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!

Show Me Shorts is now a hybrid festival that includes 100 physical screenings in 40 cinemas across New Zealand during 7-30 October 2022. The festival will also include screenings of many of the short films through our on demand platform - these films will be geo-blocked to allow only New Zealanders to watch them.

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.

We launch the festival with a glamorous Opening Night event in Auckland. This is followed by a separate Awards Night event, and two more Opening Night celebrations in Wellington and Christchurch.

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.

The percentage of our selected films that come from submissions is: 100%. Any invited films are not automatically selected, they go through the same rigorous selection process.

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

ON DEMAND SCREENINGS: By entering the film festival you are granting Show Me Shorts permission to screen your film in cinemas as well as through our secure online platform that will be geo-blocked to New Zealand.

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 to 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, Trades Hall, 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.
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  • Poppy van Oorde-Grainger

    Love this festival! Very pleased to have Two Sands included in the 2021 programme.

    May 2022
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  • Logan Marshall

    Great fun to be a part of Show Me Shorts this year. The festival staff did a fantastic job at pivoting last minute in order to adapt to New Zealand's COVID restrictions, and keeping filmmaker's involved who were unable to be there in person. Hope to be back!

    November 2021
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  • Luisa Martiri

    It was such a pleasure being part of Show Me Shorts NZ this year, despite the fact I wasn't able to travel to NZ from Australia. The festival staff were incredibly kind and helpful - hoping I get to be a part of the festival again in years to come!

    November 2021
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  • Scott Flyger

    SMS was a fantastic festival to be part of. Mark and the team coped extremely well with a major last minute scramble and reschedule due to a Covid-19 outbreak just as the festival was about to commence. We were glad that our region was still covid free and could screen on the big screen as well as online. One of the best around.

    November 2021
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  • Eddy Bell

    Thanks for taking our little film to the NZ people Show Me Shorts FF! It was a lovely experience for us, even if we weren't on the ground. Hopefully see you next year!

    November 2021
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