“South Shorts has helped me with overcoming writers block and given me the confidence to present my ideas in a safe creative space. The connections I have made throughout the hubs are life changing and extremely valuable for my career moving forward. I would highly recommend these workshops to any filmmaker out there looking to develop their ideas and build connections with fellow likeminded creatives.”

  
– Kaitiaki Rodger, South Shorts 2023 Participant 

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Briar Grace-Smith is of Ngā Puhi descent and a writer of short fiction, stage plays and feature films. Her plays include Ngā Pou Wāhine, Purapurawhetū and When Sun and Moon Collide. She is an Arts Foundation Laureate and was recently made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film, television and theatre. She has worked as a Development Executive for the New Zealand Film Commission and taught ‘Writing for Theatre’ at IIML (2015). Briar is a Sundance alumni and the writer of the feature films The Strength of Water and Fresh Meat. Her television credits include Fishskin Suit, Being Eve, Kaitangata Twitch and the Australian children’s television series, Grace Beside Me (2017). She was a director and co-writer of the short film, Nine of Hearts, and wrote and directed Charm for the feature project Waru (2017). She collaborated with Toi Whakaari, directing Krystal, a short film by Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu. She was the screenwriter and co-director of the feature film Cousins, and is a writer and co-director of Rūrangi, Series 2. Briar was made a member of the Directors branch of the Academy in 2022.

This programme is reliant on funding being achieved. Applicants will be informed of the funding outcome prior to the South Shorts submission deadline on the 25th of March. The South Shorts Mentorship Programme is made possible thanks to generous support from Foundation North.

 

For the ninth year running, Script to Screen is delighted to introduce the eight filmmakers selected to participate in this year’s South Shorts Mentorship Programme. Over six months, the programme enables South Auckland affiliated talent to develop their short film projects through group sessions and script-focused mentorship under the leadership and guidance of acclaimed screenwriter and director Briar Grace-Smith (Rūrangi, Cousins, Waru).

The participants meet for five workshops where they do group script read-throughs as well as one-on-one sessions with Briar. Guest filmmakers join the group to share their creative process. In this environment the participants build their own supportive community. They leave the programme with greater confidence in their writing, new connections in the industry and at least one short film script ready to progress towards production.

“We couldn’t be happier seeing the successes of our South Shorts alumni, and the diverse perspectives they are adding to our screens. It’s great to welcome these eight new filmmakers on that pathway.” says Jackie Dennis, Executive Director of Script to Screen

Congratulations to theses filmmakers selected for South Shorts 2023:
(pictured left to right)

Destiny Fruean
Dominic McAlpine
Frank Akauola
Kaitiaki Rodger
Mary Afemata
Paige Larianova
Taniora Ormsby
Troy Blackman

The South Shorts Mentorship Programme is made possible thanks to generous support from Foundation North.

“South Shorts has given me the opportunity to connect not only with industry experts but also with other South Auckland storytellers, whose feedback and knowledge have been invaluable in the development of my writing. It has given me the confidence (and the audacity) to develop my first short film, in a time when we need and deserve more South Auckland, Māori and Pasifika stories.”

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To apply you will need to submit:

• Short Biography (300-word limit)
• Why would this programme be valuable to you (300-word limit)
• Synopsis of your short film idea (600-word limit)
• Script or written document for your short film idea (optional)

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The South Shorts Mentorship Programme is made possible thanks to generous support from Foundation North.

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:

• Team Video Link (4 minutes max duration). Covering: What is the heart of your story and why you want to make this film?
• Genre (2 genres max from a list supplied)
• Logline (35 words max)
• Script
• Tangata whenua, diversity, representation, and consultation summary if applicable (300 words max)
• Director’s summary (300 words max)
• Director’s visual inspiration images (5 images in a single PDF upload)
• Producer’s summary (300 words max)
• Short bio & filmography for each team member (bio 250 words max each)

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.

The South Shorts Mentorship programme returns in 2021 with ten emerging filmmakers selected to take part. Under the leadership and guidance of renowned screenwriter and director Briar Grace-Smith (Cousins, The Strength of Water), participants will develop their short film projects through a script-focused mentorship.

Now in its sixth year, the programme guides emerging South Auckland affiliated talent to develop their short film scripts. Over a sixth-month period, the participants get individual script notes from Briar Grace-Smith, meet for workshops where they do group script read-throughs, and hear from guest filmmakers about their experience making short films.

“Since its inception in 2015, South Shorts has seen numerous alumni gone on to make films. The programme provides a safe space for aspiring and emerging South Auckland filmmakers to gain confidence in themselves as writers while building a sense of community within the industry,” says Eloise Veber, Script to Screen Programme Manager. “Ultimately we want to see more stories from South Auckland filmmakers produced and seen by audiences. We feel so privileged to continue to do this work thanks to support from our funders.”

The search for South Shorts Mentorship participants begins with our annual two-day South Auckland Short Film Workshop held each year in October.

Congratulations to the filmmakers selected for South Shorts 2021:

• Neil Amituanai
• Nora Aati
• Bradley Busby and Jaemen Busby 
• Kahu Kaiha
• Tui Matelau-Doherty
• Sapna Samant
• Jio Williams 
• Nastassia Wolfgramm
• Dennis Zhang

The South Shorts Mentorship Programme is made possible thanks to generous support from Foundation North with additional support from the New Zealand Film Commission.

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:

• a team video;
• CV’s of key team members
• a directors vision with five images; and
• some short summaries.

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.

The South Shorts Mentorship programme returns for 2020 with nine emerging filmmakers selected to take part. Under the leadership and guidance of renowned screenwriter Briar Grace-Smith, participants will develop their short film projects through a script-focused mentorship. Over a sixth-month period, the participants will get individual script notes from their mentor, do group script reads for peer feedback, and hear from experienced filmmakers about their process making short films.

Now in its sixth year, the programme is aimed at guiding emerging South Auckland affiliated talent to develop their short film scripts. The search for South Shorts participants begins with our annual two-day South Auckland Short Film Workshop, after which participants can apply for the mentorship programme.

“This group includes an exciting mix of experiences with participants coming from acting, playwriting, tertiary film courses and filmmaking, as well as those with a passion to tell stories.” says Programme Manager, Eloise Veber “We’re thrilled to find such talented storytellers for our South Shorts Mentorship Programme.”

The nine filmmakers (L – R) selected for South Shorts 2020 are:

• Ene Petaia
  Malu
• Gloria Blake
  Marama
• Hweiling Ow
  The Golden Pig
• Kalala Anae
  Le Vai E Fusia Ai Tatou
• Kevin Lloyd Sequeira 
  The Welcome
• Nacoya Anderson 
  Made with Pressure
• Shirl’e Fruean
  Midnight Escape
• Stacey Leilua 
  All We Have
• Suli Moa
  Fka’amu and Ana E

Filmmakers who have been through this programme include Vea Mafileo (For My Father’s Kingdom), Jeremiah Tauamiti (Liliu), Hanelle Harris (Sis, Baby Mama’s Club) and Vela Manusaute (The Messiah).

South Shorts is made possible thanks to generous support from Foundation North and New Zealand Film Commission.