June really was April Phillips' month. The multitalented WIFTer won the Best Director award at the Short Film Awards, New York (SOFIES). Her film R.E.M. was nominated in seven categories including Best Editing, Outstanding Technical Work, Best Actor, Best Narrative Short Film, and for Phillips herself; Best Director, Actress and Writing. R.E.M. was up against steep competition including the Oscar-winning short film The Silent Child. Phillips self-funded her low-budget horror, which has already garnered several other awards and international screenings. She credits the film's success to a talented, tight-knit team of supportive film practitioners. Phillips is currently in pre-production on her fourth short film, a sci-fi titled The Last Man on Earth, which will be shot at Wellington's Avalon Film & Television Studios.
