Over the past two decades, audience relationships with short-form screen content have considerably evolved across Aotearoa. That’s been assisted on the one hand by the rise of snackable social media content, and on the other through the steadily growing presence of champions of the format like the annual Show Me Shorts film festival.
Now, as it celebrates turning 20, Show Me Shorts has unveiled a strong lineup of local and international shorts to mark the occasion in cinemas around Aotearoa this October.
For those that can’t make it to Show Me Shorts in person, you can also stream this year’s films at home—during a three-day online festival at Show Me Shorts On Demand over Labour Weekend.
Running from October 7 to 27, this year’s festival boasts a massive 127 screenings and events, taking place at 40 cinemas and community venues across Aotearoa. With 83 short films in the programme, that’s a lot for even the most ardent fan of the format to make their way through—thankfully, the festival has divided its programme into 11 themed collections, curated sessions each offering a range of perspectives and creative expression.
This year’s collections include The Sampler, Aotearoa, Whānau Friendly, Chinese Focus, Our Planet & Place, Lucid Dreams, Nightlife, Love at All Costs, My Kind and Day One Shorts Premiere. The country of focus for this year’s festival is China.
Among these collections are an impressive fifteen world premieres, which will see filmmakers introduce their work for the first time. These include 转人工 (Representative, Please) (China), Farm (NZ), Flagfall (NZ), Regarding Our Previous Conversation (NZ), Toad in the Hole (United Kingdom), Temporal (NZ), The Charm of the Magpies (NZ) and all eight of the Day One Shorts.
Highlight films in The Sampler collection, the most widely available collection, include stories of a boxing nun in Sister Josephine, a melancholic robot in Help Me Tom, an overwhelmed teacher in A Sisyphean Task, and a persistent Palestinian man trying to return home in Qaher. Much-loved stars Hugh Bonneville, Marlon Williams, Thomas Sainsbury and Alison Bruce make an appearance here.
Regarding Our Previous Conversation
The Charm of the Magpies
At Flicks we are particularly proud of a couple of shorts mentioned above. Flicks’ Paul Scantlebury directs, writes and produces Regarding Our Previous Conversation alongside Thomas Sainsbury. In the short, Tom shows up at Susan’s with the car she definitely said she wanted—at least, that’s how he remembers it.
And The Charm of the Magpies sees fellow Flicks colleague Liam Maguren follow up his 2022 Vista Foundation 48Hours win for Big Questions. Winning the Grand National Champion Award also meant access to the NZ Film Commission’s 25K Level Up Grant and a Wingnut/Park Road Post package. It’s all up on the screen to see in his new short, in which a lone tūī must find her lost voice to speak up against her adoptive magpie family before they start a war.
Alongside brand new discoveries, Show Me Shorts takes stock of its journey so far with a 20th Anniversary Retrospective collection. As Show Me Shorts explains in today’s media release, this collection “offers a chance to revisit or discover for the first time some of our most successful and best loved Kiwi short films, from acclaimed filmmakers who have built enviable careers. The films include Rosanne Liang’s Take3, Jackie van Beek’s Uphill, Sima Urale’s Coffee & Allah, Hamish Bennett’s Ross & Beth, and The Six Dollar Fifty Man by Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland.”
The Six Dollar Fifty Man
Uphill
Festival Director Gina Dellabarca is quoted in the media release as saying: “Show Me Shorts has been a labour of love from the beginning. What started as a small hobby project between a group of friends has blossomed into an internationally renowned beacon for movie lovers. I’m so thankful to all the many people and organisations that have contributed to Show Me Shorts. During the last two decades I’ve seen tens of thousands of brain-tingling stories, from the hearts and minds of talented creatives. It’s a privilege to be part of the journey of so many New Zealand filmmakers in particular. Watching their careers flourish is a joy.”
That joy can be shared across the festival, but is particularly evident at Show Me Shorts’ legendarily entertaining opening night parties. They’re taking place this year at The Civic in Auckland, The Embassy in Wellington and Alice Cinemas in Christchurch—with premieres galore, as well as opportunities to meet the filmmakers and hear their stories.
When the Geese Flew
Ace
Some further info about this year’s Show Me Shorts, gleaned from today’s media release:
Aspiring filmmakers can take advantage of a number of educational industry events running as part of Show Me Shorts. Filmmaker Talks provide an opportunity to hear how films were made directly from the creators and ask questions about their process. These take place in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. For those in Auckland, Vista Foundation Industry Day provides a full day of interactive professional development workshops, panel discussions, networking and screenings on 12 October.
For people with hearing or vision impairments, Show Me Shorts provides collections of short films with Audio Descriptions and Closed Captions at Show Me Shorts On Demand. Screenings with Closed Captions will also take place at cinemas in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Hon Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, says: “Since it launched in 2006, Show Me Shorts has championed the short film in all its glory – fiction, documentary, music videos, animation and more. Now in its 20th year, it has grown into a truly world-class festival, dedicated to connecting New Zealand audiences with the finest local and international short films and promoting New Zealand talent to the world. Our screen industry is a great example of the abundance of innovation and creativity that exists in New Zealand, and the significant contribution our culture makes to our economy and global reputation. Our short films are an important part of this success.”
For full programme info, visit the Show Me Shorts website.
NORTH ISLAND LOCATIONS:
Auckland – CBD / Balmoral / Devonport / Great Barrier Island / Howick / Matakana / Northcote / Takapuna / Titirangi / Waiheke Island
Gisborne / Hamilton / Katikati / Napier / New Plymouth / Ōpōtiki / Palmerston North / Tauranga / Te Awamutu / Thames / Wellington / Waihi Beach / Whangārei / Whitianga
SOUTH ISLAND LOCATIONS:
Alexandra / Arrowtown / Christchurch / Dunedin / Invercargill / Kaiapoi / Nelson / Picton / Selwyn / Stewart Island / Tākaka
