Wellington filmmakers Jo Randerson and Loren Taylor have won the NZIFF Patrons Award for Best Short Film for their film Hey Brainy Man in New Zealand’s Best 2023.

The award was one of three Jury Awards in New Zealand’s Best 2023 announced at the sold-out screening on Saturday 29 July at ASB Waterfront Theatre in Auckland.

The six finalist short films were chosen by guest selector, Niki Caro with a three member jury, film critic Tom Augustine, film editor Peter Roberts, and 2021 Best Short Film Award joint winner filmmaker Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu selecting the winners of the $7500 NZIFF Patrons Best Short Film Award, the $4000 Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award and the $4000 Auckland Live Spirit of the Civic Award, along with two Special Mentions.

The winners were:

The NZIFF Patrons Award for Best Short Film: Hey Brainy Man dir. Jo Randerson and Loren Taylor

The Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award: Anu dir. Pulkit Arora

The Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award: Freedom Fighter dir. Tusi Tamasese

Special Mentions:

Freedom Fighter actor Luz-Eliana Folau-Brown

Hey Brainy Man and Anu cinematographer Adam Luxton

Congratulations to the winning filmmakers and their fellow finalists: Gate Crash dir. Paloma Schneideman, Daughter of God dir. Maza White and My Eyes Are Up Here dir. Nathan Morris.

The Audience Award, as voted by the public, went to Anu, directed by Pulkit Arora. The winner of the audience vote takes away the Audience Award, consisting of 25 percent of the box office from NZIFF screenings in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Congratulations to the Anu team!

Jury comments below:

The NZIFF Patrons Award for Best Short Film: Hey Brainy Man dir. Jo Randerson and Loren Taylor

“Formally daring, bitterly humorous and dreamily unsettling, Hey Brainy Man is a heady alchemical mix of absurdist flourishes and clearheaded warnings about humankind’s hubris. Backed by an endearingly batty chorus of Neanderthals, directors Randerson and Taylor are clear in their messaging, sounding the alarm without ever succumbing to overt or obvious preachiness. The film’s final note is one of dreadsoaked foreboding, lingering in the mind long after it’s subjects have faded into the ether.”

The Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award: Anu dir. Pulkit Arora

“Writer-director Pulkit Arora has crafted a soulful and sensitively-wrought portrait of a woman literally and figuratively isolated in her grief. Movingly uncovering the oft-dismissed residual pain of the pandemic era, Anu discovers the cinematic hidden within the drab of an anonymous quarantine hotel. Aided by an exquisite lead performance from Prabha Ravi, Arora firmly announces himself as a fresh talent to watch.”

The Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award: Freedom Fighter dir. Tusi Tamasese

“The tense, searing Freedom Fighter highlights the formidable talent of filmmaker Tusi Tamasese, working with a broad and talented ensemble to craft an unflinching portrait of the scars of the Dawn Raids. Tamasese here works with cinematographer Matt Henley to evoke his leads’ conflicted mindsets through shadowy, impactful imagery, including a stunning opening sequence in which hidden figures slowly start to emerge into the frame. The film’s ambition and fiery righteous fury indicate Tamasese as a filmmaker worthy of a packed Civic premiere at some near future Festival.”

Freedom Fighter actor Luz-Eliana Folau-Brown

As the heart and soul of Freedom Fighter, the young actress Folau-Brown carries an unenviable duty in both communicating her character Iulia’s longing for freedom while also functioning as the centrepiece of a film that tackles one of New Zealand’s darkest periods with fearless intent. Folau-Brown is up for the challenge, however, and her passion and soulfulness left an indelible mark on this year’s Jury.

Hey Brainy Man and Anu cinematographer Adam Luxton

As cinematographer for two of New Zealand’s finest shorts of 2023, Adam Luxton showcases a remarkable flexibility and adaptability in crafting powerful, artful imagery that matches the intent and approach of the filmmaker. It is yet another indicator that Luxton is one of the most exciting image-makers working in New Zealand today.