The Future Of NZ Filmmaking TalentRSS

The Future Of NZ Filmmaking Talent

10th Jul 2009
By Andrew Hedley, Flicks.co.nz

The future of New Zealand filmmaking is showcased throughout the NZ International Film Festival, here are a few quick reviews. See more info here on the short films showing, visit www.nzff.co.nz for screening times.

Poppy
The animation in this really impressed me. The two central characters have stylised faces but there's something about the way they move that feels alive. James Cunningham and his crew should be really proud of this. The story is very simple but as a technical excerise Poppy is pretty amazing.
(Screening with Looking for Eric, and as part of Homegrown: Works on Film)

Careful With That Power Tool
The less said about this the better, and we mean that in a good way. Is there anything more cringe-worthy than a child looking down the barrel of a nail gun? This is a fun short film that is totally lacking in pretention.
(Screening as part of Homegrown: Works on Film)

The Six Dollar Fifty Man
This is one of the prized short films screening this year, having been chosen for Cannes recently. The strength of the film is the performance of the young boy; he's got a great face and personality. It's filmed with quite a narrow depth of field. There are some nice moments here, even if the film feels a bit calculated for festival success.
(Screening with An Education, and as part of Homegrown: Works on Film)