20 years of Show Me Shorts _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

83 short films across 11 themed collections converge on New Zealand’s UNESCO City of Film between the 10^th and 15^th of October at Light House Cuba for the Show Me Shorts (SMS) Film Festival. The Academy Award, BAFTA, and Goya-qualifying festival ranks in the top 20 short film festivals globally and will be, fittingly, celebrating its 20^th anniversary this October.

“Show Me Shorts has been a labour of love from the beginning. What started as a small hobby project between a group of friends has blossomed into an internationally renowned beacon for movie lovers”, SMS director Gina Dellabarca says. “During the last two decades I’ve seen tens of thousands of brain-tingling stories, from the hearts and minds of talented creatives”.

To mark the massive milestone, this year’s programme will feature a 20^th Anniversary Retrospective collection that will showcase shorts from iconic Kiwi filmmakers on the 12^th of October. This provides film fans and fresh faces alike with the opportunity to revisit or discover shorts from acclaimed Kiwi creatives, including Jackie van Beek (Uphill), Sima Urale (Coffee & Allah), Hamish Bennett (Ross & Beth), and more.

15 world premieres will also be celebrated during the festival, plus the New Zealand premiere of Ray Edwards’ Kiwi coming-of-age story Ace. Be among the first to see 转人工 (Representative, Please) (China), Farm (NZ), Flagfall (NZ), Regarding Our Previous Conversation (NZ), Toad in the Hole (United Kingdom), Temporal (NZ), The Charm of the Magpies (NZ), and all eight of the Day One Shorts collection.

Each year, SMS chooses a country of focus, with 2025 presenting a creative collection of Chinese shorts. Several filmmakers will visit for screenings and discussions.

Speaking of discussions, aspiring filmmakers and cinephiles can partake in Wellington’s on the 14^th of October. Meet and hear stories from Kiwi Mīria George (Open Looks), Te Whanganui-a-Tara-based creative Tom Field (monster & me), and China’s Haojun Huang (End of Summer).

There are plenty of other collections too, including The Sampler, showcasing this year’s highlights; Aotearoa, chocka with Kiwi-made gems; Whānau Friendly, aimed at tamariki and their families; Love At All Costs, exploring matters of the heart; Lucid Dreams, featuring filmmakers with bold visions; Our Planet and Place, connecting us with the Earth and ancestral spirits; My Kind, focusing on selfhood and belonging; and Nightlife, embracing change and harnessing power.

Innovative and inclusive, SMS also provides collections with audio descriptions and closed captions both in cinemas and through their online platforms. In fact, a three-day online festival will be available at Show Me Shorts On Demand over Labour Weekend.

Sink into and soak up stories of the spectacular, surreal, simple, sensual, sincere, sour, and soulful at Show Me Shorts.