Short film revolution

“Could 2010 be the year that New Zealand short filmmakers take over the world?” asks Indie Wire’s Kim Adelman. “The year began promisingly as Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland’s The Six Dollar Fifty Man took the jury prize in international short filmmaking at January’s Sundance Film Festival. And now at Berlin, Katie Wolfe’s Redemption and Leo Woodhead’s Zero world premiere in the Berlinale Shorts and the Generation 14plus category, respectively. Wellingtonians Albiston and Sutherland directed the brash yet assured 15-minute short The Six Dollar Fifty Man. The short world premiered at Cannes last year, where it walked away with a special distinction honor. It also racked up awards at Sundance and FlickerFest, in addition to playing Clermont-Ferrand and the Generation Kplus competition category this year at Berlin.” Other New Zealand directors at Berlin mentioned are Tearepa Kahi, who wrote and directed Taua — War Party; Roseanne Liang, who wrote and directed the 12-minute Take 3; Michelle Savill, who wrote, directed and produced the 14-minute Betty Banned Sweets; Jane Shearer, director of the 11-minute, no-dialogue, supernatural thriller, Nature’s Way; and Jason Stutter, creator of some stomach-clenching anticipation in the 2-minute comedy Careful with that Axe.