The Someday Challenge: 2015 winners

This year's winning films in The Outlook for Someday sustainability film challenge are announced today. They have been made by individuals and teams from 7 to 19 years old.

As well as films dealing with pressing environmental issues such as wetland restoration, species extinction and care for resources there are others which tackle challenging social issues such as bullying, sex slavery and body image pressure on young women.

There is also some edgy storytelling, including a dystopian vision of compulsory euthanasia and a powerful voice from South Auckland asking us to pay attention to youth suicide.

"This year's winners tackle big issues with bravery and flair," says David Jacobs, Director of The Outlook for Someday. "Young people are not telling us what they think we want to hear. They're telling us to listen up to what's important to them."

The 20 films (listed below with synopses) can be watched on the Element magazine page of the New Zealand Herald website, where there is an online vote for the Element Audience Favourite closing on Monday 7 December.

They can also be watched on The Outlook for Someday website at www.theoutlookforsomeday.net.

A Judging Team of 11 people from media, education, government and business selected the 20 winners out of 156 entries that came from all over New Zealand and involved 550 young people.

The judges included Gary Farrow, Element magazine's Online Editor, who said "The Outlook for Someday is fantastic in that it gives young film-makers a chance to test the waters and express themselves, which is of benefit to us all."

"The Judging Team had the pleasure and privilege of watching films ranging from informative, sobering and compelling, all the way through to endearing, empowering and inspiring. They were also technically excellent. There are clearly many budding directors and producers among this year's film challenge entrants."

The Someday Challenge asks young people aged up to 24 to make short sustainability-related films of any genre, filmed with any camera and any length up to 5 minutes.

The winning film-makers will be honoured at The Someday Awards red-carpet ceremony at the Aotea Centre in Auckland on 10 December. For the first time the ceremony will also be live streamed, enabling families, friends, schools and communities of the winning film-makers to watch it all unfold from wherever they are.

As well as receiving their prizes the winning film-makers will find out which of the 20 Special Awards (listed below) they have each won and which film has been voted Element Audience Favourite.

The film-maker or team behind the film that wins the vote will receive a prize package that includes a Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 Camera donated by Photogear.

The climax of the ceremony will be the announcement and screening of the film chosen as The Body Shop Standout Winner, for which the prize package includes a mentorship with Someday Ambassador Te Radar and director/writer/producer Peter Bell.

Now in its 9th year, The Outlook for Someday is New Zealand's sustainability film project for young people. It includes an annual film challenge and a national series of sustainability film-making workshops.

The objective of the project is to help grow a generation of sustainability storytellers.

In 2015 over a thousand young people have taken part in either the film challenge or the 32 free one-day and two-day workshops throughout New Zealand from June to August.

THE 20 WINNING FILMS - watch and vote for your favourite
Mountains for Malawi by Henry Donald (18) from Auckland
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: Three young men undertake the challenge of cycling the height of Mount Everest to raise money for a community in Malawi.

The Birdwood Way by a team from Birdwood School in Auckland (aged 7-8)
Genre: Docudrama
Synopsis: Birdwood students demonstrate the values at the heart of their school.

NVader by Hunter Williams (16) from Auckland
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: A covert mission to save young girls from sex slavery leads to an organisation that empowers local people to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Whenua Finds a Future by Sarah Ridsdale (14) from the Palmerston North
Genre: Animated Drama
Synopsis: Curious Whenua the Whio learns about his species from his DOC ranger friend.

The Future is in Your Hands by Lisa Thompson (17) from Kapiti
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: Why is sign language, the third official language of New Zealand, not offered as a subject in our secondary schools?

I Love Waiorongomai by Eva Hakaraia (12) and Oriwa Hakaraia (12) from Te Kura-ā-Iwi O Whakatupuranga Rua Mano in Otaki
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: A story of community conservation in action to restore the health of Lake Waiorongomai.

Do You Want A Bag? by Alice Emeny (15) from Chatham Islands
Genre: PSA
Synopsis: An illustration of how one simple choice can have severe consequences.

Message in a Bottle by Liam van Eeden (17) and Jean-Martin Fabre (17) from Verdon College in Invercargill
Genre: PSA
Synopsis: The true cost of bottled water for both the consumer and the planet.

The Jayke Hopa Story by a team from Putaruru College in Putaruru (aged 14)
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: An insight into the life of Jayke Hopa, and how he has taught his school to include those who can't see.

Biodiversity by a team from Point England School in Auckland (aged 10-11)
Genre: Animated Documentary
Synopsis: A colourful depiction of our natural world and the importance of protecting species from extinction.

Original by a team from Craighead Diocesan School in Timaru (aged 14-15)
Genre: Video Essay
Synopsis: A young woman challenges stifling social pressures and speaks out for authenticity.

The Plastic Reducers by a team from the Wellington region (aged 8-14)
Genre: Music Video
Synopsis: A rapper's guide on taking steps to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The Healthy Wrap by a team from Avalon Intermediate School in Lower Hutt (aged 11-13)
Genre: Music Video
Synopsis: The rhyme and reason of good nutrition for healthy living.

Eutha-nation by Mason Cade Packer (16) from Paraparaumu
Genre: Mockumentary
Synopsis: Imagine a future where compulsory euthanasia has been introduced to combat over-population.

How to Write a Submission by Anya Bukholt-Payne (15) from Wellington
Genre: How To
Synopsis: A practical call to action, empowering young people to engage in civic issues.

UNstuck by a team from Ellesmere College in Canterbury (aged 12-13)
Genre: Silent Movie
Synopsis: A plea for the voiceless victim of bullying, and a challenge for the complicit bystander.

He Kura Huna by a team from Bay of Plenty region (aged 15-19)
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: A young man's journey to connect with his cultural identity.

May Be Wrong by Isaac Martin (18) from Gisborne
Genre: Video Essay
Synopsis: Our consumer culture manipulates us to be mindless, but we can use our purchasing power for good.

Koro Puppeteer by a team from Otaki (aged 9-12)
Genre: Documentary
Synopsis: A story of the strings that sustain a family tradition.

Home by a team from Auckland (aged 16-18)
Genre: Video Essay
Synopsis: A young poet tells us a story about the challenges of life on the Southside.

THE 20 SPECIAL AWARDS
New Zealand Film Commission Film-making Achievement Award
For a film with outstanding creative / technical quality

Connected Media Sustainable Future Award
For a film which promotes dialogue on sustainability through a new perspective and/or critical thinking

Department of Conservation Big Picture Award
For a film that relates to the Big Picture focus of DOC's National Education Strategy

Ministry of Youth Development Community Participation Award
For a film focusing on active citizenship

Te Māngai Pāho Whakatipuranga Award
For a film with a Māori indigenous perspective on sustainability

Coconut Wireless Pasifika Award
For a film by a Pasifika film-maker and/or featuring Pasifika language and culture

Young Women Film-makers Award
For a film made by a young women film-maker or team

Like Minds, Like Mine Award
For a film that focuses on social inclusion and wellbeing as a sustainability issue for young people

All Good People and Planet Award
For a film which addresses social justice as a sustainability issue

Auckland Council Film-maker Award
For a film by a film-maker or team from the Auckland region

The Wireless Story Telling Award
For a film with powerful story telling

Web Show Central Cinematography Award
For a film with outstanding cinematography

Yours Digital Media Award
For a film with outstanding editing or animation

Green Ideas Sustainable Lifestyle Award
For a film focussing on lifestyle change for sustainability

Accelerating Aotearoa Young Voices For Change Award
For a film motivating young people and/or decision makers to be change makers

Rockstock Media Empowerment Award
For a film which empowers its viewers and/or its makers

The 4.30 Show Secondary School Film-makers Award
For a film made by young people of secondary school age

What Now Primary/Intermediate School Film Makers Award
For a film made by young people of primary or intermediate school age

Tearaway Secondary School Performance Award
For a film made by young people of secondary school age with strong on screen performance

Upstart Magazine Primary/Intermediate School Performance Award
For a film made by young people of primary or intermediate age with strong on screen performance.

THE OUTLOOK FOR SOMEDAY PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS

The Outlook for Someday in 2015 is based on partnerships between Connected Media Charitable Trust and The Body Shop New Zealand, the New Zealand Film Commission, Ministry of Youth Development, Department of Conservation (through the DOC Community Fund), Health Promotion Agency and Auckland Council.

Funding Partners are Te Māngai Pāho, NZ On Air, Creative New Zealand's Creative Communities Scheme, The Trusts Community Foundation, the Lou and Iris Fisher Charitable Trust, First Sovereign Trust, Youthtown, Infinity Foundation and Dragon Community Trust.

Regional Partners are Foundation North, Bay Trust, Trust Waikato, Eastern and Central Community Trust, Whanganui Community Foundation, Canterbury Community Trust, Community Trust of Mid and South Canterbury, Central Lakes Trust and Otago Community Trust.

Media Partners are Element Magazine, The Wireless, The 4.30 Show, What Now, Tearaway, Upstart, Coconut Wireless, Web Show Central, Yours.nz, and Green Ideas Magazine.

Photogear is Technology Partner and the Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand is Industry Partner.

Paper and Print Partners are Rockstock, B&F Papers and Soar Print.

Event Partners are Auckland Live, Austin's and All Good.

Supporting Partners are Toimata Foundation and Accelerating Aotearoa.

O'Halloran North Shore is Accountancy Partner and Stephens Lawyers is Honorary Legal Advisor.

Project Supporters are AS Colour, Defender Bags, ecostore, El Framo, Hire Plants, Kahra Scott-James, Karousel Screenprinting, Levi's® Stores, Lothlorien Organic Fruit Juices, MediaPasifika, New Zealand Post, Orcon, Pastel City, Votre Arme and WWF New Zealand.

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