Interview with Gina Dellabarca – SHOW ME SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL

Featuring 40 of the best short films made in New Zealand and around the world, Show Me Shorts Film Festival runs from 1 – 28  November in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Twizel, Tauranga, Whitanga.

This is the seventh annual Show Me Shorts Film Festival so I thought it was time we found out more about it!

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, I’m Gina Dellabarca, Festival Director and co-founder of Show Me Shorts. Story lover, film cheerleader, optimist, tree hugger, star gazer, water ballerina, space cowboy, gangster of love (not the last two).

Can you tell us the history behind the Show Me Shorts Festival?

There once was a group of four friends who enjoyed drinking wine, gossip and coming up with interesting projects to work on together. There was also a country of people renowned around the world for being short film making geniuses, but an evil lack of opportunities for them to see those short films on their screens. So the four friends set up Show Me Shorts, back in 2006, and the people rejoiced and lived they happily ever after in a world where every November short films sprouted from cinema screens.

Gina Dellabarca, Festival Director and co-founder of Show Me Shorts

What can you tell us about the kinds of films featured this year?

We have some of the best short films in the world screening this year. We host the world premiere of ‘50% off Mail Order Bride’, a Kiwi comedy about a man who falls in love, but is already married… to a mail-order robot. There’s an Israeli comedy about a talking dog, called Gentledog. A documentary about an an Auckland synchronised cycling group called ‘The Velociteers.’ Two zombie films, several hard hitting dramas fresh from award winning appearances at international festivals like Cannes and Toronto. The directorial debut of actress Aidee Walker (Outrageous Fortune’s Draska) is a romance about love overcoming all, even really shitty eyesight. There’s something for everyone, and the films are divided up into easily palatable themed sessions of about seven short films. The themes are: Explorers, Comedy Corner, Love & Other Catastrophes, My Hero, Nerds’ Revenge, and Unrestricted Access.

50% Off Mail Order Bride – one of the films at this years festival

How do you think the current economic problems are affecting film makers and the subject matter they chose?

Last year we saw loads of films about food and indulgence, and we thought this was a reaction against the global financial crisis. This year the overriding theme to emerge is heroes. Like us, filmmakers are inspired by people who achieve great things in science, art and business. But sometimes the real heroes are your Mum and Dad, the man who stops to ask if you’re OK when you’re crying in the street, or the woman who works all night to provide for her kids. Many of the films in the programme this year are a tribute to all our heroes, both small and great.

Where can people see the Show Me Shorts Festival?

Everywhere! Show Me Shorts is in the Auckland region from 1-11 November at Capitol Cinema, Pukekohe Cinema, Waiheke Island Community Cinema, Matakana Cinema, and The Internationalist restaurant in Rothesay Bay. Then around the rest of the country from 8 November.

Are you allowed a favourite?

It changes daily, but at the moment I’m loving ‘CatCam.‘ It’s an American documentary about an engineer who adopts a stray cat and wonders where it goes every day. So he builds a tiny camera and attaches it to the collar. The resulting photos are surprising and wonderful, and became a global internet sensation! This film features in our Unrestricted Access session, and is not to be missed!

Kiwi’s are having a huge impact within the film industry internationally how do you think this festival can impact on a film makers career?

Show Me Shorts is hopefully a stepping stone on the path to glory and success for the rising stars of the Kiwi film industry. It’s a great place for the public to observe the next generation of talented filmmakers, and what their new voices have to offer.

Tell us why we should come to the Show Me Short Festival?

Come because you want to see the Swiss film ‘Parallel’ about a man travelling through parallel worlds, or the beautiful documentary ‘Kia Kaha’ about families coping in earthquake ravaged Christchurch. Come because you love Tammy Davis (Outrageous Fortune’s Munter) and want to see his new short film ‘Sonny; MyOlder Brother’. Come and be moved, inspired and swept away into another world!

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