Film Challenge Honours Remarkable Young Film-Maker

MEDIA RELEASE: 11 December 2009

TVNZ 6 Presents THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY

The Sustainability Film Challenge for Young New Zealanders

Film Challenge Honours A Remarkable Young Film-Maker From Kaitaia Among Its Winners

The judges for The Outlook for Someday film challenge have for the first time named a ‘Stand Out Winner’.

The Break Up is a moving 3½ minute film which tackles the issue of climate change via 5 teenagers in a ‘Dear John’ telephone conversation. It was made by a talented young film-maker, Charlee Collins from Kaitaia College.

The judges noted that “the film shows a natural flair for storytelling and film making” and that Charlee has “a great career in film ahead of her.” As a ‘welcome to the industry’ prize the Screen Directors Guild is giving Charlee her first year’s membership.

Charlee was among 20 young film-makers and teams who celebrated their success at The Outlook for Someday Awards at TVNZ on 10 December.

The awards were presented by Jonathan King, Director of Under The Mountain last night in Auckland.

This year’s 20 Winning Films include dramas, animations and documentaries by young people aged 3 to 21. Many are presented with humour to make their point on a serious subject.

The subject-matter ranges from local sustainability initiatives – including a bilingual approach to saving resources in our homes – to alien perspectives on how we treat our world.

The judges, who came from the worlds of media, education, government and business, said “this year’s entrants demonstrated a clear understanding of how climate change is affecting them, a strong desire to bring change to their environment, and remarkably strong film-making skills to communicate their message and passion.”

Now in its third year, The Outlook for Someday challenge is to make a sustainability-related film of any length up to 5 minutes.

Entrants up to the age of 24 are encouraged to choose any genre they like, to film with any camera they like, and to interpret ‘sustainability’ in the way that makes best sense to them.

Seven of this year’s Winning Films also won Special Awards:

• Connected Media Sustainable Future Awardfor a film which promotes dialogue on sustainability through a new perspective and/or critical thinking.
Won by Charlee Collinsof Kaitaia College for The Break Up– a cautionary tale about global warming told in the form of a ‘Dear John’ phone call

• The Body Shop Film-making Achievement Award for a film with outstanding creative / technical quality.
Won by Picklethugs(the team of Calvin Sangof Saint Kentigern College, who also won this award in 2008) for Home– in which a visitor from another planet appreciates things about our world that we seem to miss.

• New Zealand Post NZ Focus Award for a film focusing on sustainability in New Zealand.
Won by Three Musketeers Productionsof WaikatoDiocesan Schoolfor Girls for Natural NZ- in which a farmers’ market shows the way to a sustainable future.

• Ministry of Youth Development Youth Participation Award for a film with strong participation by young people among themselves and/or at a community level.
Won by 60 Springs Devon Intermediate of New Plymouth for Freshwater Crayfish In Pukekura Park – in which a school project collects data on creatures living in a local park as a way of helping to conserve species in the future.

• Te Puni Kōkiri Te Reo & Tikanga Māori Awardfor a film making use of Te Reo and Tikanga Māori.
Won by The Matthews and Riwai-Couch Tamarikiof Te Kura Kaupapa Māorio Wairarapa, Hutt Intermediate School and Pomare Primary School for Our Whare– a bilingual film that shows couch tamariki how every bit counts when it comes to saving resources in our homes.

• WWFSecondary SchoolFilm-makers Award for a film made by young people of secondary school age.
Won by Emmy Jamesof Morrinsville for The Visitor– an animated film that looks at meat production and global warming through the eyes of an alien.

• Enviroschools Primary/Intermediate School Film-makers Award for a film made by young people of primary or intermediate school age.
Won by Andrew Duncanson of OtumoetaiIntermediate Schoolfor Stumpy– in which an animated character shows us sustainability choices can be made in everyday things like going shopping and watching TV.

There is now a vote for Audience Favourite on the project website:
www.theoutlookforsomeday.net

The Outlook for Someday is a partnership between Connected Media, The Enviroschools Foundation, WWF New Zealand (Project Partners) and TVNZ 6 (Screen Partner).

“Each year the 20 Winning Films get better and better - and this year they are really impressive,” said David Jacobs, Project Director at Connected Media. “Some of them are very moving emotionally, which is hard to achieve in a short film. So these young film-makers are making a big contribution to public awareness and engagement around the issue of their time - sustainability.”

The Winning Films are now being broadcast on TVNZ 6 on both Freeview (channel 6) and Sky Television (channel 16). They can also be viewed from 10 December at tvnz.co.nz

“TVNZ 6 is very pleased to partner with The Outlook for Someday for a third year. Sustainability is an issue which has serious implications across our society, on the environment, on the economy, on health and so on,”said Eric Kearley, TVNZ’s General Manager of Digital Services. “Through TVNZ 6 we focus on such core issues that really have an impact on people’s lives. We feel we are in very good company with this partnership.”

The project is supported through funding from the Ministry of Youth Development and Te Puni Kōkiri.

Project Sponsors are New Zealand Post and The Body Shop New Zealand.

Project Supporters are the Levi’s ® Stores, Trade Aid, Corporate Consumables, South Seas Film & Television School, Screen Directors Guild of New Zealand, tv/e, Waxeye, The Church, Good Magazine, Tearaway Magazine, Upstart Magazine, Interface Magazine , iServe, 72dpi and Lothlorien Feijoa Juice.

Details of the prizes won by winning film-makers are here:
www.theoutlookforsomeday.net/prizes
ends

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