The Deadly Extinction

It was so interesting and cool to see a film predominantly sign language. It drew me in, made me pay attention more. Your song choices guided our emotions well. The poem was lovely moment. And the first sound they heard at the end was funny and a good way to come back to their convo earlier. Great job :)

Loved this Film!
Beautiful, poignant, with that whole dilemma... would you be hearing if you could? When being deaf is a part of who you are, shaped you?
Show case of the Port Hills wonderful.
Love the funny ending.
Loved her poem, so much mana in the delivery.

It's always heartening to see a film take full advantage our local landscape; it's cinematic magic.

What really sets this film apart to me is the marriage between narrative and technical elements; having the plot revolve around the hearing virus in conjunction with the bold decision to make the film near entirely silent.
This technical, narrative, thematic marriage is what makes a film truly great.
The hearing virus was also a great subversion, as the characters don't want to hear.
And then there's a wonderful subversion as a final note, which recontextualizes the entire narrative.

This was truly 48hrs at its best.

What I liked:
Great location and shots of the Port Hills. The performances are good, and the poem is a lovely touch. As others have mentioned, the use of a virus that cures hearing impairment is a clever subversion and well played out here.

Take it or leave it:
Not much to add here. I’m probably not as much of a fan as others of the fart joke given the mostly serious tone of the short. It undercuts the poignant moment that preceded. I think building up to what that sound might be and leaving it unheard/ambiguous may have had greater impact. Still, you got a good laugh at the screening.

Final hot air:
A well-made short with a clear storyline. Great job!

As said by other reviewers I thought your story concept was a great one. There were some nice visuals in this film – the use of a beautiful landscape is always appreciated, and the poem scene in particular was gorgeous with some very nice lighting and beautiful music creating a clear mood.
I thought you played the fear of the virus nicely, and the use of bird song as an ominous note that the virus had reached them was a nice touch!
Some minor aspects of the story were a little unclear for me – how is going to this new place going to keep them safe when they are already pretty isolated at the beginning? How does the friend get the virus? Maybe there was potential for some more clarification here, but that’s not to detract from this being a well done short. The point of view you bring to the competition and the thoughtful questions your film raises are really valuable.

A lovely film that explores a really important question – should you desire to be anything other than yourself, the experiences that have formed you, and the bonds you share with others in your life? What does it feel like to imagine a world where the things that make you special no longer exist?

The intimate scenes at the end are really touching and cute. The "Mana is my mountain" lyrics are of course beautiful. I personally am a fan of the fart finale.

It's a nice idea having no sound effects and instead just music. The music builds emotion and a sense of urgency in a hearing audience. The lack of sound effects reminds the audience that this film is about the lived experience of being deaf. An equally valid choice could be to cut the music entirely and make the film silent other than the isolated unwanted intrusions of sound. Either way, you get great contrast.

The audio of the news clip is perhaps unnecessary, since it has subtitles. It somewhat undermines the contrast a few seconds later when Kim suddenly hears birdsong. A lack of spoken voice would strengthen the sense that the characters can't hear anything until suddenly they can.

There are some nice visuals in this film. As others have mentioned, the Port Hills look great. The first shot inside looks a bit washed out and lacking in contrast, so would benefit from a bit of colour grading to make it pop.

It's awesome that everyone gets to enjoy this film at the finals. Great work!

This was a truly special moment for the Chch region this year; special for us the first time we watched it, then special again for the audiences, clearly special for the judges, and I certainly hope a really treasured experience for the team. You should be SO proud of how brilliant this work is, and all the aroha that has come out of it. You clearly touched the judges hearts with your charm! Congratulations on your finals spot.

Knowing your strengths is something we bash on about a lot in this competition. What is it they say? Write what you know! And what you know is an experience that only you can tell, and so your choice to run with that really pulls the audience in. As other reviewers have mentioned, we pay closer attention, we're invited to look from another angle, step in someone elses shoes for 5 minutes - it was marvelous. Story is king, and this film does prove that, while it may have some technical hiccups and may not be as polished as some of the others, those things always come in second to a story well told. There is certainly room to continue growing and I hope you take on other opportunities to practice the craft so you can return each year and give us your best - I know you will!

THE BEST THING: The delivery of the poem was an absolute highlight - an opportunity to reflect on what the exctinction is in this story, is it the language, or is it something much deeper? Absolute chills, nice job taking out the regional manager award!

THE NEXT THING: Keep coming back and giving us more! You have a perspective nobody else in this competition can offer, and a cast who can carry it, and the region is better having you in it. We very much look forward to Lamp Post in 2027!

Lovely film with some great performances! So happy for your best delivery win, so well deserved and such a powerful moment. Another team to add to the list of those I am excited to see from next year!