V48 Hours judge Elijah Wood.
A-list movie names Elijah Wood and Sir Peter Jackson have thrown their weight behind the V48 Hours film competition, taking part in the judging of this year's Grand National Final - including a film that didn't start shooting until seven hours before the deadline.
"Oh wow... awesome," said team Goodfellas' Damon Fepuleai when told the news.
"We didn't really expect much from this year because we had a couple of sound problems, I realised after we handed it in and thought there was no point going on because two really important sound effects were missing."
Their film Daylight Robbery is joined by Love In Decay from fellow Aucklanders Mukpuddy, and Hannah Repus from Christchurch team The Outwits as the three 'wildcard' picks of Sir Peter Jackson.
They'll be joined by ten other films from the regional finals who will compete for the major prizes at this year's 10th anniversary final on June 30, chosen by an international panel of experts including Ed Wood and People vs Larry Flynt screenwriter Larry Karazewski, Scott Foundas - Variety Critic & Director of Lincoln Film Centre New York, Nathan Rabin of The Onion and AV Club - and Hobbit star Elijah Wood.
"I am really honored to be asked to be a Judge for the V48 and I'm looking forward to seeing what mad talented kiwis can get up to in just one weekend," the Hobbit actor said.
The competition, which started in 2003, gives teams just 48 hours to create, shoot and submit a short film that must contain certain elements, and in a certain genre.
Since 2005 Sir Peter Jackson has given three films a free-pass to the final, with this year's wildcard picks all having been chosen by Jackson in previous years. For Goodfellas this will be their fourth time.
"Maybe he likes the Kiwiness of them," says Damon Fepuleai. "Our movies are quite simple, we don't really have the resources to do anything too big and epic."
Team Mukpuddy's Ryan Cooper is also smiling. "For me it's almost better than winning, he's someone we hold so high, him giving us the thumbs up is prize enough."
*nzherald.co.nz will be live streaming the Grand National Final from Auckland's Civic on Saturday June 30 (tickets here).
V48 Hours Grand National Finalists
The Girl With The Clover Tattoo, by team Lense Flare (One shot)
An Inconvenient Hoof, by team Picton Pictures (End of the world)
Brains?, by team Noise and Picture (Horror)
Dead Lucky, by team Tuff Collective (Musical)
Seed, by team thedownlowconcept (End of the world)
Kids These Days, by team Gin Joints (Crime)
Brothers, by team ADHDMi (Fantasy adventure)
Briefcase of Pain, by team Battlesoup (Crime)
Glow, by team Del Sur (Inspirational)
Wiz-nap, by team Voltron & Holograms (Found footage)
Sir Peter Jackson Wildcard picks
Daylight Robbery, by team Goodfellas (One shot/crime)
Love In Decay, by team Mukpuddy (Romantic comedy)
Hannah Repus, by team The Outwits (One shot)
Canon Best Cinematography
Grand Cheval - Suck My Life - Horror
Cheeky Kiwis - Self-Contained Flat - Horror
PuppyGuts - Fetus 5000 - Found Footage
The Eh Team - Day 6 - Horror
BLOOD ORANGE - One Brick, Two Brick - Action
Rialto Channel Rising Talent Award
Toasted Wolfgang - Infelicitas Action
3 Idiots and a Camera - Unwanted Guests - Crime
Colonial Tech - Silver Leaf - End of the World
JK - Lucky in Love? - One Shot + Romcom
Handcranked Productions - Blue Ice - Urban Legend
Image & Sound Sexiest Looking Short
ADHDMi - Brothers - Fantasy Adventure
CCK - Curse Of The Warlock - Fantasy Adventure
Dust Boot - Not One Tear - Inspirational
Zebra Crossing Inc. - Fukushu (Revenge) - Fantasy Adventure
BLOOD ORANGE - One Brick, Two Brick - Action
Skinny Best School Team
Hungry Lion Productions - Zomboy - Horror
Cunning Stunts - Man in the Mirror - Horror
Superfly - Nicky Brick and the Funky Licks - Musical/Dance
Oozy Rat In a Sanitary Zoo - There's Something Rotten In the School of Redmark - Urban Legend
Hobo Pictures - Awaiting Dawn - RomCom
Loop Best Original Song
Penguins and Pandas - Deep Into You - Inspirational
Chris Lam Sam - Dead Lucky - Musical
Team ICW - Two Tall Tales - Urban Legend
The Gentlemen's Agreement - The Wham! Initiative - Found Footage
No True Scotsman - The Ballad of Nicky Brick - Musical
Loop Best Original Score
ADHDMi - Brothers - Fantasy Adventure
Alpaca Punch - Stain - Action
The Dutch Underground - Sockerpunch - One Shot
Gaylene Preston Best Female Director
Anna Duckworth - Apple Bobbing - Crime
Cheeky Kiwis - Self-Contained Flat - Horror
Francesca Jago - Refraction - Fantasy Adventure
Naoko Miyamoto - Day 6 - Horror
Incredibly Strange Best Worst Film
Goon - Julie Android - Musical
Bright Molar - Extraction - Genesis V1 - Musical
Confusers - Dive Dive Dance!!! - Musical/Dance
Elite 12 Plus That Guy - The Clown - Horror
EQUALS SHEEP - Barrowed Love - One Shot
Best Animation
Mukpuddy - Love in Decay - RomCom
Tuff Collective - Dead Lucky - Musical
Readers Wives - Love Arktually - Rom Com
Squint Eastwood - Lionel Fantasy VII - Fantasy Adventure
Best Script
Half-Shell - Finger Bang - Action
Groundswell - Whiff Drawers - Rom-Com
Noise and Pictures - Brains? - Horror
TBALC - Nicky + Eve 19/5 - One Shot
Flim Flom Films - Do the Knight Thang - Fantasy Adventure
Best Editing
Team Try Hards - The List - Fantasy Adventure
Cheeky Kiwis - Self-Contained Flat - Horror
Noise and Pictures - Brains? - Horror
The Gentlemen's Agreement - The Wham! Initiative - Found Footage
Best Actress
Courtney Abbot - Lovedumb - Inspirational
Athene Jensen - Whiff Drawers - Rom-Com
Lauren Wickens - The Breaking - End of the World
Vanessa Wells - Fukushu (Revenge) - Fantasy Adventure
Daniela Medina - Chastity Kills Men - Erotic or Superhero
Best Actor
Will Wallace- Glow - Inspirational
Marten ten Broek - Whiff Drawers - Rom-Com
Scott Ransom - Brains? - Horror
Scott Koorey - Nicky + Eve 19/5 - One Shot
Steven Woller - Do the Knight Thang - Fantasy Adventure
Best Art Direction
ADHDMi - Brothers - Fantasy Adventure
Tuff Collective - Dead Lucky - Musical
Dust Boot - Not One Tear - Inspirational
The Dutch Underground - Sockerpunch - One Shot
Get Your Arse To Mars - Twin Dragon Fist: The Fistening - Action
Best Makeup
Grand Cheval - Suck My Life - Horror
Taktix - Game Over - Fantasy Adventure
Noise and Pictures - Brains? - Horror
The Eh Team - Day 6 - Horror
Handcranked Productions - Blue Ice - Urban Legend
Best Use Of A Prop
Terminal Rise - La Piscine Thermale - Urban Legend
Cut 'n' Paste - Headcase - Horror
That's What Shihad Said - Not Everyone's Fantasy - Adventure/Fantasy
TBALC - Nicky + Eve 19/5 - One Shot
Seabiscuit in the Pipe - Hit Movie - Musical
Best Use Of A Line
idiotVision - Love Story Sessions - Romantic Comedy
Zarquons Fish - Detention - Horror
Noise and Pictures - Brains? - Horror
Strang Entertainment - True - Inspirational
Team Superbest Friends - What the Neville? - Found Footage
Best Use Of Character
Write Club - Lucky Girl - Horror
Team: One Whare - Love 'n' loathing in Suburbia - One Shot
Moffilaide - She's Out of This World - RomCom
Squint Eastwood - Lionel Fantasy VII - Fantasy Adventure
Complex Films - Chain Mail - Urban Legend
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