Show Me Shorts festival winners announced

A scene from Alyx Duncan's The Tide Keeper (Supplied)

The Show Me Shorts Festival kicked off in Auckland tonight announcing the winners of its awards for the best moves in its programme.

The best film award went to avant garde dance piece The Tide Keeper which also won best director Alyx Duncan and best cinematography for cinematographers Chris Pryor and Ben Montgomery.

The festival's judging panel said the film was "concise, intelligent, beautiful and moving."
This film created another world within a world, incorporating an intriguing sense of choreographic movement and the best elements of story-telling and cinema. It is totally original."

Alyx Duncan.

Ryan Heron and Guy Montgomery won the best screenplay Award for Return, their coming-of-age comedy set in rural New Zealand, Return. While Jonathan Stein received the best international film award for Out of the Village, which had its world premiere screening on the festival's opening night.

Duncan, whose debut feature The Red House screened in the New Zealand International Film Festival, received $2,000 cash plus other prizes.

Her winning short film is now eligible to be entered into contention for the 2017 Academy Award short film categories.

Now in its tenth year, the festival is running programmes of its 46 short films in 22 New Zealand cinemas in the coming weeks.

SHOW ME SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL 2015 AWARD WINNERS:

Lightbox Best Film Award: Alyx Duncan, The Tide Keeper

Final Draft Best Screenplay Award: Ryan Heron & Guy Montgomery, Return

DEGNZ Best Editor Award: James Cunningham, Accidents, Blunders and Calamities

StarNow Best Actor Award: Tina Cleary, Cub

Best International Film Award: Jonathan Stein, Out of the Village

DEGNZ Best Director Award: Alyx Duncan, The Tide Keeper

Panavision Best Cinematographer Award: Chris Pryor & Ben Montgomery, The Tide Keeper

NZFC Special Jury Prize: Mhairead Connor, UFO

Best Music Video: Thunderlips, The Eversons - Emily

Best Student Film: Kyan Krumdieck and Annabelle Dick, The Grind

People's Choice Award: Announced in December when audience votes are counted.