Amid shrinking funding budgets, slashed opportunities and media outlet closures – there is one bright spark holding on, growing stronger and providing vital talent development opportunities for young people with a passion for screen storytelling.
Day One Hāpai te Haeata, a dynamic organisation that fosters the talent of rangatahi filmmakers across Aotearoa (fka The Outlook for Someday), hosted a celebration of youth creativity and storytelling; the Day One New Filmmaker Awards 2024.
The ceremony ran Sunday at Auckland’s Academy Cinemas.
Day One Hāpai te Haeata presented awards across multiple categories, showcasing the incredible talent of young filmmakers under 30. The event was MC’d by delightful Ronnie Taulafo followed by a screening of winning films. Filmmakers gave inspiring and insightful speeches – including a thank you to “all the dogs of Ellerslie”.
Giving an uplifting speech at the awards Day One Executive Director Chris Widdup outlined, “Our point of difference has always been that we’re very much kaupapa driven. It’s not just technical filmmaking, it’s not just about the best, the most beautiful films on the screen. It’s not even just about the fun of making films, it’s not just about the entertainment of making films. It’s all of those things, but the message behind the film is what truly matters. It’s the why behind the film.”
Day One Hāpai te Haeata, a supportive not-for-profit community, provides rangatahi filmmakers (traditionally 29 years of age and under) with the tools, guidance and opportunities to share screen stories. With 17 years (and counting!) of collaborating with young creatives under their belt, Day One continues to centre youth storytelling and filmmaking due to a firm belief in the power of creativity to have real-world impact.
Day One Creative Director, Anna Duckworth, added, “The diverse perspectives that have come through Day One are representative of the real aims and concerns that young people have and the topics they care about. Whether that’s language preservation, or mental health, or the housing crisis, their visions for the future are crucial to our cultural and social landscapes. What we find in these stories is that they appeal across generations and communities, they become about human connection.”
Enjoy the award-winning and award-nominated Day One Challenge films here.
The award winners and nominees were:
Impact Shorts
Doll Face – winner
A Cycle – Fractured Identity
The Digital World
Short Shorts
Don’t Destroy What You Came To Enjoy – winner
Music Shorts
Common Curse – winner
Dino Party
Phone Shorts
Sunny Days – winner
Space
Rock To Your Own Beat
AGE AWARDS
Up to 11
Sunny Days – winner
Rock To Your Own Beat
Up to 14
A Cycle – Fractured Identity – winner
Food Everywhere
Up to 18
Your Reflection – winner
The Digital World
Dino Party
Up to 24
Sound in Wind and Limb – winner
Mixed Media
Seconds
COMMUNITY AWARDS
Whakatipuranga Māori Filmmaker
Terri Tekii-Lemanu – Ngaru – winner
Noam Lazarus – Māori Migrant
Kelsey Chapman – Eat Away
Cultural Award
Drowned Out – winner
Space
A Cycle – Fractured Identity
Female / Gender Diverse Filmmaker
Lee Li – Space – winner
Terri Tekii-Lemanu – Ngaru
Alex Farley – Doll Face
CRAFT AWARDS
Recognition in: Production Design
Doll Face – winner
Dino Party
Mixed Media
Recognition in: Story
Matteo Damesin – In His Sketchbook – winner
Maxwell Andrews – Sunny Days
Tiana Marsh & Katie Bilbrough – Sound in Wind and Limb
Recognition in: Editing
Isaac Giles – Mixed Media – winner
Matteo Damesin – In His Sketchbook
Tiana Marsh – Sound in Wind and Limb
Recognition in: Performance
Shervonne Grierson – Crescendo – winner
Joshua Dillon-Lai – Sunny Days
Hugo Austin-Murray – In His Sketchbook
Recognition in: Cinematography
Lara Gamil – Crescendo – winner
Wuttipat Jirawanitcharoen – Where Am I?
Sam Goldsworthy – Common Curse
Recognition in: Animation
Grace Stapleton & Isaac Giles – Mixed Media – winner
Wuttipat Jirawanitcharoen – Where Am I?
Mishika Chawla – Food Everywhere
NEW FILMMAKER AWARDS
Vista Foundation Spirit Award
Carrisse Uta’i – winner
Elizabeth Hodgson
Belle Chalisa
Fat Lighting Craft Award
Sofi Issak-Zade – winner
Josh Gabor
Esther Mauga
Imagezone Vision Award
Kahu Kaiha – winner
Beth Davies
Te Wairangi Ratana
PHOTOGEAR STANDOUT WINNER
Mixed Media – winner
Sunny Days
Sound in Wind and Limb
(Top image: four-time winner Sunny Days)
