All At SeaDirected by Drew Mitz Kolless Brown. All at Sea follows Jack as he considers his future with Phantom, the sailboat that defined much of his childhood. Set in the quiet rhythms of Russell, the film observes Jack and his family as they revisit the memories, responsibilities and emotions connected to their boat.
Short Film finalists 2026
We have ten amazing short films for you to view this year. All very worthy and something for everyone.
ExposureDirected by Peter Young, Matthew Quinnell, Chris Kent. In the still of a rural night, an artist pulls off a country road to capture the perfect photo timelapse. But as her lens starts to reveal eerie distortions and unexplained movements, her quiet retreat unravels into something far more unsettling. In the stillness, paranoia takes focus, and what lies just beyond the frame might not stay there for long.
FrequencyDirected by Dylan McKay. Sam lives alone in a harsh, empty landscape, surviving off dwindling resources and the faint hope that her missing brother might still be out there. Her only link to the world is an old ham radio she uses to send messages into the void. One night, a stranger named Josh answers. Their conversations grow from cautious exchanges to genuine warmth, offering Sam the closest thing to companionship she’s had in months. But when Josh suggests they meet, Sam realises he knows more about her than she ever revealed. The fragile trust between them shatters, sending her into a spiral of fear and suspicion. When she discovers Josh injured near her shack, Sam is forced to confront the uneasy truth: in a world starved of connection, the line between comfort and danger is razor-thin.
Hardly WorkingDirected by Troy Fea. A worker robot struggles to stay awake as his manager watches over him. Once the manager leaves, the worker begins to express himself creatively. But when the manager returns, he finds the worker has gotten carried away.
MidnightDirected by Aaron Christiansen. Midnight is a music video for Te Awamutu-based singer-songwriter Mike Conlon, built around the quiet devastation of grief. Conlon's lyrics speak obliquely of wanting to support a partner through loss, a loss the song never directly identifies, allowing the imagery to carry what words cannot.
Pulling Up StumpsDirected by Elinor Teele. On a cloudless and dusty day in Central Otago, a man in his 80s enters his woolshed. His mission? To fix his wife’s ageing blender. His task is interrupted by the arrival of a chatty stranger and a noisome rooster. After several attempts to get rid of distractions, the old man is forced to listen to the tales of his visitor, including the saga of an immovable stump. Gradually, it becomes clear that the stranger may not be so strange. And the story may have more meaning than first meets the ear.
Search For HawaikiDirected by Frederick Jozef Hoani Teteira Pokai. After being released into the care of his younger brother, Fable discovers an old tide chart and embarks on a journey to find inner peace by embracing his past.
Six ConcertosDirected by Peter McCully. As Germany is being bombed by the allies in World War Two, a music-loving archivist attempts to save a precious manuscript.
Spirit Of The Laughing OwlDirected by Clydille-Rave Berame Abbott. In this whimsical mixed-media animated short, a painter struggling with a creative block finds himself in an unlikely partnership with a mischievous Laughing Owl spirit.
Static NoisesDirected by Jomz Alip Lailo. Static Noises is a tense political drama that follows Charlie, a Filipino IT specialist living abroad, whose carefully distanced life is disrupted by the death of her former lover, a photojournalist documenting state violence. As grief pulls her back into a past she tried to escape, Charlie uncovers evidence linking her estranged father—a celebrated police chief—to a series of extrajudicial killings. Set against the backdrop of diaspora disconnection and a country in crisis, the film explores the cost of silence, the weight of complicity, and the impossible choice between family loyalty and justice. Classification: Rated M (Mature Audiences) Content advisory: This film contains references to violence, extrajudicial killings, and distressing political themes.