The red carpet was rolled out for young film-makers at the Wanganui War Memorial Hall last Friday night as the annual awards for the Yeah Hard 30 Second Ad Competition were announced.
The event was started three years ago by Maori development organisation Nga Tai O Te Awa as a positive social media campaign to promote healthy lifestyle options for people in the Wanganui region.
The competition challenges young people to share messages on topics that impact on them - bullying, alcohol and other drug abuse, gambling harm and suicide prevention.
Karney Herewini, Kia Piki Te Ora project manager, said Nga Tai O Te Awa organise and run the competition as a strengths-based approach to raising awareness.
"It is a simple concept which creates an opportunity for young people to share their voices on some real topics - those voices are so powerful they can really change the world."