Presented by Screen Wellington & The Royal Norwegian Embassy

Join us for a very special night out as we launch this year’s Show Me Shorts Film Festival. We will be screening a selection of films from Wellington filmmakers and some of the best and most fun in this year’s programme. Celebrate short films and the people who make them! Hear introductions from some of the filmmakers. Tickets include a glass of wine and snacks on arrival.

Films screening: 

• Seedlings (world premiere with filmmaker intro)

• The Owl and the Rainbow (NZ premiere with filmmaker intro)

• Breakfast for Dinner (world premiere with filmmaker intro)

• Bob & C-Nut: A Good Way to Start the Day (world premiere with filmmaker intro)

• God is Shy (NZ premiere)

• Trio (NZ premiere)

• Ningū Borda (Nobody Barks) (NZ premiere)

Rating: M - Offensive language, mental health themes & content that may disturb.

Thu 8 Oct, 7:30 pm (pre-show drinks from 6:30 pm)

The Embassy, 10 Kent Terrace, Wellington

$29.00

Run Time: 120 minutes

Proudly supported by: The Royal Norwegian Embassy, Wellington City Council, Screen Wellington a UNESCO Creative City of Film, Lion Foundation, The Amazing Travelling Photobooth

Taste a selection of highlight short films from Show Me Shorts Film Festival. These inspiring and thoughtful stories include long-distance love on a distant planet, precocious children up to mischief, a whole town waiting for bad luck to pass, and a man stuck in a time loop. Comedy, science fiction, romance, and coming-of-age classics abound.

This session is also screening with open captions at select locations. For details on The Sampler (captioned) click here.

Run Time: 99 min

Rating: M - Domestic violence, drug use, offensive language

In this collection of short films for children and their families, cute animals and inquisitive insects spring to life in vibrant stories. Characters learn about kindness, curiosity, and heart as they defeat negativity and overcome bullying by working together—with a dose of magic and explosions for good measure! Find out why this is one of the most popular sections of Show Me Shorts.

Run Time: 61 min

Best for: ages 7-12 years

Rating: G

Beautiful stories of our land and our people. The movies in this collection showcase the work of talented New Zealand short film makers. Bold coming-of-age films sit alongside thoughtful drama, silly comedic fun, inventive fantasy, and warm-hearted documentary. We explore unlikely friendships, face our past, and step into the unfolding future.

This session is also screening with open captions at select locations. For details on Aotearoa (captioned) click here.

Run Time: 96 min

Rating: M - Drug use, offensive language, sex scenes & mental health themes

Travel to the Kingdom of Norway, a land famous for beautiful fjords, mountains, rivers—and trolls! This short film collection blends dark humour and drama with overcrowded fictional tunnels, thoughtful satire, dreamy landscapes, and the creative imaginings of Norway’s most iconic filmmakers.

Run Time: 80 min

Rating: M

What is love? Placed into a variety of pressured situations, the characters in these short films still manage to find their humanity, their heart, and their compassion—exposing their bravery. If only we all had their courage! Drama, romance, coming-of-age, and of course musical romance can be found here, exploring exactly what tugs on our heartstrings.

Run Time: 91 min

Rating: M - Offensive language.

The robots are already here. The filmmakers behind these short films have created ambitious near-future worlds for us to explore, exposing the existential threat automation poses to us all. Poke fun at the impending apocalypse with us, or take it as a serious warning as we explore possible futures and what they all mean.

Note: This collection includes one AI-generated film presented within the context of this theme.

Run Time: 85 min

Rating: M - Violence, offensive language & content that may disturb.

In this collection of short films, we explore intriguing worlds that are just one step from reality. We look through lenses of strangeness and meet amusingly unusual characters in odd settings: a puppet having an existential crisis, two Kung Fu masters on a date, an artist searching for the perfect thrift-store find, and a poet trapped in a society that frowns on talking. It’s an inventive reverie you won’t want to wake from.

Run Time: 99 min

Rating: R16 - Violence, offensive language, sex scenes, nudity & suicide themes.

Prepare to fear. The zombies are coming. A worm is giving you dark orders. And the coyotes are out there. Do not open the door or drink from that chalice. Strange creatures lurk, and our deepest fears can be brought to life in this decidedly frightful collection of short films.

Run Time: 89 min

Rating: R16 - Bloody violence, graphic injury detail, offensive language, suicide references & content that may disturb.

Show Me Shorts is proud to present this collection of new short films, commissioned and supported by Day One Hāpai te Haeata. The shorts are made by talented young filmmakers who are interested in exploring stories about building resilience, ancestral memory, connection to others and finding their place in the world. They are boldly taking story risks, pushing the envelope, and looking to the future.

Run Time: 106 min

Rating: M - Offensive language, sexual references, horror & mental health themes.

This screening is captioned and accessible for people with hearing impairments.

Highlight short films from the festival are collected in this tasty package.

Taste a selection of highlight short films from Show Me Shorts Film Festival. These inspiring and thoughtful stories include long-distance love on a distant planet, precocious children up to mischief, a whole town waiting for bad luck to pass, and a man stuck in a time loop. Comedy, science fiction, romance, and coming-of-age classics abound.

Run Time: 99 min

Rating: M - Domestic violence, drug use, offensive language

This screening is captioned and accessible for people with hearing impairments.

Beautiful stories of our land and our people. The movies in this collection showcase the work of talented New Zealand short film makers. Bold coming-of-age films sit alongside thoughtful drama, silly comedic fun, inventive fantasy, and warm-hearted documentary. We explore unlikely friendships, face our past, and step into the unfolding future.

Run Time: 96 min

Rating: M - Drug use, offensive language, sex scenes & mental health themes

Nominees will be announced in late September.

Winners and film line-up will be announced on 14 October.

Show Me Shorts is a competitive film festival with prizes for filmmakers who have achieved excellence. Watch all the Show Me Shorts award-winning movies in one collection, and enjoy the very best in local and international short film making.

The films shown will be the winners of these award categories: 

1. Best NZ Film Award (Oscar qualifying)

2. Best International Film Award (Oscar qualifying)

3. DEGANZ Best Director Award

4. DEGANZ Best Editor Award

5. Script to Screen Best Screenplay Award

6. Toi Whakaari Best Actor Award

7. Kōawa Studios Best Cinematographer Award

Run Time: TBC

Rating: TBC

Presented by Pan-Asian Screen Collective & Yoobee Colleges

Learn more about making short films in this moderated discussion with three top short filmmakers. Watch their short films, hear candid stories from their experiences, and have the opportunity to ask questions. Stick around and meet others interested in filmmaking after the event with networking drinks hosted by Yoobee Colleges in the cinema foyer. 

Speakers & films screening:

• Sinead Lau writer/director of Six Minute Supplement

• Grace Chan writer/director & Mahana Carlyrose Dexter producer/director of Tāpū

• Chris Callus writer/director & Adam Reynolds writer/producer of Grounded

Moderator: Hannah Herchenbach - Show Me Shorts Community Manager

Tues 13 Oct, 6:00–7:30 pm

Light House Cuba

Rating: M - Drug use & offensive language.

Proudly supported by: Wellington City Council, Pan-Asian Screen Collective, Yoobee Colleges