Record entry numbers for 2012 Magma short film festival

Entries received for Rotorua District Council’s (RDC) annual Magma Short Film Festival which close today [Tuesday 24 January], have hit a record number since the festival’s inaugural event seven years ago.

RDC community arts officer and festival co-founder Kiri Jarden says the festival has gone from strength-to-strength with over 200 entries received this year from short film makers representing more than 30 countries.

“We were incredibly pleased to receive 150 high quality entries in the 2011 competition - it certainly promised good things for the future. To now reach over 200 entries even before the final count is a fantastic feat and further endorses our competition as a worthy short film event.”

The Magma Short Film Festival, taking place from April 27 to 29, offers five categories including Best NZ Funded, Best NZ Self Funded, Best Animation, Best International, and the Magma Supreme Award.

Ms Jarden says organisers are rapt to have also secured renowned film makers David Blyth whose films include Wound, Death Warmed Up and television documentaries Bound for Pleasure and Our Oldest Soldier, and director Roger Donaldson (The Bank Job, The World’s Fastest Indian, The Recruit, Species) as guest judges for this year’s event. National Radio film reviewer Simon Morris will judge the Magma Supreme Award.

“It’s awesome to have such experienced and well-regarded judges and film critics involved. It makes the judging of these films very robust and credible - something which film makers who submit to the festival appreciate. It follows in the tradition of many film festivals where judging panels are made up of industry people, so entrants are being critiqued by the very best of their peers.”

The Magma Short Film Festival is being held at Rotorua Civic Theatre from 27 to 29 April.