Ōtautahi / Christchurch
City Winner
An Evening With - Zero Mum Game
Runner Up
Rabid Aunty Jean - Stage Four Law
Finalists
Congratulations to the 2024 city finalists.
- An Evening With - Zero Mum Game
- Ay 24 - God Has Abandoned Us (The Devil Is Here)
- Crab Crab Cactus? - The Beast and I
- Dragon V Mouse - Gloria al Bravo Pueblo
- Fox Emoji Wolf Emoji - Slán Go Fóill
- Herms Heroes - The Adventures of Shart Boy and Larvae Girl: 3D
- Inclusive Performance Academy - Birdy Nom Nom
- Lyttel Flix - The Reserve
- Moose Ninja Studios - The Good Man
- Neato Productions - The Good and Righteous Task of Stealing a Chocolate Labradoodle
- Olax - Pazu Who?
- Rabid Aunty Jean - Stage Four Law
- rip focus - I Could Fly
- The Monkey House - Stage Fright
- Wolf Emoji Fox Emoji - The Getaway
Shortlisted
- Christchurch Film Collaborators -Timbr
- Mad Scientists - Never Ever say Never Ever Ever Again
- Oomen Nature - Cold Feet
- Pie Face - Magic in the Sack
- PlanetFoxFilms - Brought back for the Shot
- Sons of the Broad Meadow - The Lay of Lament
- South Jersey Ghost Research - All For One & Temporal
- Teapot Productions - A Bear-y Emotional Adventure
- The Mismatched Misfits - Eight Thirty
- Toot Toot - Toot Toot's Biggest Fantasy Movie
Award Winners
Wift Best Female/Gender Diverse Filmmaker
Cathasaigh Ó Fiannachta - Fox Emoji Wolf Emoji/Wolf Emoji Fox Emoji
Nominees:
- Laura Driver - Crab Crab Cactus?
- Donna Botha - Moose Ninja Studios
- Rose Averis - Olax
- Rachel Tempero - rip focus
Best Cinematography
Simon Cooper, Chester Travis - An Evening With - Zero Mum Game
Nominees:
- James Bradley - Sons of the Broad Meadow - The Lay of Lament
- Julian Vares - Rabid Aunty Jean - Stage Four Law
- Izac De Castro - The Monkey House - Stage Fright
- Clint Thambi - Lyttel Flix - The Reserve
Best School Team
Naycol Weevils - The Light
Nominees:
- Comica Pictures - Better Come Quick!
- Jemimah - Legion
- Middleton Imperials - The Gathering
- Naycol Ants - Goodbye Neighbour
Best Director
Chester Travis - An Evening With - Zero Mum Game
Nominees:
- Richard Martin, Jess Stephenson - Dragon V Mouse - Gloria al Bravo Pueblo
- Fiona McKenzie, Jasper Sutcliffe - Inclusive Performance Academy - Birdy Nom Nom
- Ian Sweeney - Rabid Aunty Jean - Stage Four Law
- Cathasaigh Ó Fiannachta, Andrew Todd - Wolf Emoji Fox Emoji - The Getway
Best Performer
Monique Clementson - An Evening With - Zero Mum Game
Nominees:
- Krystal O'Gorman - Neato Productions - The Good and Righteous Task of Stealing a Chocolate Labradoodle
- Charlie Gates - Olax - Pazu Who?
- Hamish Parkinson - Rabid Aunty Jean - Stage Four Law
- Cathasaigh Ó Fiannachta, Andrew Todd - Wolf Emoji Fox Emoji - The Getaway
Best Script
Chester Travis, Paul van Uden - An Evening With - Zero Mum Game
Nominees:
- Richard Martin, Aaron Richardson - Dragon V Mouse - Gloria al Bravo Pueblo
- Ian Sweeney - Rabid Aunty Jean - Stage Four Law
- James Tempero, Joel Tempero, Rachel Tempero - rip focus - I Can Fly
- The Monkey House - The Monkey House - Stage Fright
Best Production Design
Herms Heroes - The Adventures of Shart Boy and Larvae Girl: 3D
Nominees:
- Ay 24 - God Has Abandoned Us (The Devil Is Here)
- Rabid Aunty Jean - Stage Four Law
- Crab Crab Cactus? - The Beast and I
- Sons of the Broad Meadow - The Lay of Lament
Best Animation
Oomen Nature - Cold Feet
Nominees:
- Crab Crab Cactus? - The Beast and I
- Herms Heroes - The Adventures of Shart Boy and Larvae Girl in 3D
Best Editing
Richard Martin - Dragon V Mouse - Gloria al Bravo Pueblo
Nominees:
- Chester Travis - An Evening With - Zero Mum Game
- Andrew Todd, Cathasaigh Ó Fiannachta - Fox Emoji Wolf Emoji - Slán Go Fóill
- Julian Vares - Rabid Aunty Jean - Stage Four Law
- Joel Tempero - rip focus - I Can Fly
Best Sound Design
Macca Clark, David Kwant - Moose Ninja Studios - The Good Man
Nominees:
- Felix Elliott - Ay24 - God Has Abandoned Us (The Devil is Here)
- Andrew Todd - Fox Emoji Wolf Emoji - Slán Go Fóill
- Julian Vares - Rabid Aunty Jean - Stage Four Law
- Neato Productions - The Good and Righteous Task of Stealing a Chocolate Labradoodle
Best Original Score/Song
"What Was That?" by Joel Tempero & James Tempero - rip focus - I Can Fly
Nominees:
- "Rise Up Power Stud" by Tim Driver - Crab Crab Cactus? - The Beast and I
- Score Carlyle Laurent - Dragon V Mouse - Gloria al Bravo Pueblo
- Score Dylan Watkins - Inclusive Performance Academy - Birdy Nom Nom
- "The Magic of Theatre" by Tom Lush - The Monkey House - Stage Fright
Incredibly Strange Award
Boomtown Bandits - Warp Speed Courier
Nominees:
- Herms Heroes - The Adventures of Shart Boy and Larvae Girl: 3D
- Naycol Weevils - The Light
- The Dinner Crew - SHE NEEDS HELP
- Toot Toot - Toot Toot's Biggest Fantasy Movie
Best Disqualified Award
Breadstick - Carp Diem
Nominees:
- MGC Film Club - Final Bell
- VMC Film Club 2 - Missed a Splot!
- Island Productions - Long Creek
- Smile Media - Matchmakers
Best use of Genre
The Monkey House - Stage Fright - Musical or Possession Movie
Nominees:
- Dragon V Mouse - Gloria al Bravo Pueblo - Crime
- Naycol Cicadas - Hard Rock Life - Real Time
- Naycol Weevils - The Light - Splatter
- Oomen Nature - Cold Feet - Real Time
Best use of Match Cut
Toot Toot - Toot Toot's Biggest Fantasy Movie
Nominees:
- Neato Productions - The Good and Righteous Task of Stealing a Chocolate Labradoodle
- PlanetFoxFilms - Brought back for the Shot
- Purple Man - #INFECTED
- South Jersey Ghost Research - All For One & Temporal
Best use of Exit
Meme Teme - The Haast and The Furious
Nominees:
- Oomen Nature - Cold Feet
- Robson's Film Class - Mugged
- The Monkey House - Stage Fright
- Toot Toot - Toot Toot's Biggest Fantasy Movie
Best use of Warning
The Monkey House - Stage Fright
Nominees:
- B1 Studios - Stage Fright
- rip focus - I Could Fly
- Toot Toot - Toot Toot's Biggest Fantasy Movie
- Wolf Emoji Fox Emoji - The Getaway
Best use of Traveler/Neighbour
Naycol Weevils - The Light
Nominees:
- Mad Scientists - Never Ever say Never Ever Ever Again
- PlanetFoxFilms - Brought back for the Shot
- rip focus - I Could Fly
- Toot Toot - Toot Toot's Biggest Fantasy Movie
City Manager Award - Best Title
Ay 24 - God Has Abandoned Us (The Devil Is Here)
Nominees:
- An Evening With - Zero Mum Game
- Mad Scientists - Never Ever say Never Ever Ever Again
- The Dinner Crew - SHE NEEDS HELP
- Young and Reckless - It doesn't really matter
City Manager
Your Ōtautahi / Christchurch City Manager is Alexander Jones (AJ).
Alexander Jones
Alexander "AJ" Jones has been the Christchurch City Manager for 48Hours since 2018, and in that time has encouraged, nurtured and championed hundreds of teams.
Outside of the competition, AJ works as a filmmaker himself for his own guerilla crew One Dollar Genre, producing one short film per month. He also keeps up-to-date with the industry through his movie-based podcast Cult Popture and his day job cutting celebrity interviews as the social media video editor for Letterboxd, the NZ based global social media platform for movie lovers.
AJ is obsessed obscure movie factoids, deepcut genre analytics and of course niche filmmaking communities like this one. His desperation to see Ōtautahi take out the grand prize means he'll do whatever he can for whichever team.
Isabel Lutz
Isabel Lutz (she/they) is an exciting new face in the Ōtautahi performing arts and filmmaking community, having moved from Germany to Aotearoa a few years ago. In that time Isabel has worked on several movies and TV projects both in front of and behind the camera. Isabel is also heavily involved in Christchurch community theatre.
Isabel is assisting AJ in Christchurch this year.
Contacts
Email AJ
Call AJ - 027 289 4736
Judges
Vanessa Wells
Vanessa Wells is a filmmaker and theatre practitioner with over 20 years in the arts industry. Her documentary work has been shown in festivals around the world and she's known for her collaborative multidisciplinary approach. Exploring the educational genre has sent Vanessa to Antarctica several times and has resulted in her creating everything from content for Sesame Street, to documentaries. Vanessa is currently editing "The Climate Canary," a feature film on climate change and the Antarctic. Beyond actually making stuff, Vanessa is co-vice president on the board of WIFTNZ, volunteers with LandSAR and is rather fond of spaniels.
Kira Josephson
Kira is an actor, choreographer and intimacy director based in Ōtautahi. She is a proud member of Equity NZ and serves as Secretary of the Equity Board. Kira’s recent screen credits include “Jane” in Power Rangers Dino Fury and Cosmic Fury [Seasons 28, 29, 30], “Bec” in Kid Sister, and “Ava” in M3GAN. She choreographs regularly at The Court Theatre, including their productions of Something Rotten, Little Shop of Horrors and Dance Nation (all of which she also performed in). Other Court Theatre credits include The Girl on the Train, Legally Blonde, Chicago, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Kira also works as an intimacy director, most recently on several projects in the Rainbow Theatre Weekend as a part of Christchurch Pride. Kira loves films, and always has an ongoing movie challenge (recent achievements include watching all the films in the AFI Top 100, and the entire filmography of Matthew McConaughey – both fantastic uses of her time).
Masen Ma
Masen is a screen production tutor with a background in post-production. Masen has been teaching at the New Zealand Broadcasting School for over 20 years and currently manages the second-year degree students of the Screen Production Stream. He has been a regular Christchurch judge for 48Hours since 2006, and for his sins he has enjoyed (been forced to watch) hundreds of these films…
Erin Harrington
Erin Harrington a senior lecturer in English and Cinema Studies at the University of Canterbury, an arts and film critic, and the editor of the popular theatre review blog Flat City Field Notes. She has been a 48Hours judge since 2016, and is a previous best actress nominee for a film in which she was covered in gross spider bites. She’s also a massive genre fan and the author of the book Women, Monstrosity and Horror Film: Gynaehorror.
Te-Whare-Rangi Mihinui
Te Wharerangi has been involved in the Christchurch screen industry for over thirty years. In 1998 Te Wharerangi founded ASA (Archetype Screen Arts) charitable trust. The Trust paired NZBS (New Zealand Broadcasting School) graduates with community organisations enabling graduates to build their work histories while also generating affordable media products for Canterbury charitable organisations. From 2009 to present day Te Wharerangi continues to work as a freelance director, Director of Photography and editor. 2015 marked a significant change in career path having stepped in front of the camera. Te Wharerangi is now an actor and voice artist represented by GCM (Gail Cowan Management) however continues to freelance in advertising, short and feature films as a 3rd and 2nd assistant director.
Kirk Pflaum
Kirk had been working as a Camera Operator and Director of Photography in New Zealand for twenty years. Some of my work has been seen at film festivals, at cinemas, and national and international television networks. I’ve even had a few awards bestowed upon me from the New Zealand Cinematographer’s Society over the years too, as well as winning Christchurch 48Hours in 2008 and being a National Finalist that year. In his spare time Kirk likes to write screen plays, shoot film photography and develop prints in the dark room, and go camping with his dog in the middle of nowhere.
Ruth Agnew
Having demonstrated an early aptitude for offering uninvited opinions, Ruth found a legitimate outlet for criticism as a theatre, film and book reviewer for publications such as The Press, Stuff, Takehe, Family Times, What’s Up Christchurch, Playmarket Annual, Theatreview and Flat City Field Notes. She also fictionalises parts of her life in script form as a playwright and performs as an actor for companies including Proudly Asian Theatre Company, Top Dog Theatre Company, and Canterbury Young Shakespeare Company. In her spare time Ruth enjoys teaching young people Speech and Drama.
Andrew Gunn
Andrew Gunn writes wherever he can - for TV, film, books, print and at andrewgunn.substack.com. His screenwriting credits include many children’s TV shows, Shortland Street and the feature films Kiwi Flyer, 3 Mile Limit and Kiwi Christmas.