Show Me Shorts film festival

If you are a regular movie goer with a short attention span, Auckland’s short film competition, Show Me Shorts, will be right up your street.

The competition, now in its third year, has attracted hundreds of entries. The shortlist comprises 41 films by local and Australian filmmakers.

“Short films are more creative,” says festival director Gina Dellabarca. “They are less constrained by big budgets; there are less people to satisfy and it can push boundaries.”

The short films are broken into different genres such as spine-chillers, mixed-bag, true stories, once-upon-a-time, mad scientists and crack-me-up.

“We’re really excited. There are so many great short films,” says Dellabarca. She adds that short films are sometimes overlooked, but the festival provides a great opportunity to watch these films.

The films are mostly made by professionals, but Dellabarca says some of the student submissions are also impressive.

Last year’s winner for Best Film, Phill Simmonds, has submitted another animated documentary or ‘documation’ titled Noise Control.

The story is about a local kindergarden’s pet rooster that gets shot by the council’s noise control officer for crowing through the night.

Simmonds says he was inspired by his son’s experiences while playing in a band coupled with his curiosity about what’s happening in the community, “right under our noses”.

“Sitting in the cinema and listening to the audience laugh, it’s a huge buzz,” he says.

The self-taught animator also produces a weekly three-minute ‘documation’ for Stuff.co.nz, and has plans to animate a feature, though the idea is still in its early stages. Right now he’s happy to be part of the festival.

“It would be amazing to win  two years in a row,” he says.

Dellabarca says if she had to choose a favourite category, it would be the “once upon a time”. She says it was tough to shortlist because organisers received  an overwhelming number of films that were all good.

“It’s a tough call – it took me  two months to filter through them.”

Dellabarca is confident this year’s festival will be a success.

“It’s good. We’re already selling tickets for our opening night. The media seem to like it, she says.

The judges will hand out awards for best film, best student film, best technical contribution, and a special jury prize.

Previous festival judges include Taika Cohen, director of Eagle versus Shark, which screened last year.

Two of the winning films will be showing on the opening night, November 6.

The festival will be held at the Academy Cinema in Auckland from November 6-12 before heading south to Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Motueka and Whitianga.

www.showmeshorts.co.nz