I’m very proud to announce that at the sold-out screening for my short film “Be Careful…” (and others) where I ran a scriptwriting workshop and was the key note speaker, my film won the Best Director category of the self-funded section at the Magma Short Film Festival in Rotorua, New Zealand.

I had a great weekend there and extend heartfelt gratitude to the fabulous organisers! Here’s the link

Be Careful… makes its World Premiere Next Month in Auckland

We’re hugely excited to be accepted into New Zealand’s premiere short film festival. Now in its 5th year, Show Me Shorts showcases the best Kiwi and Aussie shorts every year. We’re delighted that Be Careful… has been honoured by being selected as the opening film of the “Noir Motive” compilation.

Be Careful... opens "Noir Motive" compilation

It will screen in Auckland at The Academy cinema – home of independent cinema in Auckland (and where we had our cast/crew/friends/industry screening of Be Careful… earlier this year – see this post) on the first Saturday night of the festival (8.15pm), as well as the following Tuesday afternoon (4.30) and Friday night (8.15)

During this time, it will also screen in Devonport on the North Shore, in the historic and recently refurbished Victoria Picture Palace as well as on Waiheke Island, before touring to:

Wellington (Paramount)

Christchurch

Dunedin and

Tauranga, before finishing up in

Whitianga in January 2011.

Other Kiwi films selected include Cannes favourite The Six Dollar Fifty Man (Mark Albiston), darling of Sundance This Is Her (Katie Wolfe) and international festival favourites Choice Night , Day Trip, Brave Donkey and Va Tapuia.

Clearly being amongst such illustrious competition means that winning any prizes will be an uphill battle!

Show Me Shorts Progamme

But for me it’s enough that our film is being shown and that local audiences will have a chance to see it. So if you’re a local, check out the Show Me Shorts website to see when the screenings are coming to a theatre near you. (There’s some info up there now, with the full programme on its way.)

And a big shout-out too to Patricia Phelan and Lucy Zhou, Unitec graduates (and former students of mine!) who respectively directed and researched/wrote the fun short doco A Furry Tale about people with a fetish for dressing up as cartoon animals! This also made it into the festival, and is screening as part of the “Kissing Games” compilation.

Show Me Shorts Auckland Dates