Grand Nationals
Announcing all the 2025 winners...
2025 National Champion
Grounded by Positive Barry
2025 Runners up (its a tie!)
Maybe Daddy by Jovial Entertainment
&
Spoiler Alert by Rabid Aunty Jean
Grand Finalists
Once Upon a Time, There Was You by Angle3 Pictures
MOTHER by Awkward Animations
Singularity by Felix & Luke's Excellent Team
Hat Trick by Great Lake Film Society
The Shroud by Jake The Sound Guy
Toast by Mayodaze
Morgan's Organs by Pastafarian Productions
iTROLL by Permanently Confused
Baby Girl by Pixel Pixies
The Secret Garden by The Flamily
Ritual by Videoshop
Sir Peter Jackson Wildcards
I MetaMan by An Evening With
The True Story of Billy the Horse by PlanetFoxFilms
Party Puffers by Glowtime
Shortlisted Films
Two Minutes, One Cup by Anxious Tummy
Trip Hazard by Bus of the Undead
Agapanthus Christie by Couch Kumara
RealYou by Film the People
Every Last Bastard by Midnight Sunburn
Hi Santa, it's Charlie by Olax
Family Christmas Monopoly by Team Northland
The Occupation by The Horny Owls
Marionette by World Wide Wellington
2025 Grand National Winners
National Best School Team
Supported by Digital Pigeon and Rubber Monkey in partnership with Deity and SmallRig
Misplaced Death by Dennistribe - CHCH
Nominees:
The BOO-tiful Sea by Flip Phone - AKL
Dreamgirl.ai by HVHS for the wings - WLG
Rabbit Hole by PB&J The Long Way - AA
Viva La Dirt League Best Comedy
Spoiler Alert by Rabid Aunty Jean - CHCH
Nominees:
Two Minutes One Cup by Anxious Tummy - AKL
Agapanthus Christie by Couch Kumara - WLG
Maybe Daddy by Jovial Entertainment - AKL
Toast by Mayodaze - AA
Best Solo/Duo Team - Chosen by Ant Timpson
MOTHER by Awkward Animations - AKL
Nominees:
LUMP by Girl In The Mirror - AA
Morgan's Organs by Pastafarian Productions - AA
Grounded by Positive Barry - WLG
Best Disqualified Film
Respect for the Dead by 18th Circle - WLG
Nominees:
A Helping Hand by Harbour Light - CHCH
Cake Fancy Small by Rouge Emu - AKL
A cautionary tale to modern piracy by Te Kohanga Moa - 1 - AA
Dame Gaylene Preston and WIFT
Outstanding Female / Gender Diverse Filmmaker
Hannah Taylor - Morgan's Organs by Pastafarian Productions - AA
Nominees:
Nani Conforte - Hope Mirrored is Despair by Enter the Hollow - AKL
Grae Meek & Michelle Pope - For When You Wake by Screen Qweens - CHCH
Emily Ardern - Ritual by Videoshop - WLG
Best Original Score/Song
Once Upon a Time, There Was You by Angle3 Pictures - AKL
Nominees:
Purgatory by Kākāpō - WLG
Morgan's Organs by Pastafarian Productions - AA
Brunch Solstice - Sub-par Cinema Society - CHCH
National Best Sound Design - Supported by
Rubber Monkey in partnership with Deity
Ritual by Videoshop - WLG
Nominees:
I MetaMan by An Evening With - CHCH
The Shroud by Jake The Sound Guy - AKL
Toast by Mayodaze - AA
Best Editing
I MetaMan by An Evening With - CHCH
Nominees:
Hat Trick by Great Lake Film Society - AA
The Shroud by Jake The Sound Guy - AKL
Baby Girl by Pixel Pixies - WLG
Wētā FX Best Animation
Morgan's Organs by Pastafarian Productions - AA
Nominees:
MOTHER by Awkward Animations - AKL
Grounded by Positive Barry - WLG
Chaos Cabin by Render Rebels - CHCH
Best Production Design
Singularity by Felix & Luke's Excellent Team - CHCH
Nominees:
The Occupation by The Horny Owls - AKL
The Bad Tasting Hero by The Immortal Think Tank - AA
Marionette by World Wide Wellington - WLG
Incredibly Strange Award
Two Minutes, One Cup by Anxious Tummy - AKL
Nominees:
THINGS by AuroraVision - WLG
LUMP by Girl In The Mirror - AA
There Came a Big Spider by Shrek 2 for Blu-ray - CHCH
National Best Cinematography - Supported by
Rubber Monkey in partnership with
SONY, Atomos, and SHURE
Midnight Sunburn by Every Last Bastard - AA
Nominees:
Hope Mirrored is Despair by Enter the Hollow - AKL
Baby Girl by Pixel Pixies - WLG
Spoiler Alert by Rabid Aunty Jean - CHCH
Best Script
Maybe Daddy by Jovial Entertainment - AKL
Nominees:
Spoiler Alert by Rabid Aunty Jean - CHCH
Family Christmas Monopoly by Team Northland - AA
The Secret Garden by The Flamily - WLG
Best Performer
Kalyani Nagarajan - iTROLL by Permanently Confused - AKL
Nominees:
Hugo Montgomery - Mousetrap by Killing Karma Studios - WLG
Charlie Gates - Hi Santa, It's Charlie by Olax - CHCH
Esmée Myers, Robbie van Gruenen & Noah Hewlett-Coffey - Family Christmas Monopoly by Team Northland - AA
Best Director
Spoiler Alert by Rabid Aunty Jean - CHCH
Nominees:
Toast by Mayodaze - AA
iTROLL by Permanently Confused - AKL
Ritual by Videoshop - WLG
National Judges
Sir Peter Jackson - Wildcard judge
Sir Peter Jackson was a mere eight years old when his parents were given a Super 8 cine camera for Christmas, fanning the flames of his love for cinema. He went on to make home movies in Pukerua Bay experimenting with stop-motion, practical effects, and special effects. He famously sourced some WWII uniforms, rallied his mates, and made his first film titled The Dwarf Patrol – which would later resurface as a bonus feature on the Bad Taste DVD release.
While working at a daily paper, Jackson enlisted help from his friends and colleagues to make a feature film. He upgraded to a second-hand Bolex camera in 1983 which was mounted onto homemade dolly tracks, cranes, and Steadicams to film his first feature, horror comedy cult classic Bad Taste. He went on to film the black comedies Meet the Feebles and Braindead before 1994's feature film Heavenly Creatures took Jackson from cult status to a mainstream, global audience.
Fast forward to 2025, Jackson has two epic Tolkien trilogies under his belt, Academy Awards to his name for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, numerous Hollywood hits, and has made waves in the documentary world with The Beatles: Get Back and They Shall Not Grow Old. Jackson is officially Hollywood royalty, but he’s never forgotten where he came from and continues to support grassroots NZ filmmaking.
Dame Gaylene Preston
The National Dame Gaylene Preston and WIFT Outstanding Female / Gender Diverse Filmmaker judge
Dame Gaylene Preston is celebrated as a leading filmmaker, having produced and directed some of the most enduring popular classics of NZ cinema. Preston is a storyteller whose work has a distinctive flavour that entertains while presenting serious subjects with humour and warmth. Her compassion and understanding of real life, and real people, combined with her talent for portraying on film metaphoric stories, over four decades has contributed to Gaylene’s peerless reputation as a distinct local voice. Preston’s generosity of spirit and powerful mentorship and advocacy skills have been central to the development of NZ's filmmaking community.
Features: MR WRONG (1985), RUBY & RATA (1990), WAR STORIES OUR MOTHER NEVER TOLD US (1995), PERFECT STRANGERS (2003), HOME BY CHRISTMAS (2010) and MY YEAR WITH HELEN (2017)
In 2001 she was the first filmmaker to receive an Arts Foundation Laureate Award and in 2002 she was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for her services to the film industry. In 2016 she was awarded a NZ Woman Of Influence Award for Arts and Culture and in 2017 was given the Premium Moa Award for services to cinema.
Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his portrayal of Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012).
Riding on the back of the astronomical success of the trilogy, he landed several other projects and continued to deliver impressive performances in films, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Sin City (2005), Everything Is Illuminated (2005), and Green Street Hooligans (2005).
Subsequently, he was seen in critically acclaimed movies such as I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) and Come to Daddy (2019).
Mette Marie Kongsved
Mette Marie Kongsved is a notable Danish filmmaker. Most recently, she produced Nine Days (2020), Get Duked! (2019), and Come to Daddy (2019).
She is also known for producing The Raid 2 (2014), ABCs of Death 2 (2014) and I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017).
Tim White
Tim is a veteran of the Australian and New Zealand film and television industries. Australian producing credits include: Malcolm (AFI Best Film 1986); Spotswood, with Anthony Hopkins; Vincent Ward’s Map of The Human Heart (Cannes); Death In Brunswick, with Sam Neill; Cosi, with Ben Mendelsohn and Toni Collette; Angel Baby (AFI Best Film 1995), Gillian Armstrong’s Oscar & Lucinda, with Ralph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett; Two Hands (Sundance, AFI Best Film 1999), with Heath Ledger; Scott Hicks’ The Boys Are Back (TIFF), with Clive Owen; Julia Leigh’s Sleeping Beauty (Cannes Competition); Son of a Gun, with Ewan McGregor and Alicia Vikander; and Taryn Brumfitt’s feature documentary, Embrace. New Zealand credits include: Toa Fraser’s No.2, (Audience Prize Sundance 2006); Robert Sarkies’ Out Of The Blue (TIFF 2007, Best Film 2008 NZ Film Awards); The Dark Horse (TIFF, Best Film 2014 NZ Film Awards) with Cliff Curtis; Andrew Adamson’s Mr. Pip (TIFF 2016), with Hugh Laurie; and Lee Tamahori’s Mahana (Berlin).
In 2019 he produced the sci-fi thriller I Am Mother (Sundance), with Hilary Swank and Rose Byrne. In 2020: The Furnace (Venice) and Falling for Figaro, with Joanna Lumley; and Gracie Otto’s Seriously Red (SXSW 2022). More recently he produced the Irish/NZ tv series The Gone (Best TV Drama series 2023 NZ TV Awards) and a second season in 2024, also Pike River with Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm. He is currently in post-production with Andrew Niccol’s I, Object with Anna Faris and Karl Urban; the sci-fi comedy Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant; and Whale Shark Jack, with Abbie Cornish.
Jess Hong
Jess Hong is an actor based in Tāmaki Makaurau. She has taken the stage for the Pop Up Globe Company, Auckland Theatre Company, Te Pou, and Silo. Her on screen ventures include homegrown series The Brokenwood Mysteries and My Life is Murder, Netflix sci-fi 3 Body Problem, and horror film Grafted. Jess is no stranger to the 48 Hours competition, having entered the festival three times before. While completing an acting degree at Toi Whakaari, she also wrote and directed two short films, and is looking forward to viewing this year's entries through multiple lenses.
Jasmin McSweeney
Jasmin is the Senior Manager: Acquisitions at Umbrella and has over a decade of experience in film marketing, including more than 10 years as Head of Marketing at the New Zealand Film Commission. She’s worked on the release strategies for some of Aotearoa’s most iconic films, including Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Boy, Black Sheep and The Dark Horse, and has represented New Zealand cinema at major festivals around the world.
In 2022, she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film. Jasmin currently serves on the WIFT NZ Board and is an active member of two community committees in her home suburb.
Dean Hewison
Dean is a writer and director for film, theatre, TV and commercials. He directed and co-wrote two 48HOURS Grand National Champions ("The Sleeping Plot" and "Good Girl"), and has won the Wellington Apee three times for those films + "Master"
He directed the feature film "How to Meet Girls From a Distance", and episodes of "Wellington Paranormal". Currently he's writing more scripts while teaching film production at Victoria University of Wellington.
Sophie Cherry
With over 18 years in the film industry, in both live action production and VFX, Sophie is currently a VFX Producer at Wētā FX working with clients such as Disney, Netflix, and Warner Brothers. Liaising with top filmmakers, Sophie is responsible for creating and managing multi-million dollar budgets for films such as Lady and The Tramp and The Batman. Her biggest career achievement to date is producing the Academy Award winning Animated Short film War is Over.
Sophie started her VFX career on the TV show, Spartacus. After working at Wētā Digital, Sophie moved to Vancouver, Canada. There, she worked on various projects including, The Walking Dead, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Thor: Ragnarok, and Antman and the Wasp.
Sophie is experienced in on-set production and as an Assistant Director. She has produced several short films which screened at Claremont Ferrand Film Fest (Experimental Section), Vladivostok, and NZIFF.
Nikki Si'ulepa
Nikki Si'ulepa is an award-winning actor, writer, and director whose work spans film, television, and digital platforms. As a performer, she has appeared in a diverse range of screen projects including Bookworm, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Tangata Pai, Dark City: The Cleaner, Creamerie, The Sounds, Same But Different: A True NZ Love Story, One Thousand Ropes, Housebound, Super City, Whole of the Moon, and Pot Luck.
Behind the camera, Nikki’s films have screened at prestigious international festivals such as the Berlinale, Tribeca, Sydney, Melbourne, FIFO, NZIFF, HollyShorts, and imagineNATIVE. Her work has received multiple accolades, including awards at the Festival International du Film d’Environnement (FIFE) in Paris and the L.A. Skins Fest in Los Angeles, and a nomination for Best Narrative Short at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
Nikki’s storytelling centers underrepresented voices, communities, and landscapes, bringing depth, humor, and heart to screens while uplifting and engaging audiences around the globe.
Peter Salmon
Peter Salmon is an International Emmy and BAFTA-winning director and producer, known for his work across network, cable, and premium television. He is a principal at Luminous Beast, the company behind the International Emmy-winning series INSiDE and the acclaimed mini-series After The Party.
He recently set up the Stan Original Series Watching You, based on J.P. Pomare’s novel The Last Guests, a psychological thriller from Lingo Pictures starring Aisha Dee.
Peter has directed numerous Australian and NZ dramas, including After The Verdict, Doctor Doctor, Rake, and Harrow. He began his career with New Zealand’s Being Eve, and his other credits include Outrageous Fortune, Go Girls, and Agent Anna.
Peter has written and directed award winning short films; Fog premiered in competition at Cannes Critics Week and Letters About The Weather was awarded a Special Jury prize at Clermont-Ferrand. Peter has significant experience and knowledge in VFX and animation, including motion capture unit director on Weta Workshop’s international award-winning animated series, Jane and The Dragon.
Morgana O’Reilly
Morgana O’Reilly is a versatile and in-demand actress who gained international acclaim for her breakout performance in the cult horror-comedy Housebound, directed by Gerard Johnston. Since then, she has delivered standout work across screen and stage, with notable roles in Australian favourites Neighbours, Rake, and Wanted, and starred opposite Anthony LaPaglia in Below. Morgana’s recent credits reflect her dynamic range, including roles in the New Zealand-Canadian drama The Sounds, the comedy series Mean Mums, and the lead in Friends Like Her.
She also continues to perform her critically acclaimed one-woman play Stories About My Body, which she wrote and developed herself. Most recently, Morgana joined the celebrated ensemble cast of HBO’s The White Lotus Season 3, taking on the role of Pam - marking another major milestone in her international career.
Kathryn Graham
Kathryn Graham (Ngāti Koroki Kahukura) has a long career of serving the screen industry of Aotearoa. She has worked in a wide range of roles across the film and television sectors, including Development Executive at the New Zealand Film Commission, TVNZ's first Commissioning Editor of Māori and Pacific content, and the first Kaikotuitui Rangapu (Programme Commissioner) for Māori Television (Whakaata Māori).
She is known for her pragmatic, down-to-earth approach, helping filmmakers and content creators elevate their storytelling. She is a board member for several charitable trusts and a Jury member for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (International Emmys). Kathryn has been a programmer for the Show Me Shorts Film Festival, so she has watched lots and lots of short films!