NZ's Show Me Shorts Film Festival announces second Oscar-qualifying award

NZ's Show Me Shorts Film Festival announces second Oscar-qualifying award

New Zealand’s Show Me Shorts Film Festival brings winning an Oscar® closer to short film makers across the world

Show Me Shorts Film Festival is proud to announce that they have been granted Oscar®-qualifying status for their Best International Film Award, in addition to their Lightbox Best Film Award.

For the last four years, Show Me Shorts has been the only film festival in New Zealand qualified to provide a pathway to the Academy Awards® for their top award winner - Lightbox Best Film Award. This coveted relationship with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is something granted to a small number of prestigious film festivals around the globe.

Festival Director of Show Me Shorts, Gina Dellabarca, says, “It’s big news for filmmakers as it means the reality of winning an Oscar® is potentially within reach.

“Winning one of these awards at Show Me Shorts removes the need for a standard theatrical run in a US cinema – something most short films are unable to achieve. Winning an Oscar®-qualifying festival is the main way that short films can become eligible for consideration for the Oscars®. We are thrilled with this development, which is likely to result in an increase in the number and quality of our submissions. Great news for local audiences as well as local and international filmmakers.”

One of the most popular shorts from the international selection of Show Me Shorts 2015, Stutterer by Benjamin Cleary, is nominated for the Best Live Action Short Film award at the Oscars® this year. Members of the Show Me Shorts community of festival-goers will be cheering on this film come Monday 29 February when the awards are announced.

The 2015 Lightbox Best Film Award at Show Me Shorts was won by Alyx Duncan for The Tide Keeper. Her film is now eligible to enter the 2017 Oscars®.

The Best Live Action Short Film award at the 2015 Oscars® was won by another film that had previously featured in Show Me Shorts, The Phone Call. “This demonstrates the calibre of short films in our programme,” Dellabarca says.

The 11^th annual Show Me Shorts Film Festival in 2016 will share their top local and international short films with thousands of New Zealanders from Dargaville to Stewart Island, who take part as audience members, attend professional development events, and by voting for their favourite films.

Show Me Shorts is now calling for entries from local and international short film makers. Short films can be from New Zealand or anywhere in the world, but must be between 2-20 minutes long and made within the last two years. New Zealand music videos can also qualify for selection if they are between 1-10 minutes long. Entry deadlines and fees for 2016 are:

·         Earlybird Deadline: 15 April 2016 (shorts US$25 / music videos US$10)

·         Regular Deadline: 15 May 2016 (shorts US$30 / music videos US$15)

·         Late Deadline: 15 June 2016 (shorts US$35 / music videos US$20)

·         Extended Deadline: 1 July 2016 (shorts US$40 / music videos US$25)

Full submission details for Show Me Shorts are available at www.showmeshorts.co.nz