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New Zealand’s Best Jury Awards NZIFF 2023

On Saturday 29 July we hosted the premiere of New Zealand's Best 2023 and announced the Jury Award winners of the short films.

Wellington filmmakers Jo Randerson and Loren Taylor won the NZIFF Patrons Award for Best Short Film for their film Hey Brainy Man in New Zealand’s Best 2023.

The award was one of three Jury Awards in New Zealand’s Best 2023 announced at the sold-out screening on Saturday 29 July at ASB Waterfront Theatre in Auckland. The six finalist short films were chosen by guest selector, Niki Caro with a three member jury, film critic Tom Augustine, film editor Peter Roberts, and 2021 Best Short Film Award joint winner filmmaker Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu selecting the winners of the $7500 NZIFF Patrons Best Short Film Award, the $4000 Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award and the $4000 Auckland Live Spirit of the Civic Award, along with two Special Mentions.

The winners were:

The NZIFF Patrons Award for Best Short Film: Hey Brainy Man dir. Jo Randerson and Loren Taylor

The Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award: Anu dir. Pulkit Arora

The Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award: Freedom Fighter dir. Tusi Tamasese

Special Mentions:

Freedom Fighter actor Luz-Eliana Folau-Brown

Hey Brainy Man and Anu cinematographer Adam Luxton

Congratulations to the winning filmmakers and their fellow finalists: Gate Crash dir. Paloma Schneideman, Daughter of God dir. Maza White and My Eyes Are Up Here dir. Nathan Morris.

The Audience Award, as voted by the public, will be awarded on the closing night of the festival in Wellington, Sunday 13 August. The winner of the audience vote takes away the Audience Award, consisting of 25 percent of the box office from NZIFF screenings in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

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