We are now calling for entries for Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival 2016. Films must be entirely student-made and made from Nov 2013 – Dec 2015, and we only accept short films less than 20 minutes long.

Final deadline to submit your entries is January 15, 2016. The fourth annual Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival will be held in Auckland in early 2016 (Date TBC).

Entry Categories: Undergraduate, Postgraduate and New Zealand Secondary Schools
Prize categories: Fiction (undergraduate), Fiction (postgraduate), Non-Fiction (documentary), Non-Narrative (experimental), Animation, Secondary Schools (NZ only).

Entry Fee NZD$30 (NZD$80 for three or more entries)
Free entry for New Zealand Secondary Schools

How to enter?
1. Enter your film at www.unitec.ac.nz/unishorts
2. Post your DVD screener to: Uni Shorts, Unitec Performing & Screen Arts, Private Bag 92025, Victoria St West, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
3. Or send us a secure downloadable link (via Drop Box, VIMEO or We Transfer) to unishorts@unitec.ac.nz

We are now accepting entries for Uni Shorts 2016. Films must be entirely student-made and made from Nov 2013 – Dec 2015, and we only accept short films less than 20 minutes long. Final deadline to submit your entries is January 15 2016. The fourth annual Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival will be held in Auckland in early 2016 (Date TBC).

Entry Categories: Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Secondary Schools (NZ only)
Film prize categories: Fiction (undergrad), Fiction (postgrad), Non-Fiction (documentary), Non-Narrative (experimental), Animation, Secondary Schools

Entry Fee NZD$30 (NZD$80 for three or more entries)
Free entry for New Zealand Secondary Schools

After you have submitted your entry form at www.unitec.ac.nz/unishorts

Either post your film via a DVD screener to: Uni Shorts, Unitec Performing & Screen Arts, Private Bag 92025, Victoria St West, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Or send as a secure downloadable link (Drop Box, VIMEO or We Transfer) to unishorts@unitec.ac.nz

AUCKLAND (15 Sep 2014): German filmmakers dominated the awards at the third annual Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival held over the weekend in Auckland on 12-14 September. Four of the eight categories; including Best Animation, Best Documentary, Best Undergraduate Fiction and Best Postgraduate Fiction categories, were won by German film schools.

However, they missed out on the two Audience Awards which went to Syrenia (Unitec, NZ) for Best New Zealand Film and Motor Mouth (Staffordshire University, England) which won Best International Film.

In Vitro, entered by Wellington’s Victoria University, took out the Best Non Narrative/Experimental award, while St Kentigern College made it two years in a row winning the Best New Zealand Secondary School Film award with Calvin Sang’s entry The Break Up.

In his keynote address at Sunday’s Awards ceremony, Uni Shorts chair, Alex Lee, praised the quality of the student film work submitted for this year’s festival and reminded the gathered student filmmakers of the important role they play as the future voices of the billion dollar film industry they are about to enter. Lee also paid tribute to the judges; Oliver Driver, Michael Brook, Bryn Evans, James Cunningham, Catherine Davis and Robin Gee, as well as panel speakers; David White, Sophie Henderson, Sima Urale, Arne Birkenstock, Dean Hewison, Max Currie, Jarrod Holt, Thomas Sainsbury, Calvin Sang and Lakshman Anandanayagam for their support, and the work of the festival committee, moderators, pre-judges and volunteers.

He reserved special praise for the sponsors for making the event possible: (Gold) Kenderdine-Professional Lighting Services; (Silver) Quinto Communications Ltd, ACG Yoobee School of Design, Atomise Ltd-Avid and Sound Techniques; also supported by Documentary NZ Trust, Goethe Institut and Unitec’s Performing and Screen Arts department.

Here is the full list of winners:

BEST SECONDARY SCHOOL
WINNER: The Break Up – Saint Kentigern College (NZ)
Directed by Calvin Sang
Prize – $1000 of sound gear hire from “Sound Techniques”, 3 tickets to German Film Festival, 1 pass to Screen Edge Forum 2015

BEST ANIMATION
WINNER: Omega – Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (Germany)
Directed by Eva Franz and Andy Goralczyk
Prize – $1000 cash sponsored by ACG Yoobee School of Design

BEST EXPERIMENTAL
WINNER: In Vitro – Victoria University of Wellington (NZ)
Directed by Zach Challies
Prize – Avid Media Composer license with Symphony Option sponsored by “Atomise Ltd-Avid”, 3 tickets to German Film Festival, 1 pass to Screen Edge Forum 2015

BEST DOCUMENTARY
WINNER: Sorry to Interrupt – University of Applied Science Berlin (Germany)
Directed by David Lorenz
Prize – Werner Herzog Documentary DVD Set donated by Goethe Institut

BEST UNDERGRAD FICTION
WINNER: Bahar in Wonderland – School Of Art and Design Kassel (Germany)
Directed by Behrooz Karamizade
Prize – $500 cash sponsored by Quinto Communications Ltd

BEST POSTGRAD FICTION
WINNER: Where We Are – Hamburg Media School (Germany)
Directed by Ilker Çatak
Prize – $500 cash sponsored by Quinto Communications Ltd

AUDIENCE AWARD – BEST NZ FILM
WINNER: Syrenia – Unitec (NZ)
Directed by Fraser Grut
Prize – $2000 worth of lighting hire from “Kenderdine – Professional Lighting Services”, $1000 worth of gear hire from Unitec PASA, 6 tickets to German Film Festival, 1 pass to Screen Edge Forum 2015

AUDIENCE AWARD – BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
WINNER: Motor Mouth – Staffordshire University (England)
Directed by Katie Walters
Prize – $500 cash sponsored by Unitec PASA

ENDS

For more information:
Peter Rees / Festival Coordinator
E: unishorts@unitec.ac.nz
T: (64) 9 815 4321 ext. 7250
W: www.unishorts.unitec.ac.nz

Follow us on www.facebook.com/unishorts
www.twitter.com/unishorts or instagram #unishorts

The largest student film festival of its kind in Australasia is coming to Auckland this weekend at Unitec’s Mt Albert campus on 12-14 September. Don’t miss an awesome weekend for student filmmakers, short film lovers and educators.

Have you got your tickets? General Admission $is 60 and Students only pay $40. Ticket price includes entry to all screenings*, panel sessions and Awards Night, and includes meals! There are still a limited ticket sales available so get them now online at www.unishorts.unitec.ac.nz

We also invite everyone coming to Uni Shorts to our Meet & Greet networking night at Carringtons Pumphouse Bar, at Entry 3, Carrington Rd, Unitec this Friday, 12 September from 6:30pm – 8:30pm (cashbar R18). Come meet other student filmmakers, educators and industry guests and start the weekend off in style!

We’re please to announce we’ve added a new guest speaker for Panel 3: Doing it Right! to join Kiwi filmmakers Sima Urale and Sophie Henderson this Sunday morning, 14 Sep @10:30am. He is German filmmaker Arne Birkenstock.

A film director and screenwriter born in Huettental and raised in Cologne, Germany, Birkenstock has written, directed and produced several feature length documentary films. In 2011 und 2014 he was awarded with the German Film Academy Award LOLA. Birkenstock is a member in the Deutsche Filmakademie and the European Film Academy. He also serves as a member of the Board of the German Documentary Association (AG DOK).

We welcome him to NZ and to Uni Shorts! To hear him, and our other amazing guest speakers, get your tickets now at www.unishorts.unitec.ac.nz. Ticket cost covers entry to all panel sessions and screenings, plus meals included! #unishorts

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

GOLD: Kenderdine-Professional Lighting Services
SILVER: Quinto Communications Ltd – ACG Yoobee School of Design – Atomise Ltd-Avid – Sound Techniques

Also supported by Screen Edge Forum, Goethe Institut & UNITEC

22 August 2014: The Uni Shorts 2014 committee is pleased to unveil an exciting lineup of judges and guest speakers for this year’s festival being held at Unitec’s Mt Albert campus in Auckland, New Zealand on 12-14 September.

Judges
Oliver Driver – New Zealand actor/director/presenter
Michael Brook – Film Auckland executive manager
Bryn Evans – Documentary filmmaker
James Cunningham – Director/animator
Robin Gee – Film educator/filmmaker
Catherine Davis – Film/digital media educator

Panel speakers
Sophie Henderson (writer/director/actor Fantail)
Sima Urale (director Apron Strings)
Michael Bennett (director Matariki)
David White (co-producer Shihad: Beautiful Machine, I kill)
Max Currie (writer/director Everything We Loved)
Thomas Sainsbury (writer/director/performer)
Lakshman Anandanayagam (VJ, flame artist, director, doctor)
Dean Hewison (writer/director How To Meet Girls From a Distance)
Jarrod Holt (downlowconcept/48HOURS)

Don’t miss an awesome weekend for student filmmakers, digital content makers and educators. Get your tickets now to the Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival 2014. Ticket price includes entry to all screenings, panel sessions, meals and the awards night at Carrington’s Pumphouse, Unitec on Sunday, 14 September.

To see a full schedule and to buy tickets, go to: www.unishorts.unitec.ac.nz

The Uni Shorts 2014 committee is pleased to announce the guest speakers for this year’s festival on 12-14 September. More speakers will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Sophie Henderson (Fantail)
Sima Urale (Apron Strings)
Michael Bennett (Matariki)
Dean Hewison (How To Meet Girls From a Distance)
David White (Shihad: Beautiful Machine)
Jarrod Holt (downlowconcept/48HOURS).

This is the third year of the Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival and it is the only tertiary student film festival of its type in Australasia. This year’s event will be held at Unitec in Mt Albert, Auckland on 12-14 September 2014. Film students, emerging filmmakers, educators and industry guests from across New Zealand and overseas will be attendance.

Says Uni Shorts chairperson, Alex Lee, “The purpose of Uni Shorts is to present and celebrate the excellence, diversity and potential in student made films to the wider community; provide a forum for student filmmakers, media teachers and tertiary teachers to discuss and network so as to foster inspire and mentor the continued development of and professional career opportunities for student filmmakers.”

Uni Shorts was founded in 2012 by film students at Unitec’s Performing and Screen Arts Department who lamented the lack of opportunities and platforms to screen student film work in New Zealand. Since its inception, Uni Shorts has grown in profile internationally with nearly 200 short films made by New Zealand and international students, entered in undergrad and postgrad fiction, documentary, animation, non-narrative and secondary schools categories, for this year’s festival.

To see a full schedule or to buy tickets, go to: www.unishorts.unitec.ac.nz or www.unitec.ac.nz/unishorts (early bird prices until 15 August). Follow us on www.facebook.com/unishorts or www.twitter.com/unishorts or instagram #unishorts

ENDS/

For more information:
Peter Rees / Festival Coordinator
E: unishorts@unitec.ac.nz
T: (64) 9 815 4321 ext. 7284

PR 9 July, Auckland NZ: A total of 35 films have been selected to screen in competition at this year’s Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival on 12-14 September in Auckland, New Zealand. Uni Shorts chair, Alex Lee says the quality of this year’s entries was very high which made it challenging for the pre-judging panel. He was also rapt at the record number of entries. “In our first year we received less than a 100 entries, but this year we received close to 200 films with 190 entries,” he says.

Film entries were received from as far away as Eastern Europe, Asia, USA, Middle East and the UK, with a notable jump in interest from film and design schools, universities and polytechnic institutions on both sides of the Tasman in Australia and New Zealand. There was also strong interest from New Zealand secondary schools for the high school category.

There is a strong European flavour in the list of finalists with German film schools particularly prominent in the undergraduate and postgraduate fiction categories. However, New Zealand entries dominate in the animation and experimental categories. Hauraki College is the surprise of the New Zealand Secondary Schools category with two films making it into the top five which will vie for the main prize. The final decision now lies with the judges with the overall award to be decided by audience vote during the festival.

Uni Shorts 2014 will see film and design students, emerging filmmakers, educators and industry guests converge on Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland for a weekend of screenings and panel sessions. It will culminate in an awards night where the winning films will be announced. The list of guest speakers and main judges will be announced soon.

“We cordially invite students, new filmmakers as well as educators for what will be a weekend of exciting dialogue about the issues important to them in today’s ever diversifying filmmaking landscape,” explains Lee. “Plus there will be some amazing short films being screened reflecting the emerging new talent heading into the industry.”

You can buy tickets to attend Uni Shorts at www.unishorts.unitec.ac.nz
Follow us on www.facebook.com/unishorts or twitter @unishorts

FINALISTS FOR UNI SHORTS 2014

Animation
Omega – Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (Germany)
Madman – ACG Yoobee School of Design (New Zealand)
Falling Star – Hong Kong Polytechnic (Hong Kong)
The Skin Factory – Griffith Film School (Australia)
Abraham – ACG Yoobee School of Design (New Zealand)

Non-Narrative (Experimental)
In Vitro – Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand)
Sleeping Dream – ACG Yoobee School of Design (New Zealand)
Dream State – ACG Yoobee School of Design (New Zealand)
Change – ACG Yoobee School of Design (New Zealand)
Classroom – Columbia College Chicago (United States)

Documentary
Monodidi: four phases of one – University of Auckland (New Zealand)
Sorry to Interrupt – University of Applied Science Berlin (Germany)
Tumbang Preso (Jailbreak) – AUT (New Zealand)
Motor Mouth – Staffordshire University (England)
Home in Mind – Freie Universität Berlin (Germany)

Secondary Schools
The Break Up – Saint Kentigerns College
One Tree Hill – Hauraki Plains College
Just over the fence – Hauraki Plains College
Adeo – Newlands School
Predator – Kapiti College

Undergraduate Fiction
At the Door – German Film and Television Academy (Germany)
Bahar in Wonderland – School Of Art And Design Kassel (Germany)
Birdsong – NZ Film and TV School (New Zealand)
It’s Dark in the City – German Film and Television Academy Berlin (Germany)
Los Demonios (Demons) – ECAM (Spain)
Herrmann – Kaskeline Filmakademie (Germany)
Terapia – ECAM (Spain)
White Night – Academy of Media Arts Cologne (Germany)
SNIP – Canterbury University (New Zealand)
Syrenia – Unitec (New Zealand)

Postgraduate Fiction
Where We Are – Hamburg Media School (Germany)
Not less than 50kg – Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema & TV (Ukraine)
Old School – Hamburg Media School (Germany)
For Lotte – Hamburg Media School (Germany)
Dog Walker – Hamburg Media School (Germany)

ENDS/

For more information: Peter Rees (Publicist and Festival Coordinator) unishorta@unitec.ac.nz (+64) 9 815 4321

30 June 2014

In only its third year, the Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival continues to grow and organisers are rapt at the record number of short film entries it has received for this year’s festival which is again being held in Auckland, New Zealand on 12-14 September. Uni Shorts chair Alex Lee is rapt this year’s entries have exceeded the number of entries from the previous two years. “This year following our extended 30 April deadline, we received close to 200 films with 190 entries,” he says.

Film entries were received from as far away as Eastern Europe, Asia, USA, Middle East and the UK, with a notable jump in interest from film and design schools, universities and polytechnic institutions on both sides of the Tasman in Australia and New Zealand. There was also strong interest from New Zealand secondary schools for the high school category. The animation and documentary categories were especially popular with the number of entries in these genres double last year’s total.

The Uni Shorts organising committee is now near the end of the pre-judging process and will announce the final selection of films that will go into competition on 7 July 2014.

Uni Shorts 2014 will see student and emerging filmmakers, as well as educators and industry guests converge on Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland for a weekend of screenings, panel sessions and workshops. It will culminate in an awards night where the winning films will be announced. The list of guest speakers will be announced shortly.

“We cordially invite students, new filmmakers as well as educators for what will be a weekend of exciting dialogue about the issues important to them in today’s ever diversifying filmmaking landscape,” explains Lee. “Plus there will be some amazing short films being screened reflecting the emerging new talent heading into the industry.”

You can register to attend Uni Shorts on the website www.unishorts.unitec.ac.nz

ENDS/

For more information:
Peter Rees (Publicist and Festival Coordinator) prees@unitec.ac.nz (+64) 9 815 4321
Follow us on www.facebook.com/unishorts or twitter @unishort