DEGANZ Members Show Their Shorts at Show Me Shorts 2026
This October, Show Me Shorts is bringing over 100 screenings to 40 cinemas across Aotearoa, with 11 DEGANZ members selected across the 2026 programme.
Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa NZ’s leading international short film festival, connecting audiences with short films from around the world while championing local filmmakers. It is one of Aotearoa’s most prestigious programmes to screen in as an Oscar, BAFTA and GOYA-qualifying festival.
Check out the full list of DEGANZ’s members involved below:
Aotearoa Strand
Beautiful stories of our land and our people. The films in this collection showcase the work of talented Aotearoa New Zealand short film makers. Bold coming-of-age films sit alongside thoughtful drama, silly comedic fun, inventive fantasy, and warm-hearted documentary. We explore unlikely friendships, face our past, and step into the unfolding future.
Kurī
Editor: Sam Small
Producer: Julie Zhu
Kurī hasn’t been back to Te Urewera since she was bitten by a dog as a child. After her father’s passing, Kurī must face her grief and go home – whether she’s ready to or not.
Lucky Luke
Director: Jesse Griffin
Eighteen-year-old Luke’s morning sleep-in is disrupted by his solo mum, with the news that their domestic set-up is transitioning from mother and son to flatmates.
The Owl and the Rainbow
Director: Jo Luping
Writer: Lynda Chanwai-Earle
Based on a true story, a mother must find the courage to soar to the moon and battle the creature of death, or lose her daughter forever.
The Return
Editor: Alex Boyd
When Lupesina answers her ancestors’ call, she must find acceptance of herself, or risk being stuck in the in-between.
Six Minute Supplement
Writer/Director/Producer: Sinead Lau
A brother and sister overdose on entitlement when a sample drug swaps their bodies.
Day One Shorts Strand
Show Me Shorts is proud to present this collection of new short films, commissioned and supported by Day One Hāpai te Haeata. The shorts are made by talented young filmmakers who are interested in exploring stories about building resilience, ancestral memory, connection to others and finding their place in the world. They are boldly taking story risks, pushing the envelope, and looking to the future.
Silver Lining
Writer/Director/Producer: Harriett Maire
Editor: Josh Yong
Approaching 25 years with a chronic illness, Harriett Maire explores how it feels to live with type 1 diabetes.
Mutually Assured Destruction
Writer/Director: Connor Amor-Bendall
Editor: Sam Small
A casual drink between four exes quickly sours into queer chaos when a long-buried secret surfaces, putting whatever hope they have of friendship on the line.
The Sampler Strand
Taste a selection of highlight short films from Show Me Shorts Film Festival. These inspiring and thoughtful stories include long-distance love on a distant planet, precocious children up to mischief, a whole town waiting for bad luck to pass, and a man stuck in a time loop. Comedy, science fiction, romance, and coming-of-age classics abound.
Socks
Writer/Director: Todd Karehana
In small-town NZ, a young Māori boy feels an unexpected bond with a Mormon missionary.
Ciggie
Editor: Scott Milligan
In the bush behind their suburban houses, two children tell stories, tease, and confide in each other, all while sharing their first cigarette.
Run For Your Life Strand
Prepare to fear. The zombies are coming. A worm is giving you dark orders. And the coyotes are out there. Do not open the door or drink from that chalice. Strange creatures lurk, and our deepest fears can be brought to life in this decidedly frightful collection of short films.
Scared Old Men
Director/Editor: Stella Reid
Music video for the song ‘Scared Old Men’ by Dick Move. Screaming at the violent and decaying patriarchal system that shapes the world through fear, control and suppression.
Odd Balls & Absurd Calls Strand
In this collection of short films, we explore intriguing worlds that are just one step from reality. We look through lenses of strangeness and meet amusingly unusual characters in odd settings: a puppet having an existential crisis, two Kung Fu masters on a date, an artist searching for the perfect thrift-store find, and a poet trapped in a society that frowns on talking. It’s an inventive reverie you won’t want to wake from.
埋單 (Let’s Settle This!)
Writer/Director/Editor: Jack Woon
Elle and Winson are brought together by a dating app – or is it fate? After their date, they must settle the bill…and an ancient blood feud.
Whānau Friendly Strand
In this collection of short films for children and their families, cute animals and inquisitive insects spring to life in vibrant stories. Characters learn about kindness, curiosity, and heart as they defeat negativity and overcome bullying by working together—with a dose of magic and explosions for good measure! Find out why this is one of the most popular sections of Show Me Shorts.
Lemonade
Writer/Director/Editor: Logan Sutherland
In the cutthroat business world of lemonade stands, the sister/brother dream team of Suzy and Jack descend into bitter rivals as they chase success and sweet profits.
Last updated on 24 September 2026
