Launching young film-makers to international audiences

MEDIA RELEASE: 19 AUGUST 2014

THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY = Young People + Film + Sustainability

http://www.theoutlookforsomeday.net/

FILM CHALLENGE TO LAUNCH YOUNG FILM-MAKERS TO INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES

The Outlook for Someday film challenge is calling for entries in 2014 with a prize package for 20 Winning Films that includes exposure to prestigious international festivals.

Each year The Someday Challenge asks young people under 25 years of age to make a short sustainability-related film of any genre, filmed with any camera and any length up to 5 minutes.

For the first time ever, each of the 20 Winning Films will be entered into a prestigious international festival. The film-makers will be supported and promoted by The Outlook for Someday as they launch their films onto the world stage.

The entry deadline for the film challenge is 12 September.

Each winning film-maker will also walk the red carpet at The Someday Awards ceremony at Auckland’s Aotea Centre in early December to receive their prizes.

As in previous years one of the 20 films will also be chosen as The Body Shop Standout Winner for which there is an additional prize package including a camera and sound kit, and an online popular vote will decide the Element Audience Favourite.

Films from The Someday Challenge in recent years have gone on to achieve unprecedented international success, with entries by film-makers aged from ten to 24 selected for prestigious film festivals.

17-year old Natasha Bishop became the youngest ever winning film-maker at the Japan Wildlife Film Festival in 2013 with her film Arboraceous, which she made in 2012 when she was just 16. Natasha was supported by The Outlook for Someday and its partners to travel to Japan to attend the festival and receive the Best Newcomer and Best Animation awards.

“In this age of infinite content with online video everywhere you look, the challenge for emerging film-makers is to reach their audience,” says The Outlook for Someday project director David Jacobs.

“The international success of films from The Someday Challenge tells us that something special is happening in New Zealand. Our young film-makers are appealing to a global audience with great films about the big issue their generation faces – sustainability.”

“So we will now give each winning film-maker a chance to shine internationally. Their work will be promoted by The Outlook for Someday to help reach its global audience.”

INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS FOR FILMS FROM THE SOMEDAY CHALLENGE

In 2014 eight winning films from The Outlook for Someday film challenge have received a total of twelve nominations in three European and Asian festivals.

At the Wildscreen Panda Awards in the United Kingdom, known as the ‘Green Oscars’, two of the four finalists in the Youth Award category are Arboraceous, made by Natasha Bishop, and 15 Ways, made in 2013 by Michelle Vergel de Dios.

Arboraceous was previously recognised at the Japan Wildlife Film Festival in 2013, and in March 2014 it had its US premiere at the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital in Washington DC.

This month at the Seoul International Youth Film Festival, Hunter Meets Pollution Queen by Upokongaro Film-making Club competes in the 9+ competition; and Today Is the Day by Better Than Mike Productions takes part in the 13+ competition.

At Green Screen International Wildlife Film Festival in Germany young New Zealand film-makers are making a big splash with winning films from The Outlook for Someday film challenge. They account for five of the seven international finalists in the Best Short Film for Kids category and three of the 10 finalists in the Wild Laugh category.

Selected films at Green Screen include: Arboraceous; Today is the Day; I'm A Little Molecule Of H2O by a team from Avalon Intermediate School in Lower Hutt led by their teacher Paascalino Schaller; The Bin Mistake, made by a team from the University of Auckland, AUT and Manukau Institute of Technology; Renno by Christopher Williams from Gisborne; and Environmental Man by Nathan Thomas from Auckland.

ABOUT THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY

Now in its 8th year, The Outlook for Someday is New Zealand’s sustainability film project for young people. It includes an annual film challenge and a national series of sustainability film-making workshops. 1089 young people participated in the film challenge and workshops in 2013.

33 one-day workshops took place throughout New Zealand between May and August 2014.

The Someday Challenge asks young people aged up to 24 to make a short sustainability-related film of any genre, filmed with any camera and any length up to 5 minutes. The entry deadline in 2014 is 12 September.

At the end of the year The Someday Awards red-carpet ceremony will take place for the fourth year running at the Aotea Centre in Auckland. Last year the winning film-makers received their prizes from acclaimed New Zealand and Hollywood film-maker Andrew Adamson.

DOWNLOAD PROJECT IDENTITY
http://theoutlookforsomeday.net/gallery/2014/project-identity/

THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY PARTNERS

The Outlook for Someday in 2014 is based on partnerships between Connected Media Charitable Trust and The Body Shop New Zealand, The Enviroschools Foundation, the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, Ministry of Youth Development, Department of Conservation, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Health Promotion Agency and Auckland Council.

Funding Partners are ASB Community Trust and Creative New Zealand’s Creative Communities Scheme.

Media Partners are The 4.30 Show, What Now, The Coconet.tv, YOURS.net.nz, Element Magazine, Tearaway, Upstart and Viewfinder.

Benefitz is Print Partner, O’Halloran North Shore is Accountancy Partner and Stephens Lawyers is Honorary Legal Advisor.

Event Partners are Auckland Live, Austin’s and All Good. AUT is Tertiary Partner.

-ENDS-

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