Young Emerging Filmmakers Premiere Their Stories At Show Me Shorts Film Festival

Show Me Shorts Film Festival is partnering with Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading filmmaker development organisation Day One Hāpai te Haeata to host the world premiere of eight short films.

The films were created as part of the Day One Shorts programme, commissioned by Day One Hāpai te Haeata with funding from NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho. The programme aims to provide upskilling opportunities for young people wanting to explore impact storytelling on screen.

Show Me Shorts Festival Director Gina Dellabarca says, “These shorts are made by talented young filmmakers who are interested in exploring stories about cultural, social and political issues. They are boldly taking story risks, pushing the envelope, and looking to the future.

Day One Hāpai te Haeata Executive Director Chris Widdup says, “Since 2017, Day One has commissioned over fifty films from new screen voices and we are very excited and honoured to be partnering with Show Me Shorts to help connect the filmmakers to as broad an audience as possible for our latest crop of films. For the films to be setting out into the world with the stamp of approval that Show Me Shorts represents is an amazing tautoko.”

The selected films are:

1. O Alofa Nei, O Alofa Nā (Love Me, Love You) directed and written by Giselle Ilaoa, produced by Carrisse Uta'i. Synopsis: Manaia, a young woman caught between expectation and self-acceptance, finds herself confronting her repressed sexuality when a chance reunion with her first love stirs old feelings.
2. Ata Pūao directed by Allie Howell, written by Allie Howell, Pūmanawa Rawiri, produced by Angel Kameta. Synopsis: Amid the nightlife of a new city, a young Māori trans woman reckons with safety, isolation, and the fragile bonds of old friendships outgrown — as the promise of belonging rises just beyond the horizon.
3. Fearlessli directed and written by Lee Li, produced by Tyler Redmond. Synopsis: After her gender identity was denied in her homeland, Lee Li, a transgender asylum seeker, embarks on a journey toward belonging, freedom, and self-empowerment.
4. Maysa directed and written by Roxie Mohebbi, produced by Betty Scott Molloy. Synopsis: A quiet visit forces Maysa and her stoic Iraqi mother to confront what’s long been left unspoken.
5. Frozen - My Eggs and Me directed and written by Shamin Yazdani, produced by Shamin Yazdani, Sam Wilton. Synopsis: Single and approaching a mid-thirties birthday, Shamin, a first generation New Zealander, confronts the question she's long been avoiding: should she freeze her eggs?
6. Gloss Finish directed and written by Gabi Maffey, produced by Matilda Boese-Wong. Synopsis: Gabi wants to take a dance class, but is too haunted by her excessively sweaty hands, so she sets out to find a clammy dance partner who shares in her glistening plight.
7. monster & me directed by Tom Field, written by Tom Field, Elora Battah, produced by Elora Battah. Synopsis: Motmot lives a monotonous life until one day he meets an unknown creature, a human boy.
8. Devil in the Gat directed and written by Taniora Heketanga Ormsby, produced by Te Kohe Tuhaka. Synopsis: Desperate for his big break, an aspiring musician discovers a forgotten country singer at a nightclub who may hold the key to his dreams—but the answers come with a dark price.

Show Me Shorts will host the Day One Shorts Premiere at Academy Cinemas Auckland on Saturday 11 October at 3:45pm. Tickets are now on sale via showmeshorts.co.nz

About Show Me Shorts Film Festival
Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading international short film festival and is considered one of the top 20 short film festivals globally. They deliver an entertaining and thoughtful experience for audiences, with more than 100 screenings taking place in 40 cinemas and community venues nationwide each October. The festival also includes a number of industry events, panel discussions and workshops for filmmakers.

About Day One Hāpai te Haeata
In 2007 David Jacobs launched The Outlook for Someday, a sustainability film project for young New Zealanders. Beginning with an annual film challenge, the Someday Challenge, the project grew into a filmmaking workshop programme with mentorship opportunities, and Someday Stories - a funded, short filmmaking opportunity for emerging filmmakers across Aotearoa. After seventeen years as The Outlook for Someday, the project was reinvented and rebranded as Day One Hāpai te Haeata - a platform and learning hub for young filmmakers across Aotearoa. The Someday Challenge and Someday Stories have become Day One Challenge and Day One Shorts and continue to offer upskilling opportunities for young people wanting to explore impact storytelling on screen.

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