Show Me Shorts Heads to Christchurch as 2026 Award Winners Are Announced

Show Me Shorts Film Festival arrives in Christchurch this week, with its Opening Night at Alice Cinemas on Wednesday 14 October already sold out. The Christchurch season continues until 25 October, with tickets still available for upcoming screenings.

Now in full swing, the 2026 festival features 65 short films selected from almost 2,500 submissions, including 14 world premieres of New Zealand productions. The programme brings together comedy, drama, animation, documentary, horror and science fiction, presented in ten themed collections.

Christchurch audiences can explore a range of programmes, including Aotearoa, celebrating local storytelling, The Sampler, featuring festival highlights, and Norwegian Short Film Focus, showcasing contemporary filmmaking from Norway.

For those interested in the filmmaking process, the festival will also host a Christchurch Filmmaker Talk on Monday 19 October at Alice Cinemas. The session features filmmakers Anna Frances Pearson, Isaac Giles and Samantha Jukes, who will screen their short films and discuss their experiences, followed by an opportunity to connect with fellow filmmakers.

Meanwhile, the festival is approaching its final sessions at The Capitol in Auckland and Light House Cuba in Wellington.

The 2026 Show Me Shorts Award Winners will be announced on Wednesday 14 October, with screenings of the winning films beginning that evening. The awards recognise achievements in directing, editing, screenwriting, cinematography, acting and short filmmaking, including the Oscar-qualifying Best New Zealand Film and Best International Film categories.

With screenings continuing at venues around Aotearoa until 31 October, audiences still have opportunities to discover emerging filmmakers and celebrate short-form storytelling.

For the full programme, screening times and tickets, visit  ⁠Show Me Shorts.

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