Announcing the Winners from the Vista Foundation 48Hours 2025
Posted 26th October 2025
After another whirlwind weekend of creativity, chaos, and cinematic brilliance, the winners of the 2025 Vista Foundation 48Hours National Awards have been announced!
This year’s competition saw thousands of filmmakers from across Aotearoa take on the challenge of writing, shooting, and editing a short film in just 48 hours. The results were nothing short of spectacular — showcasing the incredible talent, diversity, and storytelling power of filmmakers across the motu.
2025 Grand National Champion
Taking out the National Grand Champion title for 2025 is Positive Barry with their film Grounded - a duo team of Chris Callus and Adam Reynolds from Wellington. A standout entry that wowed judges with its creativity, technical execution, and emotional impact.
Watch Grounded by Positive Barry.
A young ladybird learning to fly discovers that sometimes in life you need a helping hand... or eight.
2025 Grand National Runner Ups
In a rare outcome, the National Grand Runner-Up title was awarded as a tie this year, with both Maybe Daddy by Jovial Entertainment from Auckland, and Spoiler Alert by Rabid Aunty Jean from Christchurch, earning equal acclaim from the judging panel.
Watch Spoiler Alert by Rabid Aunty Jean.
An avid reader's fun is spoiled by a stranger passing by, causing a revenge plan to ensue.
Watch Maybe Daddy by Jovial Entertainment.
At a raucous speed dating event, a single mother is blindsided by the reappearance of an old flame whose wild assumptions spiral into chaos, and his inability to let go forces her into a frantic bid to escape.
Made up of leading New Zealand filmmakers and industry professionals, the judging panel praised the high calibre of work across all finalists, noting that the standard of storytelling and filmmaking craft continues to rise each year.
This year marks another exciting chapter in the 48Hours legacy, proudly supported by the Vista Foundation, which continues to champion emerging talent and celebrate the vibrant spirit of Aotearoa’s film community.
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, finalists, and everyone who took part in the 2025 Vista Foundation 48Hours.
For all the winners go to the 2025 Winners page.
Check out the prizes here.
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In 2025, we had 545 teams register for the competition and 469 eligible films submitted. Nationwide there were 178 School teams and 81 Tertiary Teams involved, with 41 teams giving the solo/duo a go!
This year we combined smaller areas from across the country into one mega region - Across Aotearoa. This gave teams an opportunity to compete in a larger pool of competitors, comparable to the Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch Regions.
There were 48 online and in-person heats screenings across the country gathering together filmmakers from each region. We had 51 judges who dedicated their time and their industry experience to the competition.
The 2025 National Judging Panel features an extraordinary lineup of filmmakers, actors, and producers from New Zealand and around the world, including: Sir Peter Jackson, Dame Gaylene Preston, Elijah Wood, Mette-Marie Kongsved, Tim White, Jess Hong, Jasmin McSweeney, Dean Hewison, Sophie Cherry, Nikki Si’ulepa, Peter Salmon, Morgana O’Reilly, and Kathryn Graham.
The Vista Foundation 48Hours is presented by The Vista Foundation, in association with Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga / New Zealand Film Commission. We are grateful for the support of these industry giants, along with the WingNut Group and many other generous sponsors. Their backing underscores the significance of 48Hours in the landscape of New Zealand filmmaking and sets many filmmakers on a path to success in the industry.