Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland

City Winner

Thicker Than Water - Jovial Entertainment

Runner Up

Dead of the Day - The Good Bits

Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Finalists

  • Act of Service - Hardly Working
  • Beware the Kraken - Sports Team
  • But Wait - There's More! - four oh four
  • Chef's Kiss - Permanently Confused
  • Daughter of Ganymede - Spanko
  • Dead of the Day - The Good Bits
  • Kids Will Be Kids - last place
  • Man Hand - Glowtime
  • Monster State - Sad Jackie
  • Safe Streets No Crime - Sealami
  • Screw The Pooch - Horny Owls
  • Tender - chips cheese cats etc
  • Thicker Than Water - Jovial Entertainment
  • The secret life of a sloth - Awkward Animations
  • Truth Lies Beneath - Angle3 Pictures

Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland Shortlist:


Astray - CWS Films
Battery Powered Peach Pit (BPPP) - Drawn and Quartered
Becoming June - Chik Flix
Dog Shit - Stray Path
Love on the Rocks - Film The People
Make Cute - Big Nasty
Manu and the Runaways - Whangārei Mushroom Enjoyers
That Youthful Glow - The Backup Plan
The Cross - AGS
Twin Light - Phonetic

Award Winners

Best Disqualified Film

Make Like A Tree - UNE

Nominees:

  • A Very Perry Parable - Lagomorpha
  • Hiring Department - B Block
  • Scream Cleans - Electrify Productions
  • The Intricate Art of Perfect Gravy - Room 15

Wift Best Female / Gender Diverse Filmmaker

Down Slayment - Nothing Nowhere One at A Time

Nominees:

  • "Damn she's freaky!" - Lil Kings
  • Becoming June - Chik Flix
  • Cassy's Recipe - Celeste
  • LEFTOVERS - DPH
  • Table for Three - By Film Serve

Best Animation

The Secret Life of a Sloth - Awkward Animations

Nominees:

  • Battery Powered Peach Pit (BPPP) - Drawn and Quartered
  • Safe Streets, No Crime - Sealami
  • That Youthful Glow - The Backup Plan

Best Cinematography

Man Hand - Glow Time

Nominees:

  • Tender - chips cheese cats etc
  • The Curse of Bondville - Jake the Sound Guy
  • The Wendigo - Sole Productions
  • Truth Lies Beneth - Angle3 Pictures
  • Twin Light - Phonetic

Best Director

Monster State - Sad Jackie

Nominees:

  • Dead of the Day - The Good Bits
  • Man Hand - Glowtime
  • Tender - chips cheese cats etc
  • Thicker than Water - Jovial Entertainment

    Best Editing

    Act of Service - Hardly Working

    Nominees:

    • Chef's Kiss - Permanently Confused
    • Dead of the Day - The Good Bits
    • Make Cute - Big Nasty
    • Thicker than Water - Jovial Entertainment
    • Truth Lies Beneath - Angle3 Pictures

    Best Original Score/Song

    Safe Streets, No Crime - Sealami (Original Score - Aaron Burr and Hadassah Green)

    Nominees:

    • Fixation - -Bazinga Squad (Best Original Score - Zoe Burnett, Pranz Cortez)
    • Man Hand - Glowtime (Original Score - Lawrence Cooper)
    • Manu and the Runaways - Whangārei Mushroom Enjoyers (I Will Protect You - Maggie Cocco)
    • Monster State - Sad Jackie (Best Original Score - Milon Tesiram)
    • The Wendigo - Sole Productions (Original Score Bradley Gibb)

    Best Performer

    Tender - chips cheese cats etc - Jordan Mooney & Stephen Lovatt 

    Nominees:

    • Chef's Kiss - Permanently Confused -Denis Zhang
    • Kids Will Be Kids - last place -Tanis & Tawhiri
    • Monster State - Sad Jackie -Renaye Tamati
    • Screw The Pooch - Horny Owls - Felicia To'a, Sepi To'a, Teresa To'a
    • VR Travel - Boy Oh Boy - Brendan Lovell

    Best Production Design

    Safe Streets, No Crime - Sealami

    Nominees:

    • Monster State - Sad Jackie
    • Screw The Pooch - Horny Owls
    • Tender - chips cheese cats etc
    • Truth Lies Beneth - Angle3 Pictures

    Best School Team

    Love Bomb - Les Petit Cons

    Nominees:

    • Alien In Herne Bay - Elmer’s Clear Glue
    • Boy Possessed - Avondale College
    • reVAMPed - Lachie's Lemon Loaves
    • Table For Three - By Film Serve
    • The Cross - AGS

    Best Script

    Thicker than Water - Jovial Entertainment

    Nominees:

    • Beware the Kraken - Sports Team
    • Chef's Kiss - Permanently Confused
    • Dead of the Day - The Good Bits
    • Monster State - Sad Jackie
    • Tender - chips cheese cats etc

    Best Sound Design

    Dead of the Day - The Good Bits

    Nominees:

    • Beware the Kraken - Sports Team
    • Daughter of Ganymede - Spanko
    • Safe Streets, No Crime - Sealami
    • Thicker Than Water - Jovial Entertainment
    • Truth Lies Beneath - Angle3 Pictures

    Best use of a Match Cut

    Man Hand - Glowtime

    Nominees:

    • Exodus Magus - Infectious Films
    • Make Cute - Big Nasty
    • Safe Streets, No Crime - Sealami
    • Truth Lies Beneath - Angle3 Pictures
    • It Takes Two To Terry - Syzygy Studios

    Best use of a Traveller or a Neighbour

    A NEIGHBOURLY CALL - CONBOW7

    Nominees:

    • Beware the Kraken - Sports Team
    • Chef's Kiss - Permanently Confused
    • Daughter of Ganymede - Spanko
    • Dog Shit - Stray Path
    • Thicker than Water - Jovial Entertainment

    Best use of a Warning

    Beware the Kraken - Sports Team

    Nominees:

    • Dead of the Day - The Good Bits
    • Taniwha out of water - Think Celestial
    • Tender - chips cheese cats etc
    • Thicker than Water - Jovial Entertainment
    • But Wait - There's More! - four oh four

    Best use of an Exit

    Dead of the Day - The Good Bits

    Nominees:

    • Down Slayment - Nothing Nowhere One at A Time
    • Lotus Hotel - Floodgate Pictures
    • Monster State - Sad Jackie
    • Thicker than Water - Jovial Entertainment
    • Truth Lies Beneath - Angle3 Pictures

    Best use of Genre

    Monster State - Sad Jackie

    Nominees:

    • Chef's Kiss - Permanently Confused
    • Safe Streets, No Crime - Sealami
    • Tender - chips cheese cats etc
    • Thicker than Water - Jovial Entertainment
    • Twin Light - Phonetic

    Incredibly Strange Award

    Tender - chips cheese cats etc 

    Nominees:

    • Breathless - The BeeGees
    • Daughter of Ganymede - Spanko
    • Fuzzy Love - Take Ten
    • House Warning - 48 Howards
    • The secret life of a sloth - Awkward Animations

    City Manager Award

    Truth Lies Beneath - Angle3 Pictures

    Nominees:

    • Monster State - Sad Jackie
    • That Youthful Glow - The Backup Plan
    • Safe Streets, No Crime - Sealami
    • Stamen's Thrall - 2 Nights at Macleans (TNAM)
    • Man Flu - Baddies

    Best Director Under 18 Years Old

    Scripted - Team Tapac

    Nominees:

    • Table For Three - By Film Serve
    • The Unusual Suspects - Hart Attack
    • Love Bomb - Les Petit Cons
    • Girl Cooties - Girl Problems
    • The Cross - AGS

    City Managers

    Your Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland City Manager is Alix Whittaker and Esaú Allemora.

    Alix Whittaker

     

    Producer of ambitious and award-winning music videos, short films and feature films, Alix boasts a notable portfolio that includes Alien Pregnant by THUNDERLIPS, Daniel by Claire van Beek, Stray by Dustin Feneley, and Mega Time Squad by Tim van Dammen. Through her company Candlelit Pictures, Alix is immersed in developing and financing a diverse slate of feature films. Drawing from her experiences as a Producer Intern on Taika Waititi’s Hunt For The Wilderpeople, attending Ted Hope’s Producing Masterclass, Sue Maslin’s Producing Course, and Louise Gough’s Story Development Workshop, Alix has an unwavering commitment to infusing unique perspectives into the cinematic landscape.

    Esaú Allemora

     

    Media agnostic actor / writer / director / producer of boldy irreverent plays, television, short-film, and stand-up comedy. Esaú's work is inspired from his experiences as a queer first-generation Mexican-American expat. His aesthetics are influenced by his work in New York and training with SITI Company, Elevator Repair Service, The Mad Ones, the Actor Apprenticeship at Actors Theatre of Louisville, and BFA acting program at Oregon Center for the Arts at SOU. In Aotearoa, Esaú has cut his teeth working in film production for BSAG Productions, Candlelit Pictures, GFC Films, & Piki Films. In addition, he adapted/directed DADDY UBU (from Ubu Roi) for the Youth Company at ATC, created/produced/performed CHOLO FUGUE at Basement Theatre, and has received funding to create a television series. He is currently producing HOLY GHOST a short-film by Hannah Lynch for Day One Shorts and the play WINK by Jen Silverman. Esaú is committed to creating diverse work, free from virtue signalling, intent on challenging audiences. Esaú is assisting Alix in Auckland this year. 

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    Judges

    Gin Loane

     

    Gin Loane is the incredible cinematographer behind NZ feature films The Convert (in cinemas now), The Justice of Bunny King, The Breaker Upperers, Mahana, and more. Gin began attracting award nominations in 2006 with short film Fog by Peter Salmon, one of many short films they have shot that have made a mark overseas. In 2013 Gin won a Moa Award for family drama, Shopping, the debut feature from Louis Sutherland and Mark Albiston. Loane went on to win two awards from the NZ Cinematographers Society for Mahana (2016), Lee Tamahori’s first Kiwi feature since Once Were Warriors. They are a prolific cinematographer, coming from a lighting background, and an advocate for young up-and-coming talent in the camera department. You can check their work out here.

    John Gilbert

     

    Film editor John Gilbert won an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Film Editing for his work on Mel Gibson's 2016 war drama Hacksaw Ridge. A native of New Zealand, Gilbert has edited 23 feature films including Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which garnered him the Satellite Award for Best Editing, and nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award and an ACE Eddie Award. He also edited Director Alison Maclean's Crush, which was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or award. In addition, Gilbert edited Simon Kinberg's 2022 film 355, 2018's Adrift for Director Baltasar Kormakur, and Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Damsel for Netflix.

    Elz Carrad

     

    Elz Carrad, proudly representing Te Whakatōhea and Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, is an actor whose journey in the industry so far has been marked by moments of recognition and shared success with remarkable collaborators.
    In 2021, Elz was nominated for Best Actor at the NZ TV Awards, a testament to his dedication to the craft & commitment to storytelling. His portrayal in the groundbreaking series Rūrangi not only earned him critical acclaim but also contributed to the show's monumental success, culminating in an international Emmy win.
    Elz has also made appearances on other Kiwi shows such as The Brokenwood Mysteries &
    Creamerie, but most recently, he took on the role of Tom in the series After The Party, working alongside the legendary Robyn Malcom, who leads the show. His passion for acting is evident, as he continually seeks roles that challenge and enrich his artistic journey.

    Grant Major

     

    Grant Major, a renowned Production Designer born in Palmerston North most recently worked on Jane Campion’s film, "THE POWER OF THE DOG," earning a 2022 Academy Award nomination. His longstanding portfolio includes Disney’s "MULAN," "MEG" for Warner Brothers, and "X Men: Apocalypse", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Mister Pip", "Heavenly Creatures" and "Whale Rider". Major was previously nominated for Academy and BAFTA Awards for "King Kong" and garnered numerous accolades for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, including an Academy Award for "The Return of the King." With a career spanning from TV telefilms to World Expos and Common Wealth Games Ceremonies, Major's contributions to film and design are widely recognised. Major received an honorary doctorate from his alma mata The Auckland University of Technology and has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. IMDB

    Angela Cudd

     

    Angela Cudd is an award-winning screen producer with a deep passion for story and craft excellence and story-telling through a NZ and indigenous lens. Coming from a background in fashion and beauty event and business management, Angela began working in the screen industry in the early 2010s. Angela initially worked across a range of fields including narrative film, documentary, reality-challenge TV, OB live events & studio shows before settling in the narrative and documentary space. She went on to produce the sitcoms SEXTORTION (NZ Webfest Best Show 2020) and GOOD GRIEF, fluent reo Māori kids show PŌTAE PAI and co-produced the anthology feature film WE ARE STILL HERE, which interweaves eight stories of indigenous struggle and triumph and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022.

    In 2019, Angela founded Caravan Carpark Films (CCF), a production house focussed on screen and indigenous excellence as well as capacity building of emerging screen innovators. Most recently, under the umbrella of CCF, Angela produced the feature film UPROAR and the documentary series WHEN BOB CAME. Uproar starred Julian Dennison, Minnie Driver and Rhys Darby, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and released globally in early 2024 to critical acclaim. When Bob Came explored the impact of Bob Marley's only concert in NZ and was awarded Best Factual Series at the NZ TV Awards 2023. CCF is also currently supporting several emerging filmmakers to make their first or second film with the production of the dramedy PĪTITI, about a Koro and kid who are warring neighbours, the horror FLAGFALL about a haunted taxi and LEMONS, a quiet story about navigating the confusing and often bizarre scenarios you find yourself in when you're bi-cultural. Angela hopes CCF will showcase NZ screen excellence on the world stage and contribute to the growth and flourishing of the NZ screen industry in the long-term.

    Awa Puna

     

    Te Awarangi (Awa) Te Roera Puna is a whakawahine and takatāpui director, writer and actor of Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa and Tūhoe descent. At 18, Awa directed 'Death Blade Tiger Five,' a film that took home the 'Best School Team Award' as part of the 48hr Film Festival 2017.

    In her final year of Toi Whakaari studying for her Bachelor of Performing Arts, Awa wrote and directed TŪĪ, a short film about a whakawahine teen discovering her identity whilst dealing with the grief of her mother’s passing. It was selected as a finalist for Best Short Film and won Creative New Zealand’s “Best Emerging Talent Award" at NZIFF 2021.

    Awa was nominated for Queer Maori Representative of the Year for her activism in the trans community at New Zealand’s LGBT awards. Her most recent work includes acting in Shortland Street, Ahikāroa, The Boy The Queen and Everything In Between, and Whina, as well as writing for Rūrangi, Testify, and Better The Blood.

    Michelle Ang

     

    Michelle is a long time actress who got itchy wanting to be involved more in the creative process, so added producer, director and sometimes storyliner strings to her bow. She's been lucky to work with some incredible talents like Jordan Peele and Jane Campion, picking up a few tricks along the way. Films she's been in have made their way to fancy festivals like Berlinale and Tribeca, which still kind of blows her mind. She's had a blast directing stuff too, like a kid's animation series and a quirky comedy series, a short, a feature and excitingly, a psychological thriller for TVNZ. Oh, and she's got this little production company called A Grain of Rice Productions where she's cooking up some new projects. She just wants to tell stories that maybe haven't been told before, you know, give a voice to the underdog, and maybe make folks laugh or squirm a bit along the way.

    Chris Parker

     

    Chris Parker is most commonly known for his funny Instagram and Tiktok videos which built him a huge social media audience over the last few years, his legendary win on the hit New Zealand TV show Celebrity Treasure Island and most strangely a felted hat he made during the 2020 nationwide lockdown that was then acquired is on display at The Auckland Museum and Te Papa the National Museum of New Zealand. Chris tours his award winning shows nationally and internationally to sell out crowds at. His 2018 New Zealand International Comedy Festival show Camp Binch, was awarded the prestigious Fred Award for Best Show in the festival, it went on to play to 5 star reviews and sell out crowds in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

    He has appeared in feature films such as Baby Done, The Breaker Upperers and Nude Tuesday and has two feature films of his own currently in development.

    As a comedian and writer Chris is a regular face on New Zealand Television appearing on 7 Days, Have You Been Paying Attention NZ, Jono and Ben, Funny Girls, season 3 of Taskmaster New Zealand and the sitcom Golden Boy. Chris also co hosts the podcast The Male Gays with fellow comedian Eli Matthewson.

    Courtney Mayhew

     

    Courtney Mayhew has worked in the film and television industry in Australia, United States, China and at home in Aotearoa New Zealand. Starting with working at a cinema as a teenager, her focus has been wherever there is a need to get film and TV to audiences; whether through distribution, production work, communications or connecting likeminded people. She has worked in house for Paramount and Universal Pictures, DreamWorks, Marvel and Studiocanal, and independently with most major studios and streamers, and leading independent companies. Her company MATTER especially caters to the publicity and marketing space and she has 35+ unit publicity / behind the scenes credits to her name. In recent years she has moved into active sales and distribution space, distributing films across Australasia like acclaimed horror Talk To Me and Cannes Un Certain Regard winner How to Have Sex, and continues to work on getting great stories to the world.