Show Me Shorts selects two projects for new $40,000 Short Film Lab production grants
Show Me Shorts has selected two outstanding short film projects to receive $40,000 in production funding through its 2026 Short Film Lab, supported by Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga The New Zealand Film Commission.
The Short Film Lab is a new initiative designed to support emerging New Zealand screenwriters with bold, original stories. Eight writers were selected to take part in an intensive development programme, working alongside experienced screenwriters and industry mentors to strengthen their projects before pitching for production funding. The programme aims to bridge the gap between script development and production, giving emerging filmmakers the tools, mentorship and financial support to bring their stories to the screen.
The 2026 Short Film Lab participants were:
Te Kohe Tuhaka
Olivia McClymont
Alex Tunui
Carolyn Deng
Fernando Abech Hart
Henrietta Bollinger
Quinn Le Cren
Alice Gatland
Following the development lab, two projects were selected to receive $40,000 each to move into production.
Mum, I'm in Love with Wiremu Te Whenua
Written by Quinn Le Cren
A heartfelt coming-of-age comedy, Mum, I'm in Love with Wiremu Te Whenua follows fourteen-year-old Mererangi, whose wildly imaginative fantasies convince her she's destined to attend the school disco with the seemingly perfect Wiremu. As her practical mother struggles to separate fantasy from reality, Mererangi discovers that genuine courage means putting aside the story she's imagined and taking a chance on the real one. Filled with humour, warmth and te reo Māori, the script is a charming celebration of first love, self-belief and growing up.
Do Us Part
Written by Fernando Abech Hart
A razor-sharp relationship comedy, Do Us Part follows a married couple who decide to separate, but only after surviving one final dinner party together. As years of resentment bubble to the surface, an argument over a designer couch spirals into increasingly absurd negotiations about divorce, property and pride. Equal parts hilarious and painfully relatable, the film explores how love can unravel through the smallest domestic battles while finding humour in the chaos of modern relationships.
Congratulations to Te Kohe Tuhaka and Alice Gatland
The success of this year's cohort extends beyond the Short Film Lab itself. Alumnus Te Kohe Tuhaka has also been selected for the 2026 Aho Shorts Production Fund with his project The Razza.
Fellow Short Film Lab participant Alice Gatland has also celebrated success, with her project Crossword selected in the May round of the He Kauahi Catalyst Short Film Fund. The selection highlights the strength of this year's cohort and the exciting momentum building behind the next generation of New Zealand filmmakers.
Congratulations to Quinn Le Cren, Fernando Abech Hart, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Alice Gatland and all eight participants whose creativity and dedication made this inaugural Short Film Lab such a success. We look forward to following these projects as they continue their journey to the screen.
