Emerging filmmakers take centre stage at Ara’s short film awards

_{Zippo director Kenta Lord (3rd from left) with the actors in his winning film}

The next generation of storytellers has once again had a chance to hit the big screen in the Ara Institute of Canterbury’s School Shorts competition.

Secondary school filmmakers and their supporters packed into Readings Cinema recently to see the films and the award ceremony play out.

The shortlist featured 27 films spanning genres from sci-fi, to heartfelt dramas and music videos. Peter Nock, Ara’s Portfolio Manager for Creative and Media described the line-up as “a showcase of fearless storytelling.”

He thanked the sponsors, judges, and the New Zealand Broadcasting School (NZBS) for making School Shorts possible once again.

“While Ara is renowned for our flagship programmes in creative arts and media through NZBS to NASDA, MAINZ and our Art and Design department, we’re proud to provide this grassroots opportunity to schools too.”

School Shorts attracted entries from schools across the South Island and broke new ground this year: the first homeschool winner, the first sequel, and a brand-new category for visual artistry.

_{(Left) Best Film and Best Cinemaphotography winner Kenta Lord & (Right) Best Director and Best Screenplay winner James Dennis}

Award Highlights:

• Best Overall Film: Zippo by Kenta Lord (Riccarton High School)
A gripping WWII drama that cements Lord’s reputation after last year’s Best Cinematography win for Simulacrum.
• Best Director & Best Screenplay: Golden Lambs by James Dennis (Glenroy Home School) A haunting rural mystery and the first homeschool entry to sweep major awards.
• Outstanding Visual Expression: Making Monsters by Grace Bridger & Lily Henderson-Walshe (Rangi Ruru Girls’ School) An animated short so inventive that judges created a new category to honour it.
• Best Sound Design: Surge 2 by Harley Bean & Rico Kemp (Shirley Boys’ High School). The first-ever sequel in School Shorts history - proof that young filmmakers are thinking big.

_{Left: Winners of Best Sound Design Harley Bean & Rico Kemp and Right: Outstanding Visual Expression winners Grace Bridger & Lily Henderson-Walshe}

From war-torn Europe to rural mystery, this year’s top winners showed how personal passions and bold ideas can evolve into powerful stories.

“Watching something you created on the big screen at Reading Cinemas was such an honour, there's truly nothing else like it,” said Zippo director Kenta Lord. “Winning the whole event was surreal. Even though I was the one standing on stage with trophy in hand, it wasn’t just me who made it happen,” he said.

For James Dennis, the journey to Golden Lambs began with a puppet, a lambing season, and a script that changed shape with every draft.

“It took me so long to write the script and get the story feeling right, it feels like all that time actually paid off,” Dennis said. “When Best Director was announced I was gobsmacked and lost for words. I'm still reeling from it.”

Other winners included:

• Best Performance: Hindsight (Ethan Franks, Shirley Boys’ High School)
• Best Documentary: What Can Make Me Happy? (Fuka Yoshimoto, Avonside Girls’ High School)
• Best Cinematography: Zippo (Kenta Lord, Riccarton High School)
• Best Editing: Sure You Belong Here? (Alatua Tiatia, Rolleston College)

As the curtain fell on School Shorts 2025, the message to emerging filmmakers was clear: keep creating, keep telling stories, and keep pushing boundaries.

“School Shorts is a celebration of creativity, resourcefulness, and the DIY spirit that has long powered Aotearoa’s filmmaking tradition,” Nock said. “We encourage you to tell your own unique stories, take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them. You’re our future.”

Young creatives proving that great stories don’t wait for big budgets - they start with passion, perseverance, and a camera.