Cinemasugarbuns

Room of UR

Fantastic job team, and really good use of genre leaning into absurdity! This was incredibly well-made and creative, and a bit of a step up from last year! It makes me really excited to see what you guys will go on to make next, i.e. PLEASE keep making films!!!

Really standout performances; the main character carried the film well and brought a lot of physical comedy. I would say the "rumour" joke was a little too explainy, the initial delivery of "Room of Ur" was really clever and you can trust the audience to get it.

A lack of film locations can often be a hindrance for teams, particularly school teams, so you did well to tailor a story that was suited to a suburban home.

One particular shot really stood out to me: The POV searching for tools to help with the reaching hand in front, then panning to a box named "Art Fixing Supplies" - that was stupid funny to me.

Really nice work, keep it up.

Between Us

Masterful editing. That was such a pleasure to watch. The editing made it SO clear to the audience what was happening from the very beginning. That split screen discussion at the end when they are "facing" each other was really well done and perfectly timed.
I have to admit, I was mad when he stole the chocolate from his pregnant wife and gave an AI-generated photo in return... that was a rough deal!
As others have said, a good emotional story. Talking to the camera really invited us to be a part of that experience, and I really felt it with you. It was made even better by such earnest performances and genuine chemistry between the actors.
Even though the sci-fi element was silly, you acknowledged that it was, and it added to the heartfelt tone that was grounded in family and connection, despite physical distance. I'm left wondering how much more whimsy I could have in life if I was connected to loved ones through a fridge magnet!
Really cute, nice work :)

Hacked Off

There are so many things I love about your film, but here are some highlights:
The political message was en pointe and a great way to use the genre - change the numbers and make them more livable.

Performances were convincing and funny. EVERYONE in the cast should be extremely proud of themselves. Everyone had an important role and did it justice. You lean into comedy so well, I found myself constantly giggling.

On that, the comedy was genius. I genuinely belly-laughed at some of the jokes, but the elephant in the room was my favourite. There are so many little details that are so clever and silly.

This was a step up from last year, and an absolute pleasure to watch. The Inclusive Performance Academy have become such a competition standout for me and I'm so thrilled to see you developing in your craft! This is one of the films I'll definitely be sharing with others, and I really hope to see this on the big screen in the finals!

MASHED

This was a lot of fun to watch. I kept thinking about how much fun the team must have had planning and creating this - especially the punching scene with all the mashed banana! Really well executed, beautifully shot, and true to genre. Great job Imperials!
Is it wrong I want a sequel?

From Dad

I love to see a film that shows us around the city, there are some really beautiful shots. Up on the hill with the perfect natural lighting adds this really nice reflective element in time with the story's emotional beat, as well as the sun setting mirroring the characters' closure. That moment captures the magic of 48 hours, you have one day to get that and your timing was perfect.

A.I. Dream of Genie

Really great film, solid storytelling, performance, and visuals to back it all up. The macroshot with the scrolling text in the glasses was a really nice touch.

The topic of AI has come up a lot thematically, and you handled it really well by showing that the inclusion of AI in the drafting/brainstorming process takes away from the writer's creative agency, then dialling it up to 100 with a complete takeover! You double down with a "Tik Tok shaped dopamine button" which is not only really funny, but real and relatable. The reveal of the interview being AI was clever, and made me want to go back and watch it a second time, so again, fantastic storytelling.

Can't wait to see what you do next time!

Idle Vapourings of a Mind Diseased

For the love of God someone water that ficus!!!
Seriously though, non-stop New Zealand political references hit so hard and made this so enjoyable. The jokes blended with physical comedy work so well for the genre, and there are references that will appeal to a very wide audience here!