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New Zealand Youth Film Festival

Name: New Zealand Youth Film Festival
Address: Auckland, NZ
Telephone: +6468883160

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New Zealand Youth Film Festival

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The New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) is a non-profit initiative dedicated to finding, celebrating, and empowering the next generation of New Zealand filmmakers and creators.

12/01/2026

We’re proud to reshare this pre-recorded video message from Hon James Meager, Minister for Youth, for the 2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF).

In his video, the Minister reflects on the role the Ministry of Youth Development played in helping launch the New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) through the He Kākano programme with HM King’s Trust Aotearoa New Zealand a few years ago - backing our Festival Director Ryan Chow when he was still a student and aspiring social entrepreneur, and supporting the early foundations of what the Festival has become today.

We’re grateful for that early investment in young leadership and youth creativity, and for the ongoing encouragement of rangatahi storytellers across Aotearoa.

The New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) is proudly apolitical - we welcome ideas and perspectives from everyone, and our focus remains on celebrating and championing young creators.

06/01/2026

We are so proud to celebrate Shaz Bell and Lewis Candy, the brilliant minds behind 'Echoes of the Wild' (Victoria University of Wellington Master of Design Technology), who took home the Wētā FX Best Visual Effects Award at the 2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) in Auckland, New Zealand.

As part of their win, the team was invited to Wellington for an exclusive lunch at Wētā FX. They spent the afternoon diving deep into the world of VFX with industry legends: Senior VFX Supervisor Guy Williams and Marketing Content Producer Clare Burgess.

At the New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) and Australia Youth Film Festival (AUYFF), our mission as part of the Pedestal group is to bridge the gap between emerging talent and the global industry. Seeing our winners gain insights from the masters behind works like Avatar and The Batman is exactly why we do what we do 🇳🇿🇦🇺

Huge thanks to Wētā FX for their unwavering support since day one. We can’t wait to see where Shaz and Lewis go next!

16/12/2025

Happy holidays from the Australia Youth Film Festival (AUYFF) & New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF)!

We’re hibernating for a few weeks - can’t wait to see you in the new year 🇦🇺🇳🇿✨

05/12/2025

2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Best Overall Film Winner - 'Tidy Kiwi' From James Kevin Gray

And last but certainly not least, a massive congratulations to James Kevin Gray and 'Tidy Kiwi' on winning the 2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Best Overall Film award in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland!

A special thank you from us at the New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) and Pedestal to HM King's Trust Aotearoa New Zealand and Beth Gibbes, Youth Enterprise Lead for presenting this year's award at our Award Ceremony event.

Synopsis:
"Are we really Tidy Kiwi's?"

About The Entrant:
'Kia ora! My name is James Kevin and my whānau are from Taranaki. But I was born in Singapore! I went to university at Te Herenga Waka.'

www.nzyff.com

03/12/2025

2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Wētā FX Best Visual Effects Winner - 'Echoes of the Wild' From Shaz Bell

Woah!!! Congrats to 'Echoes of the Wild' from Shaz Bell on winning the 2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Wētā FX Best Visual Effects award in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Synopsis:
"Echoes of the Wild follows a boy who escapes the weight of chaos at home by venturing into an otherworldly forest. There, he encounters the Mossmane—a towering, moss-clad echo of his childhood toy—and together they confront haunting shadows in a quiet story of fear, memory, and resilience."

About The Entrant:
'Kia Ora, I’m Shaz Bell — originally from Whakatāne, now based in Wellington after studying at Victoria University of Wellington. Our short film Echoes of the Wild, shortlisted for the Weta FX: Best FX Award, was created as part of our Master of Design Technology capstone — a project where a small team of five of us poured everything we’d learned into crafting something imaginative, emotional, and a little bit otherworldly.'

www.nzyff.com

02/12/2025

2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) BGI Thematic Resonance Winner - 'Ito Ang Aking Pinanggagalingan (This Is Where I'm Coming From)' From Meggy Laguda

A massive congratulations to 'Ito Ang Aking Pinanggagalingan (This Is Where I'm Coming From)' on winning the first-ever BGI Thematic Resonance award at the 2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Synopsis:
"After migrating to suburban Aotearoa from the Philippines, 17 year old Sabina tries to relearn an old dance whilst dealing with her late Lola’s (grandmother) death from across the world."

About The Entrant:
'Meggy Laguda is a Filipina/Kiwi film maker from Tāmaki Makaurau, trained in screenwriting, directing and design. She is passionate about empathetic storytelling, sharing in human experience and paying it forward. Ito Ang Aking Pinanggagalingan (This Is Where I’m Coming From) was developed and produced for her final student project with upcoming talent and crew. It has since won the National Top Prize for the Yoobee Colleges Sweet Suite Awards. Meggy hopes to write and direct scripted features and series that build upon a culture where industry opportunities are accessible, available and encouraged for P.O.C. rangatahi.'

www.nzyff.com

27/11/2025

2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Blackmagic Design Best Editing Winner - 'Paint it Black' From David Harrison

Paint it Black! Congratulations!!! We're so happy that we awarded 'Paint it Black' the 2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival's (NZYFF) Blackmagic Design Best Editing award in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Synopsis:
"This is a true story. To protect those involved, all character names have been changed.

After amateur actress Hannah Garvey meets Hollywood star Roman Bloom at a table read, Roman invites Hannah to lunch, where his sexual intentions quickly become clear. When Hannah rejects his advances and calls him out, Roman retaliates by fabricating a slanderous story that gets her removed from the production and effectively blacklisted from the industry.

In response, Hannah’s family—led by her film producer brother—devises an elaborate plan for revenge. They trick Roman into believing he’s been selected for a confidential screen test with a major director. When he arrives, the “crew” (actually Hannah’s family and friends, masked and gloved) films him performing an overtly sexist script. The footage is then posted online, sparking public outrage and destroying Roman’s career."

About The Entrant:
'David Harrison is a New Zealand–based filmmaker and graduate of South Seas Film School, holding a Diploma in Screenwriting and Directing for Film and Television. For the past seven years, he has run his freelance production company, dchfilms.co.nz, producing commercial, branded, and narrative work across New Zealand. He has directed projects in a range of locations and genres, gaining hands-on experience across all aspects of production. Alongside client work, he continues to develop scripted short- and long-form content, focusing on storytelling and collaboration.'

www.nzyff.com

26/11/2025

2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Best Documentary Winner - 'mhm' From Bradley Mutch

Wow!! A massive congratulations to mhm! We're so thrilled to have been able to award 'mhmi' the 2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival's (NZYFF) Best Documentary award in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Synopsis:
'mhm' gives a whole new perspective on vulnerability in Aotearoa using lived experience and changing what it means to be vulnerable. We hear stories from Kiwis for Kiwis about mental health along with a message to the rangatahi of today. The hope is that, with this documentary, people from around Aotearoa will be able to see figures they look up to having these vital conversations and be inspired to have them themselves.'

About The Entrant:
'Kia ora, my name is Bradley Mutch and I am from Ōtautahi. I am currently taking a gap year to pursue my passion for both mental health advocacy and the arts industry. My short film ‘mhm’ was shortlisted for Best Documentary which is such an honour and something I am beyond humbled by. The title of the film is also the name of the mental health organisation I have which is dedicated to sharing stories and changing what it means to be vulnerable while creating a platform that aims to create safe spaces and reduce the stigma around mental health, particularly in Aotearoa.'

www.nzyff.com

25/11/2025

2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Canon Best Cinematography Winner - 'Haere Mai' From Benjamin McQueen

Congratulations, how outstanding! We're so thrilled to have been able to award 'Haere Mai' the 2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival's (NZYFF) Canon Best Cinematography award in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, supported by Canon New Zealand.

Synopsis:
'After spending three years in prison for the manslaughter of his best friend, a young man is released and knocks on the door of his best friend’s parents, desperately seeking forgiveness.'

About The Entrant:
'Kia ora, my name is Benjamin McQueen and I'm from Auckland. I graduated AUT last year with a degree in Screen Production and my final uni project, my short film Haere Mai, has been going through film festivals in 2025. Myself and my two collaborators on Haere Mai, my producer Joel Heineke and cinematographer Dylan Kennedy, are very proud of the success we have already had in festivals like the NZ Independent Film Festival, South Pacific Film Festival, NZ Web Fest, and of course we are honoured to be shortlisted in the NZYFF.'

www.nzyff.com

24/11/2025

2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Best Acting Winner - 'Young Burden' From Marcus Savelio

Congratulations, what a remarkable achievement! We're so honoured to have been able to award 'Young Burden' the 2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival's (NZYFF) Best Acting award in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

Synopsis:
'A 17-year-old caught between adolescence and adulthood spends a night drinking with his mates to forget the pressure of fatherhood. When he stumbles home drunk to Maia and their newborn son, Nikau, his immaturity collides head-on with the reality of responsibility. Confronted by Maia’s disappointment and her father’s anger, Braydon must face the shame of his actions and decide whether he can grow up before he loses everything. Young Burden explores what it means to become a man too soon, and the weight of trying to do right by the people you love when you’re still figuring yourself out.'

About The Entrant:
'Talofa lava, my name is Marcus Savelio. From West Auckland, I’m an upcoming 21 year old Samoan–New Zealand filmmaker and theatre-maker passionate about stories that explore Pasifika identity and the complexities of youth. During my Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts at Unitec, I wrote and directed my graduation short film ‘Young Burden’, which follows a teenage father navigating responsibility and redemption.

Growing up in the cultural intersection of Aotearoa, going through the Samoan bilingual education systems, I hope my work reflects my interest exploring the relationship between Pacific and Tangata Whenua through stories that resonate across cultures.'

www.nzyff.com

16/11/2025

2025 New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Award Ceremony - Congratulations to all our entrants and award winners!

It was an incredible privilege to welcome you to our Award Ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland - with nearly 100 attendees from across the country gathering to celebrate the next generation of Aotearoa New Zealand's creators.

A heartfelt thank you to our partners, supporters, volunteers and crew - we couldn’t have done it without you. Your support made this unforgettable evening possible.

We can’t wait to see where your creative journeys lead next!

14/11/2025

New Zealand Youth Film Festival (NZYFF) Industry Day – Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
What an incredible day with our national nominees!

Our nominee-exclusive Industry Day gave young creatives the chance to dive into the world of screen and media - with tours, events, and hands-on activities designed to inspire the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers.

We explored Television New Zealand's (TVNZ) Auckland headquarters, including the newsroom, studios, and more - with a special hello from TVNZ news anchors, presenters, and journalists including Daniel Faitaua and Isobel Prasad.

Then we held a debrief and social activities with the BGI, where we shared ideas and discussed our experiences and opportunities in the sector.

A massive thank you to our partners, presenters and volunteers who made this amazing day possible! A special thank you to Mala Patel from Mala Photography 🙌

Address

Auckland

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+6468883160

Website

http://www.nzyff.com/

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