Waikato student’s film about loneliness makes festival final

19 March, 2013

Waikato student’s film about loneliness makes festival final

A Waikato student’s short film about sadness and loneliness felt by youth will be screened at the upcoming Uni Shorts International Short Film Festival.

Former University of Waikato student and aspiring director Miguel Efondo is one of five finalists in the experimental/non-narrative category.

His film Triste follows one character who is sitting alone in a room. Visibly distressed, the character is antagonised by shadow-puppets to an ever increasing wall of white noise before hiding behind a smiling mask.

“I’m originally from the Philippines, my family moved to New Zealand in 2008. The film is about how you cannot conceal sadness, even by wearing a smiling mask.

“Its inspiration was drawn on my own experiences. When I first came here I didn’t know anyone and I was sad. I missed my friends back home and I tried to reach out to other people here but I wasn’t successful. Maybe it was because of the culture difference, or maybe it was because I was just so shy. You kind of exist with a ‘happiness mask’ on and project happiness when really you’re anything but.”

Miguel filmed Triste over one night to meet a video production assignment. It was an alternative idea when his first film was supposed to be filmed outside but it rained the whole week. A second night was spent editing and mastering the film.

“I want to become involved in the film industry in New Zealand and thought if I signed up for as many film festivals as possible, it would help get my name out there.”

As well as being shown at Uni Shorts, Triste will also be shown at the Wellington Underground Film Festival this weekend, 21 - 23 March.

Miguel finished his Bachelor of Media and Creative Technologies majoring in Screen and Media and Design Media last year and is now at Unitec in Auckland studying Script Writing.

The Uni Shorts 2013 festival will be held on 13-14 April at Auckland’s Unitec Institute of Technology. Thirty finalists were chosen from nearly 200 short film entries that were submitted from film schools and universities around the world.

ENDS

© Scoop Media