MA graduate's film takes top prize
Sam Kelly has won the 2012 New Zealand International Film Festival best short film competition.
Lambs, which premiered at the 34th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival earlier this year, has been awarded the $5000 Madman entertainment jury prize at the inaugural NZIFF short film competition, and also collected the audience award based on screenings in Auckland and Wellington.
'Lambs had the biggest heartbeat, a rawness, honesty and a wonderful humanity', said Juror and Madman Entertainment representative Michael Eldred.
Set in Cannons Creek, Porirua, Lambs tells the story of 14-year-old Jimmy who has to decide whether to stay in his abusive home to protect his younger siblings, or leave to start a new life of his own. The film was inspired by the stories of 'at risk' young people Kelly met in Wellington. 'I felt disturbed that children in my developed country were in survival mode, yet moved by the courage and heart that many of the kids showed.'
The mostly non-professional cast, including lead actor Waka Rowlands, was scouted at schools, supermarkets, boxing clubs and netball courts across the Wellington region.
Kelly completed the MA Scriptwriting stream in 2008.