Plastic Bottle Kayak Film Wins Top Prize

For Immediate release

Plastic Bottle Kayak Film Wins Top Prize

Wellington, October 8th – Seung-woo Hong, a 21 year old student from Christchurch, has taken out the top prize in the Inspiring Stories Film Competition at an awards ceremony held in Wellington on Friday October 4th. Mr Hong won $2000 gifted by NZ Screen Association, and a two-day internship at Images and Sound, an Auckland post-production house.

The theme of the competition, in its third year, is ‘Young Kiwis Making a Difference.’ Mr Hong’s film documents a group of young people as they journey down the Whanganui River in kayaks made of plastic bottles to campaign against single use plastics.

Inspiring Stories Trust CEO Guy Ryan said that Mr Hong’s film was chosen because it showed a group of passionate young people who were doing something innovative and compelling to raise awareness of an important cause. It was also technically polished with beautiful cinematography and music.

Mr Hong said he was blown away at his win as he had viewed the other finalists online and was impressed. “Being nervous was good, since competing against other great film makers and storytellers is always exciting,” he said.

“The competition gave me an opportunity to be inspired even more with other people's stories, and see what they are doing to make a difference in their own way. It has definitely encouraged me to get more involved with this kind of stuff and to document young people doing things that can and are changing the world,” Mr Hong said.

Other winners on the night include Mason Packer, 14, from the Kapiti Coast, who won best in Secondary and People’s Choice. His film was about his friend, shark campaigner Taylor Finderup, who won the Making a Difference award. Sarah Ridsdale, 12, from Palmerston North won The Big Idea Culture and Creativity Award, the Forest and Bird Kaitiaki award and the Generation Zero Local Solutions to Climate Change award for her stop motion animation about cows and cleaner dairying.

The open section was won by Gareth Mauchline from Whangarei for his film entitled Trent, about using street theatre to raise awareness and encourage people to sign up for the 40 hour famine. Wellingtonian Kathleen Winter won the Trade Aid Human Rights award with her film exploring a young women’s view on feminism and equality in modern times.

Mr Hong also won the Sir Peter Blake Youth Leadership award, Technical Prowess award and the Tertiary section. He said he has been encouraged to keep making as many videos as he can. “The big dream is to become a movie director and make films for Hollywood, which would be really cool! But for now I will finish off my Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (Majoring in Film) and possible try and get my name out there through Youtube and doing more videos.

Especially videos like this one.” About Inspiring Stories Trust Inspiring Stories is a charitable trust based in Wellington, operating nationwide. Since launching in 2011, the Trust developed a suite of events, workshops, and competitions that now reach thousands of New Zealanders, supporting them to be the change they want to see in the world.

ENDS

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