Congratulations to the winners of NZIFF's sixth annual New Zealand's Best short film competition, announced last Saturday - especially Roseanne Liang, who took out the 2017 Audience Award for her action-drama short Do No Harm.
In Liang's film, a doctor abides by her Hippocratic oath even when violent gangsters interrupt her surgery. Liang will take home 25% of the box office takings from screenings in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. In 2016 the prize was valued at more than $4,000.
The Madman Entertainment Jury Prize for the Best New Zealand Short Film at NZIFF 2017 was awarded to Waiting, directed by Amberley Jo Aumua. The Wallace Friends of the Civic Award was awarded to Thicket.
The six short films in the competition were Do No Harm (Director/Screenplay: Roseanne Liang), Laundry (Director/Screenplay: Becs Arahanga), Thicket (Director/Screenplay: Julian Vares), Untitled Groping Revenge Fairytale (Director/Screenplay: Catherine Bisley), Waiting (Director: Amberley Jo Aumua), and The Dregs (Director/Screenplay: Matt Campbell). The New Zealand's Best 2017 shorts programme will screen around the country with NZIFF.