German, Kiwi films big winners at Uni Shorts 2014   15 Sep 2014

AUCKLAND: German filmmakers dominated the awards at the third annual Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival held over the weekend in Auckland on 12-14 September. Four of the eight categories; including Best Animation, Best Documentary, Best Undergraduate Fiction and Best Postgraduate Fiction categories, were won by German film schools.

However, they missed out on the two Audience Awards which went to Syrenia (Unitec, NZ) for Best New Zealand Film and Motor Mouth (Staffordshire University, England) which won Best International Film.

In Vitro, entered by Wellington's Victoria University, took out the Best Non Narrative/Experimental award, while St Kentigern College made it two years in a row winning the Best New Zealand Secondary School Film award with Calvin Sang's entry The Break Up.

In his keynote address at Sunday's Awards ceremony, Uni Shorts chair, Alex Lee, praised the quality of the student film work submitted for this year's festival and reminded the gathered student filmmakers of the important role they play as the future voices of the billion dollar film industry they are about to enter. Lee also paid tribute to the judges; Oliver Driver, Michael Brook, Bryn Evans, James Cunningham, Catherine Davis and Robin Gee, as well as panel speakers; David White, Sophie Henderson, Sima Urale, Arne Birkenstock, Dean Hewison, Max Currie, Jarrod Holt, Thomas Sainsbury, Calvin Sang and Lakshman Anandanayagam for their support, and the work of the festival committee, moderators, pre-judges and volunteers.

He reserved special praise for the sponsors for making the event possible: (Gold) Kenderdine-Professional Lighting Services; (Silver) Quinto Communications Ltd, ACG Yoobee School of Design, Atomise Ltd-Avid and Sound Techniques; also supported by Documentary NZ Trust, Goethe Institut and Unitec's Performing and Screen Arts department.

Here is the full list of winners:

BEST SECONDARY SCHOOL
WINNER: The Break Up - Saint Kentigern College (NZ)
Directed by Calvin Sang
Prize - $1000 of sound gear hire from "Sound Techniques", 3 tickets to German Film Festival, 1 pass to Screen Edge Forum 2015

BEST ANIMATION
WINNER: Omega - Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (Germany)
Directed by Eva Franz and Andy Goralczyk
Prize - $1000 cash sponsored by ACG Yoobee School of Design

BEST EXPERIMENTAL
WINNER: In Vitro - Victoria University of Wellington (NZ)
Directed by Zach Challies
Prize - Avid Media Composer license with Symphony Option sponsored by "Atomise Ltd-Avid", 3 tickets to German Film Festival, 1 pass to Screen Edge Forum 2015

BEST DOCUMENTARY
WINNER: Sorry to Interrupt - University of Applied Science Berlin (Germany)
Directed by David Lorenz
Prize - Werner Herzog Documentary DVD Set donated by Goethe Institut

BEST UNDERGRAD FICTION
WINNER: Bahar in Wonderland - School Of Art and Design Kassel (Germany)
Directed by Behrooz Karamizade
Prize - $500 cash sponsored by Quinto Communications Ltd

BEST POSTGRAD FICTION
WINNER: Where We Are - Hamburg Media School (Germany)
Directed by Ilker Çatak
Prize - $500 cash sponsored by Quinto Communications Ltd
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST NZ FILM
WINNER: Syrenia - Unitec (NZ)
Directed by Fraser Grut
Prize - $2000 worth of lighting hire from "Kenderdine - Professional Lighting Services", $1000 worth of gear hire from Unitec PASA, 6 tickets to German Film Festival, 1 pass to Screen Edge Forum 2015

AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
WINNER: Motor Mouth - Staffordshire University (England)
Directed by Katie Walters
Prize - $500 cash sponsored by Unitec PASA

ENDS/

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