I don’t know about you but I love something short and sweet - which is why I’m a huge fan of the ‘Show Me Shorts’ short film festival, screening in Wellington from 11 October 2019.
If you’re feeling the patchy Spring weather getting to you perhaps it’s time to treat yourself to this year of the Show Me Shorts Film Festival, New Zealand’s top festival for mini-movies.
This year has the largest number of films ever: sixty short films and three music videos, chosen from a record 2040 entries. The programming team scoured the world for their selection of the best new short films to deliver to New Zealand audiences.
The programme spans a variety of genres, styles and topics, so there’s something for everyone. Additionally, Show Me Shorts is an Oscar-accredited film festival, meaning the winners of the top two awards, Department of Post Best New Zealand Film and Best International Film, will become qualified to enter the Academy Awards. Who said small can’t be mighty?!
Festival Director Gina Dellabarca says “This year, the quality of films overall was extremely high, which is why we’ve expanded the programme. Sixty-three films may not seem like so many when compared to some international film festivals that can run hundreds of films, but we deliberately try to keep the programme small for three reasons: 1. To ensure only the best films are selected; 2. To make deciding which films to see manageable for audiences; 3. Because it’s better to have fewer screenings that are full instead of lots of half-empty screenings.” Makes sense to me!
Now is the perfect time to book because Wellington Opening Night is on this Friday 11 October at The Embassy. However, with more than 25 cinema locations across Aotearoa, there are ample opportunities to get friends and family together and enjoy the range of films and events on offer. Full dates, locations and booking information is available at www.showmeshorts.co.nz/programme.
But what does it take to make a successful - and dare I say it - award-winning short film? I was curious as to whether something which can be ten minutes on screen is really as simple to create as it looks. So I caught up with three of the film-makers from this years festival films - Will Kindrick, Alexander Gandar and Awanui Simich-Pene - to ask them about the films they have screening in this year’s festival, the challenges they faced and what compelled them to make them.
WILL KINDRICK - Storm
Describe the film you've created which is showing at the Show Me Shorts Festival?
I wrote and directed ‘Storm’ which is a film about a government-enforced dating app that forces citizens to find a match within 12 months or be exiled to be a permanent single lifestyle facility.
The app malfunctions in our protagonist's bathtub and he's launched naked into a series of turbulent splash portals, teleporting from one water-based location to the next on a psychically and emotionally wild ride.
What is important about showcasing Short Films, especially in places like Wellington?
There's something so fun about seeing this film play on a big screen. I feel that way about short-film festivals in general. I approached this short with the same care and attention I would put into a feature, and I'm sure a lot of other directors feel the same way. For the most part, though, we consume short-form content on phone screens (while sitting on the toilet) with multiple distractions being just a tap away. I do it all the time! It's the best! Swiping through feeds until something catches our attention, then if something doesn't explode or a cat isn't involved in hilarious hijinks within the first 3 seconds we skip to the next clip. It's not ideal for telling a compelling narrative, though.
The festival setting gives us the opportunity to showcase our films in proper cinemas, letting the audience experience them the same way they would a Hollywood blockbuster. The quality of the short-films I've seen on the festival circuit has been amazing and I really think these films deserve to be seen on the big screen. On top of that, being able to screen in Wellington is really exciting for me. I geek out hard on practical effects, especially miniatures. You can imagine how stoked I am to be screening anywhere near the Weta Workshop. I'll definitely be making a stop there!
What are you most excited about for this year’s Festival?
This will be my first time travelling to New Zealand, so I'm looking forward to exploring as much as I can. I'm also excited about catching as many short as possible (especially from local New Zealand filmmakers and the Japanese focus). The slate of films looks really solid! Seems like a great year to be involved with the festival.
What was the highlight of making the film, and what was the most stressful/challenging aspect?
‘Storm’ is unique in that we shot a total of 23 locations for an 11 minute short. That might seem a bit excessive, but it will all make sense when you see the film! This was an ambitious little project with no room schedule-wise or budget-wise for errors... which brings me to the hilarious story of my lead actor (John Bubniak) breaking both of his arms in the middle of production! Don't worry, it was a safety issue, it actually happened during a hiatus. We shot for 4 days and had 2 additional days scheduled for the following month. Long story short, my lead actor got in a snowboarding accident and production was put on hold for 9 months while we waited for his arms to heal! That slowed things down a bit. Luckily he recovered and we were able to finish up the shoot without any other hiccups!
As far as the highlights of making the film go, it's really been the whole experience. I've made friendships and working relationships on this project that I'll have for the rest of my life/career. That sounds cheesy, but it's true! Also, this film is really personal to me, so seeing it really resonate with audiences has made all the sleepless nights (and broken arms) worth it.
ALEXANDER GANDAR - One By the Venom – Finn Andrews
Describe the film you've created which is showing at the Show Me Shorts Festival?
I made a music video for Finn Andrews’ song ‘One By The Venom’. The song is basically a catalogue of various ways a person can die, so that’s what the video is too - a heap of tiny stories about death and dying. And it’s supposed to be funnier than that sounds.
What is important about showcasing Short Films, especially in places like Wellington?
The internet is truly, truly drenched in short content - there’s that terrifying statistic that there’s more content uploaded to YouTube in a single day than a person can watch in their lifetime. Obviously only a tiny fraction of these are short films, but thinking about that still makes me feel dizzy. There’s just so much competition for our eyeballs that showcasing visual work - and curating that showcase - seems so necessary. That SMS is a touring festival is even better - it makes complete sense for an eclectic range of stories to play in an eclectic range of places.
What are you most excited about for this year’s Festival?
Being surprised! I love going into a Show Me Shorts programme and only knowing tiny bits about one or two of the films, and then getting taken on heaps of little and quick rollercoaster rides. I am far from the first person to make this analogy, but it’s like reading a really good book of short stories.
In terms of the other films playing I’m really excited to see Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s Ani, and Paloma Schneideman’s Memory Foam, and the whole Freaky Futures programme. I’m thoroughly addicted to that high-concept sci-fi stuff.
What was the highlight of making the film, and what was the most stressful/challenging aspect?
The highlight was definitely getting to be as silly as possible with one of the silliest people currently making serious music. Brainstorming a list of the most absurd things for Finn to do underground was probably the highlight within that highlight. I think it’s possible I’ll never make anything better than “disco-ball dance sequence in a coffin”.
The most stressful element was EASILY the amount of production work involved. We just went into a hole and made this music video for months, and I had to bribe so many amazing and talented people to help me. So much fun, but so much work. I’m still bewildered by how much work it was. I’m not sure I quite believe we managed to pull it off.
Winner of NZ on Air Best Music Video: Alexander Gandar, Tom Augustine & Amanda Jane Robinson for ‘One By the Venom – Finn Andrews’
Awanui Simich-Pene - Rū
Describe the film you've created which is showing at the Show Me Shorts Festival?
Rū is a suspense thriller that explores the two ends of the Māori spectrum in post-colonial NZ and highlights the dangers of turning a blind eye to the struggling sectors of Māori society.
What is important about showcasing Short Films, especially in places like Wellington?
Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu (Despite being small, they are of great value).
Short films speak to the heart of the matter. They are microcosms; important to showcase because of their huge scope in subject matter and fearless approach.
Short films can tackle kaupapa which in some cases, long-form storytelling can’t handle.
Short films are also a competitive area of filmmaking in Aotearoa, they are the proving ground of emerging talent and are an opportunity to showcase the strengths of a storyteller.
What are you most excited about for this year’s Festival?
The focus on Japanese film! I have worked closely with Japanese stuntees and action directors for many years, and I am in awe of their talent and work ethic! They are inspiring to work with, I have learned a lot from them, and I have great respect for their culture and story-telling traditions.
What was the highlight of making the film, and what was the most stressful/challenging aspect?
There were so many highlights. It was an incredibly humbling experience to have my mates show up for me like that. If not for the generosity of cast, crew, technicians and businesses, short films would remain untold stories.
A career highlight for me was getting to work with Annie Collins. I will always treasure having that time with her, learning from her, and collaborating with her.
Making a short film is challenging right from the beginning, and through each struggle, you learn and grow. Making short films is a gift to any serious filmmaker, they give you an opportunity to learn some big lessons before those lessons mean big losses.
Winner of DEGNZ Best Editor: Annie Collins for Rū
Show Me Shorts Film Festival is screening October 5-24 at cinemas nationwide. Screening dates and locations are available here.