Show Me Shorts Film Festival is celebrating 20 years of bringing short films to movie lovers.

During 7–27 October audiences can choose from a massive 127 screenings and events taking place at 40 cinemas and community venues across Aotearoa. There are 83 short films in the programme, which have been divided into 11 themed collections.

To mark the occasion, Show Me Shorts is presenting a 20th Anniversary Retrospective collection of shorts from iconic New Zealand filmmakers. They are also throwing three massive opening night parties at The Civic in Auckland, The Embassy in Wellington and Alice Cinemas in Christchurch – promising premieres galore, opportunities to meet the filmmakers and hear their stories.

Festival Director Gina Dellabarca says, “Show Me Shorts has been a labour of love from the beginning. What started as a small hobby project between a group of friends has blossomed into an internationally renowned beacon for movie lovers. I’m so thankful to all the many people and organisations that have contributed to Show Me Shorts. During the last two decades I’ve seen tens of thousands of brain-tingling stories, from the hearts and minds of talented creatives. It’s a privilege to be part of the journey of so many New Zealand filmmakers in particular. Watching their careers flourish is a joy.”

**Help Me Tom** by Jiahang Yang, playing in The Sampler

The country of focus for this year’s festival is China. A richly creative collection of short films is included in the Chinese Focus, with several filmmakers travelling here to present their work and take part in panel discussions, meetings and networking events - including writer/director Hanlin Liu whose comedy about a man navigating an AI phone service 转人工 (Representative, Please) will make its world premiere at Auckland Opening Night.

Highlight films in The Sampler collection, which is the one that travels the widest, include stories of a boxing nun in Sister Josephine, a melancholic robot in Help Me Tom, an overwhelmed teacher in A Sisyphean Task, and a persistent Palestinian man trying to return home in Qaher. Much-loved stars Hugh Bonneville, Marlon Williams, Thomas Sainsbury and Alison Bruce make an appearance here.

The Whānau Friendly section of the programme for primary school aged children and their families continues to be one of the most popular. This year featuring a heart-warming new DreamWorks animation about a teenage boy and his grandfather, called Wednesdays with Gramps.

The 20th Anniversary Retrospective collection offers a chance to revisit or discover for the first time some of our most successful and best loved Kiwi short films, from acclaimed filmmakers who have built enviable careers. The films include Rosanne Liang’s Take3, Jackie van Beek’s Uphill, Sima Urale’s Coffee & Allah, Hamish Bennett’s Ross & Beth, and The Six Dollar Fifty Man by Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland.

**Uphill** by Jackie Van Beek, playing in 20th Anniversary Retrospective

Jackie van Beek has had six short films screen at Show Me Shorts in the last two decades - One Shoe Short in 2008, Just Like The Others in 2009, Go The Dogs in 2011, Little Red Riding Hood in 2012 Uphill in 2014, and The Lawnmower Bandit in 2015. She has since directed two feature films and several episodes of popular TV shows (The Office, What We Do In The Shadows, Wellington Paranormal). She is an example of the successful filmmakers who Show Me Shorts has championed over the years.

Fifteen world premieres will be celebrated during the festival, where the filmmakers will introduce their work for the first time, including 转人工 (Representative, Please) (China), Farm (NZ), Flagfall (NZ), Regarding Our Previous Conversation (NZ), Toad in the Hole (United Kingdom), Temporal (NZ), The Charm of the Magpies (NZ) and all eight of the Day One Shorts.

Celebrated local musician turned director Joe Lonie debuts his third short film, Flagfall – a thriller about a troubled taxi driver who is haunted by voices and visions. Direct from the world premiere in Melbourne last month, Ray Edwards’ iconic Kiwi coming-of-age story Ace will make its New Zealand premiere. Both Lonie and Edwards will introduce their films at Auckland Opening Night, and Edwards will also speak about how his self-funded film was made at the Auckland Filmmaker Talk.

Interesting trends that the programming team noticed this year from filmmakers worldwide are stories about people coming together to rise up (e.g. Bringing His Spirit Home, Mau Moko - Alien Weaponry, Earth Defender, Naked Lights); Magical realism seems to be a new favourite genre (e.g. Moti, A Bear Remembers, Open Looks, Farm, Chrysanthemum); There was also a continuation of the surge in production of high quality animated films for both adults and children worldwide.

Aspiring filmmakers can take advantage of a number of educational industry events running as part of Show Me Shorts. Filmmaker Talks provide an opportunity to hear how films were made directly from the creators and ask questions about their process. These take place in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. For those in Auckland, Vista Foundation Industry Day provides a full day of interactive professional development workshops, panel discussions, networking and screenings on 12 October.

For people with hearing or vision impairments, Show Me Shorts provides collections of short films with Audio Descriptions and Closed Captions at Show Me Shorts On Demand. Screenings with Closed Captions will also take place at cinemas in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Hon Paul Goldsmith, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, says: “Since it launched in 2006, Show Me Shorts has championed the short film in all its glory—fiction, documentary, music videos, animation and more. Now in its 20th year, it has grown into a truly world-class festival, dedicated to connecting New Zealand audiences with the finest local and international short films and promoting New Zealand talent to the world. Our screen industry is a great example of the abundance of innovation and creativity that exists in New Zealand, and the significant contribution our culture makes to our economy and global reputation. Our short films are an important part of this success.”

Show Me Shorts Film Festival is one of the most widely available festivals, with forty locations screening short films during 7-27 October 2025. This will include a three-day online festival at Show Me Shorts On Demand during Labour Weekend. Tickets for all screenings and events are now available. Advance booking is recommended as some sessions will sell out quickly.

FULL LIST OF SHORT FILM COLLECTIONS:

The SamplerAotearoa
Whānau Friendly
Chinese Focus
Our Planet & Place
Lucid Dreams
Nightlife
Love at All Costs
My Kind
20th Anniversary Retrospective
Day One Shorts Premiere

NORTH ISLAND LOCATONS:

Auckland – CBD
Auckland – Balmoral
Auckland – Devonport
Auckland – Great Barrier Island
Auckland – Howick
Auckland – Matakana
Auckland - Northcote
Auckland – Takapuna
Auckland – Titirangi
Auckland – Waiheke Island
Gisborne
Hamilton
Katikati
Napier
New Plymouth
Ōpōtiki
Palmerston North
Tauranga
Te Awamutu
Thames
Wellington
Waihi Beach
Whangārei
Whitianga