China in the spotlight at Show Me Shorts

News

3 Sept

Show Me Shorts Film Festival has selected China as their 2025 Country of Focus. The popular short film festival will showcase eight Chinese films from some of the most talented Chinese filmmakers working today.

Show Me Shorts is a competitive Oscar®, BAFTA and Goya qualifying film festival that screens the top short films from Aotearoa and around the world in 40 cinemas nationwide each October. As part of the festival a country or region is chosen to spotlight, and this is the first time China has been selected.

Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand, Mr Wang Xiaolong, comments: “I am delighted that China is the 2025 Country of Honour on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Show Me Shorts Film Festival. Film plays an important role in boosting cultural exchanges, deepening mutual understanding, and fostering stronger people-to-people bonds. I look forward to watching the short films selected for this year’s China Focus at Show Me Shorts, and believe that they will offer the audience in Aotearoa New Zealand a vivid and authentic window on China and Chinese people.”

Festival Director Gina Dellabarca says, “We are delighted to help audiences discover unique films that reflect a modern Chinese experience. Through these richly creatives stories top Chinese filmmakers invite us to meet friends, deities, spirits and animatronic insects – dream a little, then wake from cryogenic stasis. Modern ideas are presented alongside those steeped in tradition. We hope audiences will enjoy the collection we have curated.”

The films in the Chinese Focus collection are:

门神 (Door Gods) – Animation directed by Professor Sun Lijun.

Synopsis: Two Chinese deities who guard the doorway get into a farce due to their competition for superiority, which results in both sides suffering defeat.

不如归去 (The Wanderer) – Fantasy directed by Yue Shi.

Synopsis: Since his death, Fu Ci has been wandering the mortal world, reluctant to move on to the next life.

立秋 (Untitled) – Animation directed by Chunjing Zhang, Beilu Fan.

Synopsis: A lone grasshopper plays out its monotonous and repetitive daily routine alone in the apocalypse.

狼末梦 (The Dream of Death and Life) – Fantasy directed by Xinyuan Zhang.

Synopsis: On a snowy winter night, a girl is searching for traces of her lost brother when she comes across an old wolf on the verge of death.

剩人 (The Leftovers) – Science fiction directed by Yuan Zhang.

Synopsis: In a wasteland world shrouded in volcanic ash, Ji Simin watches over those sleeping in hibernation chambers, including her mother.

找朋友 (Friends) – Drama directed by Zihao Yu.

Synopsis: Two elementary school students become friends by chance after school, only to see their beautiful bond vanish as quickly as it formed.

转人工 (Representative, Please) – Comedy directed by Hanlin Liu.

Synopsis: During a sleepless night, a man attempts to get help from an automated customer service phone system.

An eighth Chinese short film Help Me Tom, an animation directed by Jiahang Yang, will screen in The Sampler collection at Show Me Shorts, which travels to 40 cinemas nationwide.

The film 转人工 (Representative, Please) will feature at Auckland Opening Night, where it will make its world premiere and be introduced by the director Hanlin Liu.

The film 门神 (Door Gods) will feature at Wellington Opening Night, where it will be introduced by the director Professor Sun Lijun (former Vice Chair of Beijing Film Academy). Professor Sun will also headline a panel discussion called Growing Animation in Aotearoa, which will take place during Industry Day at the festival.

Another guest, Mr Chunjing Zhang will introduce his film 立秋 (Untitled) at the Auckland screening and also discuss the making of his film at the Auckland Filmmaker Talk during Industry Day.

Tickets are now on sale for the Chinese Focus screenings:

Auckland – 6:00pm Wednesday 8 October at Academy Cinemas - Book tickets here.

Wellington – 6:30pm Friday 10 October at Light House Cuba - Book tickets here.

Christchurch – 4:15pm Saturday 11 October at Alice Cinemas - Book tickets here.

Christchurch – 6:15pm Thursday 16 October at Alice Cinemas - Book tickets here.

Booking is recommended as tickets are limited. The full programme for Show Me Shorts will be announced on 15 September. Further information and tickets are available via showmeshorts.co.nz

新西兰短片电影节聚焦中国

"Show Me Shorts"短片电影节宣布选定中国作为2025年年度焦点国家。本届广受欢迎的短片节将展出来自当代中国最具才华电影人的八部华语短片。

作为入围奥斯卡、英国电影学院奖及戈雅奖的资格赛赛事，"Show Me Shorts"每年十月在全国40家影院展映新西兰本土及全球顶尖短片。本届电影节首次选择中国作为特别关注地区。

中国驻新西兰大使王小龙先生表示："欣闻'Show Me Shorts'电影节二十周年之际选择中国作为2025年度荣誉主宾国。电影是促进文化交流、深化相互理解、巩固人文纽带的重要载体。期待通过本届焦点单元展映的短片，为新西兰观众开启一扇感知当代中国与中国人民的生动窗口。"

电影节总监吉娜·德拉巴卡表示："我们很高兴能带领观众探索展现现代中国风貌的独特影片。这些充满创意的故事将引领观众结识朋友、邂逅神明、对话机械昆虫——在梦境与低温休眠的苏醒间穿梭。传统元素与现代理念在此交融，相信观众会喜爱我们精心策划的展映合集。"

中国焦点单元片单包括：

1. 动画片《门神》（孙立军教授执导）
简介：两位守护门户的中国神祇因争强好胜引发闹剧，最终两败俱伤。

2. 奇幻片《不如归去》（岳驰执导）
简介：去世后的傅词始终徘徊于人世间，不愿踏入往生轮回。

3. 动画片《立秋》（张春景、范倍璐执导）
简介：末世之中，一只孤零零的蚱蜢重复着单调的日常 routine。

4. 奇幻片《狼末梦》（张馨元执导）
简介：雪夜中寻找失踪兄长踪迹的女孩，偶遇一只濒死的老狼。

5. 科幻片《剩人》（张原执导）
简介：火山灰笼罩的荒芜世界里，纪思敏守护着休眠舱中沉睡的人们，包括她的母亲。

6. 剧情片《找朋友》（于子豪执导）
简介：两名小学生在放学后偶然成为朋友，纯真情谊却如昙花一现。