We love all of the films that make it into our programme each year but we also want to recognize those that stand out. Whether it is excellence in a particular category like directing and acting or outstanding overall achievement as exemplified by our Best Film, these films all present something special. Since 2012, our Best Film winner has also been eligible for the Academy Awards ®, giving Kiwi short film makers a shot at an Oscar ®. Click through to see a list of our past winners.
Short film making can be a labour of love that all too often goes unrecognized. We love rewarding the hard work of our winning filmmakers and we hope these prizes will also help them make more films to entertain us. Click through to see the prizes on offer from the festival and our amazing partners.
Our awards are decided by a panel of experienced film industry practitioners, which changes every year. The winners are announced and their prizes presented at our Opening & Awards Ceremony. Click through to find out more about our Jury.
To qualify as a New Zealand short film and be eligible for the awards, your film must not be available online, unless you are entering in the ‘Music video’ category and you must meet 2 of the 4 fundamental criteria, in addition to the criteria for specific awards. Click through for more information.
The winners of our 2018 awards have been unveiled. Congratulations to all of the filmmakers behind these winning short films.
The winners of the 11th annual Show Me Shorts Film Festival have just been released in style at the captivating Opening Night & Awards Ceremony in Auckland. With over 1,500 entries this year from over 28 countries, the calibre of entries has brought out the best short films
We’re pleased to announce and congratulate the awards finalists for 2016! Winners will be announced, and prizes will be presented for nine award categories, including the Oscar®-accredited Lightbox Best Film Award and Best International Film Award. The winners will have their films screened at the Opening Night & Awards Ceremony at Auckland’s Civic Theatre on 1 October.
The winning films were announced in style at the Auckland Opening Night and Awards Ceremony at The Civic. From a field of nearly 1000 entrants to 46 selected films to 8 award winners, these films are truly outstanding achievements in filmmaking.
We’re pleased to announce the awards finalists for 2015! Find out which films in the festival have been nominated by our judges for outstanding achievement and a share of the prize pool valued at over $25,000.
SMS Festival Director Gina Dellabarca will visit the REGARD International Film Festival in Saguenay, Canada this March to share 7 fantastic kiwi shorts from our 2014 festival.
The votes are in and we’re proud to congratulate the makers of Coconut as the 2014 winners of the Wendy’s People’s Choice award.
We’ve had a great time so far during the 2014 festival- but the show is by no means over! We’re opening tonight in Wellington and kicking off our broader NZ tour. You can also still catch screenings in Auckland until November 19.
Congratulations to our winners for 2014! During a fantastic opening at The Civic in Auckland, 9 films were awarded accolades, with the coveted and Oscar®-qualifying Best Film Award going to Dive.
We’re proud to announce the nominees for the 2014 Awards. Congratulations to all of the finalists who managed to stand out to the judges amongst the many great films in this year’s programme. Winners will be announced at the Rialto Channel Auckland Opening Night and Awards Ceremony at The Civic in Auckland on November 6.
