Anu
Anu

Screened as part of NZIFF 2023

New Zealand's Best 2023 

Aotearoa

Check out the year’s best New Zealand short films as chosen by guest selector, Niki Caro.

Aug 21

Event Cinemas Whangarei

82 minutes

A total of 81 films were submitted for this year’s New Zealand’s Best short film competition. NZIFF Head of Programming, Michael McDonnell, and Senior Programmer Sandra Reid viewed them all to draw up a shortlist of 12, from which Guest Selector Niki Caro selected the six finalists. 

“This selection of short films features fresh perspectives, acts of resistance, and small, but powerful stories perfectly told. From a range of different voices, these films are tough and tender. It was wonderful to be reminded of the diversity of our people and our stories, our lack of sentiment, depth of feeling, sense of humour, sense of justice, and our curiously New Zealand perspective on universal themes.” – Niki Caro

A jury of three will select the winner of the $7500 Best Short Film Award, the $4000 Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award, and the $4000 Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award. 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. 

Notes on each film are provided by Niki Caro. Films are listed in the order that they will screen.

Daughter of God 2022

Director, Screenplay

Producers

Jen Huang, Maza White

Cinematography

Tammy Williams

Editor

Tim Ellis

Cast

Benjamin Amini
,
Farhad Art
,
Taraneh Khorshid
Aotearoa New Zealand In English and Farsi with English subtitles
11 minutes

A simple and profound act of resistance against the cultural forces of family, tradition, and expectation.

My Eyes Are Up Here 2022

Director

Producers

Naomi Wallwork, Katie Dolan, Vanessa Muir

Screenplay

Aminder Virdee
,
Arthur Meek

Cast

Jillian Mercado
,
Ben Cura
14 minutes

A fashion model navigates courtship amidst the day-to-day irritations and misconceptions of who she is.

Gate Crash 2022

Director, Screenplay, Music

Producers

Vicky Pope, Thomas Coppell

Cinematography

Maria Ines Manchego

Editor

Cushla Dillon

Cast

Tabatha Killick
,
Rosalind Lay-Yazdani
,
Luka Piripi
,
Ethan Morse
,
Dylan Prasad Menon
,
Gideon Smith
,
Te Ani Solomon
18 minutes

Tenderness, awkwardness, disquiet, and dread at a post-ball after-party. Deft shifts in tone and insight in the ‘teen’ genre.

Freedom Fighter 2023

Director

Producer

Catherine Fitzgerald

Cinematography

Matt Henley

Editor

Chloe Laing

Music

David Long

Cast

Luz-Eliana Folau-Brown
,
Maurea Perez-Varea
,
Kasi Valu
,
Seiyan Thompson-Tonga
,
Brett Taefu
,
Uatesoni Filikitonga
,
Matt Sunderland
Aotearoa New Zealand In English and Sāmoan with English subtitles
16 minutes

There is no safe place to hide when the desire to dance calls Iuli’a, an overstayer to choose between her own freedom and the safety of those she’s responsible for.

Freedom Fighter won the Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award 2023.

Hey Brainy Man 2022

Producers

Jaimee Poipoi, Olivia Shanks

Screenplay

Jo Randerson

Cinematography

Adam Luxton

Editor

Paul Wedel

Cast

Jo Randerson
,
Ana Scotney
,
Cohen Holloway
,
Madeline McNamara
,
Geronimo Lahood
10 minutes

Hey Brainy Man is an avant-garde comedy about a group of evolutionary losers who have a message for Homo Sapiens: don’t fuck up the world.

Hey Brainy Man won the NZIFF Patrons Award for Best Short Film 2023.

Anu 2022

Director

Producer

Rachel Fawcett

Executive Producer

Shuchi Kothari

Cinematography

Adam Luxton

Editors

Lisa Greenfield
,
Jolin Lee

Cast

Prabha Ravi
,
Mansi Multani
,
Pulkit Arora
,
Auradha Duda Reddy
,
Jessie Lawrence
,
Bharat Bhushan
,
Rajneesh Mishra
Aotearoa New Zealand In English, Hindi and Te reo Māori with English subtitles
13 minutes

When a recent widow moves to New Zealand from India, she's forced to confront her grief by completing an ordinary ritual in an extraordinary circumstance: Managed Isolation.

Anu won the Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award 2023 and the Audience Award 2023.