from Dargaville to Stewart Island. Tickets are on sale from the cinema venues.

Audience members can be part of the awards process by voting for their favourite film to win the People’s Choice Award during the festival. Survey and voting forms can be completed at cinema venues or online.
 
Show Me Shorts Film Festival 2015 Award winners:

Lightbox Best Film Award
Alyx Duncan, The Tide Keeper
 
Final Draft Best Screenplay Award
Ryan Heron & Guy Montgomery, Return
 
DEGNZ Best Editor Award
James Cunningham, Accidents, Blunders and Calamities
 
StarNow Best Actor Award
Tina Cleary, Cub
 
Best International Film Award
Jonathan Stein, Out of the Village
 
DEGNZ Best Director Award
Alyx Duncan, The Tide Keeper
 
Panavision Best Cinematographer Award
Chris Pryor & Ben Montgomery, The Tide Keeper
 
NZFC Special Jury Prize
Mhairead Connor, UFO
 
Best Music Video
Thunderlips, The Eversons – Emily
 
Best Student Film
Kyan Krumdieck & Annabelle Dick, The Grind
 
People’s Choice Award: Announced in December when audience votes are counted.
 
About Show Me Shorts Film Festival
 
Show Me Shorts is New Zealand’s leading international short film festival, and the only festival in New Zealand with Academy Awards-accreditation. Their mission is to connect audiences with quality short films, celebrate excellence in short film making and foster the New Zealand short film community.

Media Release: Show Me Shorts
11/11/2015