Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is on the search for the next generation of up-and-coming NZ filmmakers.

Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is an NZFC initiative run in partnership with Script to Screen. The programme’s aim is to nurture, challenge, and inspire short filmmaking talent through a development and industry mentoring process. The focus is on the development of both people and stories.

Six teams will be selected to receive up to $15,000 to facilitate the cost of making a short narrative film. The films can be live-action, animation or documentary, with a duration of between four and 25 minutes. The teams behind each of these projects will attend a two-day development workshop in March 2022 and be matched with an experienced industry practitioner to receive six weeks of mentoring to get their project ‘shoot ready’.

Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts 2021 applications open Monday 30 August and close at 1pm on 11 October. There are two stages to the application process.

At Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One you will need to have a writer, director and producer, and to submit  the following:

A shortlist of 18 teams will be invited to submit a Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage Two application in mid-November. From the shortlist, six projects will receive $15,000 grants. The teams behind each of these projects will attend a two-day development workshop from 19-20 March 2022 and be matched with an experienced industry practitioner to receive six weeks of mentoring to get their project ‘shoot ready’.

Criteria and requirements for the assessment of both Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage One and Whiringa Tuatahi – Stage Two can be viewed on our website.

Script to Screen and the NZFC will hold an online Q&A about this new application process for Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts on 16 September 2021, at 5.30 pm. 

If you have any questions please contact Script to Screen: FreshShorts@script-to-screen.co.nz


Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is a New Zealand Film Commission Short Film Fund and Script to Screen manages the reading, assessment, workshop and mentoring aspects of the Fresh Shorts Development Programme.

Here’s the news you have been waiting for – Kōpere Hou Fresh Shorts opens for applications this Thursday 10 September.

This year the application process for Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts has been changed making it simpler for teams to apply. Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is now a two-stage application process.

At Stage One you will continue to need a writer, director and producer, and a written script is still required.

The rest of the Stage One application consists of:

Criteria and requirements for the assessment of both Stage One and Stage Two are laid out in the guidelines which will be uploaded to the Script to Screen website by Thursday 10 September.

A shortlist of 18 teams will be invited to submit a Stage Two application. This detailed application is the same as previous years to ensure all bases are covered, from pre-production to delivery, that health and safety is addressed, and the team have all the support they require to make the film.

From the shortlist, six projects will receive $15,000 grants. The teams behind each of these projects will attend a two-day development workshop in March 2021 and then be matched with an experienced industry practitioner and receive six weeks’ mentoring to get their project ‘shoot ready’.

Script to Screen and the NZFC will hold an online Q&A about this new application process for Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts on Thursday 17 September at 5:30 pm. 

If you have any questions please contact Miriam Smith, the Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts Facilitator at Script to Screen: FreshShorts@script-to-screen.co.nz or ph: 09 360 5400.


Kōpere Hou – Fresh Shorts is a New Zealand Film Commission Short Film Fund and Script to Screen manages the reading, assessment, workshop and mentoring aspects of the Fresh Shorts Development Programme.

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