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OnScreen 2024

NZ On Screen have partnered with RQP — the team behind Smokefreerockquest, Smokefree Tangata Beats, Showquest, Rockshop Bandquest, Toi and Stills — for their OnScreen short-film programme. 

 

OnScreen is a nationwide short-film competition, open to all intermediate and high-school students across Aotearoa, and free to enter. To get involved, create a student film team and register via the OnScreen website – entrants will then receive the OnScreen manual with all information on planning a shoot, key dates, rules and tips. Throughout the year, students will be able to develop their filmmaking skills with free access to workshops, learning resources and mentorship from experts in the film industry. 

OnScreen is designed to be student-led, with students working in groups of 1-30 and assigning creative leadership roles (eg. Producer, Director, Performer, Editor, Choreographer). Schools can submit multiple films, up to 7 minutes in duration.

There are three sections for 2024:

Narrative Short Film: In this section, you can make any kind of short film you like — funny, serious, dramatic, animated, scary or a combo of all the above.

Documentary: You can tackle a serious topic, something close to your heart, something you want to learn about — or try your hand at a funny mockumentary. 

Music Video: Think music videos, a musical or narrative film all about music. All music must be original or royalty-free. This is a great opportunity to collaborate with a friend’s band to create a music video.

The national first-place winner will have their short film hosted on nzonscreen.com, and there is an epic prize pool worth over $11,000 up for grabs.

Registrations are open NOW until 30 August, with final films due 26 September. To register and for further details, head to onscreen.co.nz.

OnScreen launched in 2020 and is run by the team at RQP. RQP is a youth development company, committed to creating opportunities for rangatahi nationwide to participate in high-quality arts experiences and develop their skills.  

OnScreen is proudly presented by RQP, and supported by the Vista Foundation, GoPro, SAE Creative Media Institute, NZ On Screen and ZM.

 

OnScreen 2023

Congratulations go to Ivy Feng, a Year 12 student from Macleans College in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, who is the overall first place national winner of OnScreen — the nationwide short-film challenge for high school students.

Ivy’s film Sandcastle struck an emotive chord with the OnScreen judges, for the expert use of visual metaphors that tell a simple story about hope. Ivy took on multiple roles to execute their vision, including the production roles of director, producer, cameraperson and editor, to create and deliver the film in the Narrative Short Film section of the competition. Ivy also wrote and performed the acoustic guitar track that features on the film’s soundtrack. The lead role of a young girl, who we follow on her journey to the beach for a day of building sandcastles, is played by Norah Feng.

View the winning OnScreen entry Sandcastle here. Ivy’s entry joins Pepi Olliver-Bell’s 2022 OnScreen entry Oliver, and Lily Knox’s 2021 OnScreen entry Heroine on NZ On Screen. 

The runner up short film winners are:

Space Cowboy, submitted by Emily McVicar, Rata Shaw and Trinity Mann, Christchurch Girls’ High School, Canterbury

Don’t Worry About It, submitted by Robson Reidy, Auckland Grammar School

Films for the 2023 challenge could be submitted under the narrative short film, documentary, or music video sections, each with their own prizes.

The full list of winners can be found here, with all films available to view on OnScreen’s YouTube channel. 

 

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