2012 Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival

We're excited to announce the launch of the Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival, established by the Department of Performing and Screen Arts to showcase and celebrate emerging student talent from New Zealand and around the world!

The student film festival will combine a competition, a festival of screenings and a series of discussion forums, and was at Unitec in from 20-22 April 2012.

Judges include:

Roseanne Liang, Director / writer (My Wedding and other secrets)

Florian Habicht, Director (Love Story, Kaikohe Demolition)

Caroline Grose, Unitec’s curriculum leader for screen, formerly the Head of Development at the New Zealand Film Commission.

Panelists include:

John Barnett, CEO, South Pacific Pictures (Outrageous Fortune, Sione's Wedding)

Rachel Gardner, Producer (The Cult, The Lion Man)

Robert Sarkies, Director / writer (Scarfies, This is Not My Life)
Steven O'Meagher, Producer (Out of the Blue, This is Not My Life)

Film Competition - entries have now closed.

The competition is open to New Zealand and International film students and recent graduates, and the work must have been made as a requirement of their tertiary study between March 2010 and November 2011.

There are four prizes up for grabs:

• Best New Zealand film
• Best international entry
• Outstanding performance
• Best overall film.

Festival Venues

Unitec Institute of Technology, Entry 3, Carrington Rd, Mt Albert, Auckland

• Red Lecture Theatre, Entry 3
• Carrington’s Pumphouse, Building 33, Entry 3

» View Google Map

Accommodation near Unitec, Mt Albert

Programme

Download the full programme including seminar schedule and panellist and judge bios (PDF).

M - suitable for mature audiences 16 and over.

Friday, April 20

6:00pm  Informal get together over drinks at Carrington’s Pumphouse (cash bar). RSVP to unishorts@unitec.ac.nz.

Day 1 Saturday, April 21

9:15am   Registration at the Red Lecture Theatre foyer (Please bring ID if you are a student or guild member)

9:45am   Guests seated for Welcome address

10:00am  Seminar 1 – Transition from shorts to features   

11:15am  Morning tea – foyer   

11:30am  Seminar 2 – Filmmaking on a budget   

12:30pm  Break for lunch  / The Hub courtyard 

1:30pm   Screenings – Red Lecture Theatre
M - suitable for mature audiences 16 and over.

• Auckland Big Small City (NZ)
• Nachtbus (Germany)
• Kamambo (Australia)
• A Tiempo (Spain)
• A Day Hunting (NZ)
• Dust Off (Estonia)

2:30pm   Afternoon tea – foyer

2:45pm   Screenings – Red Lecture Theatre
M - suitable for mature audiences 16 and over.

• La Lavadora (Spain)
• Begegnung (Germany)
• Haircut (USA)
• Cocked Up (NZ) 
• If We Are to be Eaten by Wolves (NZ)
• Flowers (England)
• First Aid (Israel)

4:00pm   End of Screenings  (Drinks & nibbles sponsored by the NZ Film Commission)

5:00pm   NZFC Short Film Showcase and Funding Seminar - Red Lecture Theatre
Free event – Sponsored by the NZ Film Commission. Download Film Showcase Invitation (PDF)
M - suitable for mature audiences 16 and over

7:00pm   Ends

Day 2 Sunday, April 22

9:15am   Registration at the Red Lecture Theatre (Please bring ID if you are a student or guild member. You must sign up for roundtable discussions)

10:00am  Seminar 3 – Producers survival guide

11:15am  Morning tea – foyer

11:30am  Roundtable – Meet the Producers Small group meetings with experienced producers

12:30pm  Lunch – The Hub courtyard

1:30pm   Screenings – Red Lecture Theatre
M - suitable for mature audiences 16 and over.

• Wie Ein Fremder (Germany)
• Zurdo (Spain)
• Die Katze Tanzt (Germany)
• Eso Te Pasa Por Barroco (Spain)
• Cavity (NZ)

2:30pm   Afternoon tea – foyer

2:45pm   Screenings – Red Lecture Theatre
M - suitable for mature audiences 16 and over.

• Sin Palabros (Spain)
• Playground (England)
• Raju (Germany)
• Interes Variable (Spain)
• Juggled (NZ)
• Las Placas (NZ)

4:00pm  End of Screenings
If you have paid and collected your ticket from the registration desk, please make your way down to the Carrington’s Pumphouse for the Awards Presentation Night.

5:00pm   Awards Night at Carrington’s Pumphouse

7:00pm   Closing

Seminars and Roundtable Sessions - who's who?

Please note you will need to sign up for the roundtable discussions at the registration desk on arrival. Limited numbers per session so first come, first served.

Seminar 1 - Transition from Shorts to Features

10am, Sat 21 April

Panelists: Robert Sarkies, Roseanne Liang, Kirstin Marcon

Facilitator: Caroline Grose

Seminar 2 - Filmmaking on a budget

11.30am, Sat 21 April

Panelists: Kristian Eek, Cristobal Araus Lobos, Alex Cole-Baker

Facilitator: Athina Tsoulis

Seminar 3 - Producers Survival Guide

10am, Sun 22 April

Panelists: Rachel Gardner, Steven O'Meagher

Facilitator: Athina Tsoulis

Roundtable discussion - Meet the Producers

11.30am, Sun 22 April

Panelists: John Barnett, Rachel Gardner, Steven O'Meagher, Alex Cole-Baker

Facilitator: Athina Tsoulis

News

Unitec Short Film Festival kicks off
NZ Herald 4 April 2012

Read the full article at NZHerald.co.nz

UNI SHORTS: A New Generation of Filmmakers
Friday 23 March 2012

Emerging filmmakers from New Zealand and around the world will put their work on show next month, with the launch of an innovative new student film festival.

Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival 2012, to be held at Unitec's Mt Albert campus on 20-22 April, is a multi-faceted event that will showcase the work of local and international student filmmakers as they compete for awards. It will also provide a programme of seminars and networking events, and an opportunity for student discussions.

Event organisers say the scene is set for a highly relevant and informative inaugural event for students, educators and film buffs.

"Uni Shorts is intended to address what we realised was a gap in Australasia for the showcasing of tertiary student work.  Given that the quality and sophistication of students has increased tremendously over the years, we wanted to find a way to bring their talents to the attention of a wider audience," says Athina Tsoulis, Head of Unitec's Performing and Screen Arts Department, which is hosting the event.

"We anticipate that the festival will not just screen work but also provide a platform for discussion on the issues that affect emerging filmmakers and the landscape they are entering."

The competition has attracted entries from places as diverse as India, Spain, United Kingdom, Estonia, Otago and Miami, USA. Among them are a smart neo-noir entry about a hitchhiker who accepts a lift from a strange man, a documentary about a daughter's hunting trip with her father, and an animated story about a rooster who wakes up on the morning of his wedding with incriminating evidence left over from his stag do.

The short-list of films selected to screen at the festival is attached.

The judging panel of three features Roseanne Liang (Director/writer, My Wedding and Other Secrets), Florian Habicht (Director, Love Story, Kaikohe Demolition) and Unitec's curriculum leader for screen and former Head of Development at New Zealand Film Commission Caroline Grose. Prizes of NZD1000 will be awarded for the best New Zealand film, best international film and best film overall. A fourth prize of the same value will be awarded to the actor deemed to have given the most outstanding performance.

The seminar panels running at the festival will focus on how to make films to get noticed, and on developing skills to break into a competitive film industry.

Industry high flyers named as participants on panels and/or roundtables are: John Barnett, CEO, South Pacific Pictures (Outrageous Fortune, Sione's Wedding); Rachel Gardner, producer (Apron Strings, The Cult); Robert Sarkies, director / writer (Scarfies, This is Not My Life); Steven O'Meagher, producer (Out of the Blue, This is Not My Life).

The new generation of filmmakers working in the industry will be represented by Unitec screen graduates Kristian Eek, (producer, Manurewa) and Cristobal Araus Lobos (director, Curry Munchers, Netherwood).

"We have been very impressed by the quality and diversity of the film entries, and the level of support from our industry friends and associates has also been very pleasing. I encourage the film community, fans, students and teachers to come along and participate in an exciting event," says Athina.

Young filmmakers to rub shoulders with industry elite
27 February 2012

Young film makers will get to rub shoulders with some of the New Zealand film industry’s leading figures when Australasia’s first International Tertiary Student Film Festival, Uni Shorts, opens in April.

The Department of Performing and Screen Arts at Auckland’s Unitec Institute of Technology Uni is hosting the inaugural Uni Shorts Film Festival, which has attracted entries from film schools and universities around New Zealand and overseas.

Registration has opened for the festival, which is targeted at emerging and student film makers. A packed festival programme will see screenings of selected films and industry guests join panel discussions for several seminars organised for the weekend of 21-22 April. The seminars will debate issues relevant to young film makers today such as making the transition from short to feature films, film making on a budget and industry tips for budding producers.

The Uni Shorts judges are familiar names in New Zealand’s screen community: director/writer, Roseanne Liang, director Florian Habicht and Unitec’s curriculum leader for screen, Caroline Grose, formerly the Head of Development at the New Zealand Film Commission.

Film entrants whose short films are selected will vie for four main prizes of NZD$1,000. All entries will feature 100 per cent student work as the films have had to be made as part of a course of study.

"We anticipate that the festival will also provide a platform for discussion on the issues that affect all emerging film makers and the landscape they are entering,” ," says Athina Tsoulis, Head of Unitec's Performing and Screen Arts Department, who is a film director by profession.

Uni Shorts is open to all in the tertiary student film making community, screen industry representatives and educators. To register to attend or to see the festival programme, go to www.unishorts.unitec.ac.nz or UNI SHORTS on Facebook.

OnFilm Magazine, September
http://www.onfilm.co.nz/2011/09/08/unitec-launches-unishorts-film-fest/

Unitec launches student film festival to showcase tertiary student work
1 September 2011

Unitec Institute of Technology is proud to announce the launch of a new student film festival, set up to showcase emerging student talent from New Zealand, and around the world.

Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival - believed to be the first of its kind in New Zealand - opens for submissions from today (September 1).

The festival combines several elements that include a competition, a festival of screenings and a series of discussion forums, and will be held in April 2012.

"We realised that there was a gap in the Australasian region for the showcasing of tertiary student work. Given that the quality has increased tremendously and many of these films screen internationally, we felt they deserved to be seen by a wider New Zealand audience," says Athina Tsoulis, Head of Unitec's Performing and Screen Arts Department which originated the initiative.

Film students and recent graduates all over the world can enter their work, which must have been made as a requirement of their tertiary study.  The work must have been made between March 2010 and November 2011.

The festival will feature 100 per cent student work, no more than 20 minutes in duration.

Tsoulis is keen to emphasise the initiative is open to all film students from across the tertiary spectrum.

"We anticipate that the festival will not just screen work, but provide a platform for discussion on the issues that affect all emerging film makers and the landscape they are entering."

The categories are: fiction, non-fiction, animation and non-narrative. The cost to enter is set at an affordable level - NZ$40 for earlybirds and NZ$50 full price - to encourage participation.

There will be prizes (Euro $1000) for best local, best international and best film overall, as well as outstanding performance, chosen by a panel of judges.

Submissions close on 30 November 2011.

Selected Films

Twenty-four films made by local and international emerging film makers have been selected to screen at the inaugural Uni Shorts International Student Film festival in April.

Auckland Big Small City – Natcoll Design School, NZ – director: Syahrir Ego Farizy

Las Placas – Natcoll Design School, NZ – director: Jeronimo Ohlsen

Cavity – University of Auckland, NZ – director: Ada Chin

Juggled – Otago Polytechnic, NZ – director: Mia Weatherall

Cocked up – Media Design School, NZ – director: Oliver Hilbert

Haircut – University of Miami, US – director: Tim Warren

Dust Off – Baltic Film & Media School, Estonia – director: Ivan Pavljutskov

Kamambo (Butterfly) – Victorian College of the Arts, Australia – director: Victoria Goodyear

Nachtbus (Night Bus) – Hamburg Media School, Germany – director: Benjamin Teske

Die Katze Tanzt (cat's dance) – Hamburg Media School, Germany – director: Esther Bialas

Begegnung (encounter) – Hamburg Media School, Germany – director: Matthias Zuder

Wie Ein Fremder (Stranger at home) – Hamburg Media School, Germany – director: Lena Liberta

Raju – Hamburg Media School, Germany – director: Max Zahle

Ezra Rishona (First Aid) – Sam Spiegel Film TV School, Israel – director: Yurden Karmin

Flowers – Staffordshire University, UK – director: Jack Tew

Playground – Staffordshire University, UK – director: Mark Kuczewski

If we are to be eaten by Wolves – Unitec, NZ – director: Ian Hedley-Wakefield

A Day Hunting – Unitec, NZ – director: Gemma Duncan

A Tiempo – ECAM Madrid, Spain – director: Guillermo Magarinos

Eso Te Pasa Por Barroco – ECAM (Madrid, Spain) – director: Pablo Serrano

Interes Variable – ECAM Madrid, Spain – director: Felipe Pardo

La Lavadora – ECAM Madrid, Spain – director: Ana Aurora Rodriguez y Andrea Correa

Zurdo – ECAM Madrid, Spain – director: Demetrio Elorz

Sin Palabros – ECAM Madrid, Spain – director: Bel Armenteros

Rules & Regulations

1. Purpose

The Festival is hosted by the Department of Performing and Screen Arts at the Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand. The Festival aims to promote collaboration with other tertiary institutions within New Zealand and overseas. The idea emerged from Unitec screen students who commented on the absence of opportunity to showcase student lm work in New Zealand. The festival aims to be a forum for the sharing of ideas and conversations between students in a community-like environment.

2. Rules/Eligibility

Open to all New Zealand and International tertiary level students attending film schools/Universities/Polytechnic institutions. Short fillm entries accepted only. No feature films will be accepted. Submitted works must be entered by students (or recent graduates) as part of their course of study. Submitted works must have been made between March 2010 and November 2011.

Rights for any music used in the films must be attained by the submitting individual or institution.

3. Format

Maximum length for submitted works is 20 minutes. Accepted formats are DVD PAL / DVD NTSC (multizone) or Blue Ray Zone B. Foreign (Non-English) Films must have English subtitles.

4. Deadlines

Call for entries from September 1, 2011. Deadline for entries is 30 November, 2011. Judging period will be between December 2011 and January 2012. Finalists in each category will be announced in February 2012. Films selected to screen and announcement of winners will be held at the Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand on April 2012. Finalists will be invited to attend the Festival but travel and accommodation costs will be the responsibility of the entrant.

5. Entry categories

Fiction / Non-Fiction / Animation / Non-Narrative.

6. Prize categories

Best Film (International), Best Film (New Zealand); Outstanding Performance; Best Film overall. All finalists will receive a certificate.

7. Prizes

To be announced

8. Submitted works

will be retained for Unitec's archives and will not be returned to the Entrant. Unitec acknowledges that copyright in the film is retained by the Entrant.

9. Contact information

Email: unishorts@unitec.ac.nz

10. All submissions should be sent by mail

By post:
Uni Shorts Film Festival, Unitec Institute of Technology, Department of Performing and Screen Arts, Private Bag 92025, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142, New Zealand

By courier:
Uni Shorts Film Festival, Department of Performing and Screen Arts, Building 6 (Level 2), Entry 1, Carrington Rd, Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand