PANDEMIC UPDATE: The festival is still scheduled to go ahead in October as planned. If the festival were to be postponed, we would keep all submitted films in consideration for the next edition.

Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading international short film festival. Our mission is to connect New Zealand audiences with short films and share New Zealand short films with the world. We celebrate the short film art form and champion short film makers!

Each year our programmers curate a selection of the best short films from Aotearoa and around the world, plus some of the top local music videos. We prioritise cinematic narrative-style films with strong audience appeal, as well as films that are making their premiere in our festival.

Show Me Shorts is a travelling festival that screens at more than 20 cinema locations nationwide. We launch the festival with a glamorous opening and awards night in Auckland. There is a second opening night event in Wellington a week later. We also provide professional development and networking opportunities for aspiring short film makers through our Screenwriting Lab, Short Film Talks, Filmmaker Resources and various masterclasses.

At Show Me Shorts, we love filmmakers. We love your creativity, aspirations, questions and how your stories bring us together.

Awards & Prizes

We are proud to celebrate and acknowledge the work of filmmakers who achieve excellence. As as an Oscar®-qualifying festival the winners of our coveted Best New Zealand Film Award and Best International Film Award become eligible to enter the Academy Awards®.

Best New Zealand Film Award
Oscar®-qualifying status. NZ$2,000 cash. Post-production services to the value of NZ$10,000. Film-making gear rental to value of NZ$5,000. Final Draft writing software. Flowers. Bronze winners badge. Certificate.

Best International Film Award
Oscar®-qualifying status. NZ$1,000 cash. Final Draft writing software. Bronze winners badge. Certificate.

Best Director Award
NZ$500 cash. One-year membership to DEGNZ. Flowers. Bronze winners badge. Certificate.
One-year membership to DEGNZ for the finalists.

Best Editor Award
NZ$500 cash. One-year membership to DEGNZ. Flowers. Bronze winners badge. Certificate.
One-year membership to DEGNZ for the finalists.

Best Music Video Award
NZ$1,500 cash. Flowers. Bronze winners badge. Certificate.

Best Actor Award
NZ$500 cash. Final Draft writing software. Flowers. Bronze winners badge. Certificate.

Best Cinematographer Award
Panavision camera gear rental to value of NZ$12,000. Flowers. Bronze winners badge. Certificate.

Best Screenplay Award
Final Draft writing software. Flowers. Bronze winners badge. Certificate.

People’s Choice Award
NZ$1,500 cash. Final Draft writing software. Flowers. Bronze winners badge. Certificate.

Rules & Terms

GENRE: Films and music videos can be any genre.

LENGTH: Films are to be no less than 2 minutes and no more than 20 minutes in length (including end credits). Music videos must be no less than 1 minute and no more than 10 minutes in length.

COMPLETION DATE: Films and music videos must have been completed not more than two years before the opening date of the festival.

BROADCASTING: Films must not have previously been shown publicly on the Internet. (This does not apply to music videos or to short films entered in the ‘Not in competition’ category.)

SUBTITLES: All entries with dialogue not in the English language must be subtitled in English.

UNFINISHED FILMS: Please contact us before the deadline to request permission to submit an incomplete film, or have an extension granted.

ENTRY CATEGORIES: Show Me Shorts has four categories of entry. Films made by New Zealanders or with significant New Zealand content are eligible for the ‘New Zealand short films’ entry category. Films made without significant NZ contribution or content are eligible for the ‘International short films’ entry category. New Zealand or international films that are or have been shown publicly online in New Zealand are only eligible for the ‘Not in competition’ entry category. New Zealand music videos are eligible for the ‘New Zealand music video’ entry category.

PROMO USE: By submitting your film or music video, you grant Show Me Shorts Film Festival the right to use up to 30 seconds of your production for TV, cinema advertising, video, internet, and all other electronic media for promotional purposes.

COPIES: Show Me Shorts Film Festival may make copies of films and music videos that are selected for the purposes of censorship, obtaining media reviews/stories and for exhibition purposes.

RIGHTS: The person submitting this film or music video warrants to Show Me Shorts Film Festival that they have obtained all the necessary permissions to enter this film and that the film does not infringe the rights, including copyright, of any third party. This includes the use of any sound clips and music.

LIABILITY: The person submitting this film agrees that Show Me Shorts Film Festival, it's board, sponsors and partners, and judges, individually and collectively will not be held responsible for losses, damages, costs and liabilities relating to any films submitted to this festival.

INFORMATION: The personal information you provide to us is collected for the purposes of Show Me Shorts Film Festival only. You consent to any such information being used for the above purpose by Show Me Shorts Film Festival whose address is Room 26, Level 2, Auckland Trades Building, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand. You may request access to and if necessary correction of any personal information which we hold about you.
39 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
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Networking
  • Fuyuko Mochizuki

    Superb experience! This festival is well curated, the variety was thoughtful and engaging. It was a real honor to have our film selected and shown in their programming. The quality of the projection and theatre was world class., my film never looked better. The staff of Show Me Shorts had every detail we considered. We have filmmaker talks, tours of the city of Auckland plus small getaways. I wish we could come back soon! I felt I really grew as a filmmaker with this experience. Thank you, all!!

    December 2019
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  • Vanessa Wells

    Wow - what a great festival! The team at Show Me Shorts were exceptional at encouraging and supporting me as a filmmaker. I was delighted to be selected, but I was blown away with the help and support I received after that... they really understand what filmmakers are about (many of their team are filmmakers too!). Thanks so much for curating such a range of wonderful films from all over the world - I loved seeing all the other incredible films too!

    December 2019
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  • Hao Zheng

    Amazing film festival!! The staffs are friendly and they always response really fast. We are really glad that our film has been selected and screened at New Zealand, it’s such a wonderful journey! Wish we could be there next year!

    December 2019
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  • Markus Kaatsch

    Thanks for your support! We were thrilled to be a part of the festival again this year.

    November 2019
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  • Matthew Quinnell

    Fantastic festival with a really cool and diverse selection of Short Films. The staff were very accommodating and helpful and communication was a breeze.

    It was a privilege to have our short film selected this year and will definitely enter again with future projects.

    Highly recommend

    November 2019
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