James Napier Robertson’s The Dark Horse galloped away with six gongs at the end of a spirited NZ Film Awards.
Tom Hern accepts the Best Film award for the Dark Horse
On the way into the ceremony, The Dead Lands had led the way with 14 nominations, one ahead of The Dark Horse 13. By the end, there were several multiple award winners, but no whitewash to match Shopping’s domination of the 2013 awards. It was a fitting result, but the calibre of nominees leaving empty-handed was a bittersweet reminder of what a strong year it has been for local titles.
The Dark Horse, The Dead Lands, Everything We Loved, Hip Hop-eration and What We Do in the Shadows all collected more than one gong in the narrative and doco feature categories. Hip Hop-eration came closest to sweeping the board taking three of the four doco gongs.
The Dark Horse was, as expected, the largest winner although What We Do in the Shadows ran it close. Cliff Curtis predictably took the Best Actor award, especially after winning at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ ceremony in Brisbane the night before the NZFA. Accepting the Best Doco gong, producer Paula Jones was one of few to bother thanking the NZFC.
In the NZ On Air Best Television Feature, Paula Boock and Donna Malane’s Lippy Pictures had two nominations, for Field Punishment No 1 and Pirates of the Airwaves. Desert Road’s Consent: the Louise Nicholas Story took the gong for the night, drawing a standing ovation for Louise Nicholas, who appeared on stage with Desert Road’s Steven O’Meagher.
In the Shorts categories Matthew Saville’s Show Me Shorts winner, the now Oscar-qualified Dive, didn’t feature at all. Two films took two awards each, Ross and Beth winning Best Actor and Cinematography, while Eleven took the Script and Best Short awards, the latter gong prompting the least sober of the acceptance speeches.
The NZFA, or Moas, were handed out at a ceremony in Auckland on Friday 12 December.
The 2014 winners are (marked ***):
FEATURES
Rialto Channel Best Film
*** The Dark Horse
Everything We Loved
Housebound
The Dead Lands
The Last Saint
Flying Fish Best Director
James Napier Robertson
*** James Napier Robertson, The Dark Horse
Max Currie , Everything We Loved
Gerard Johnstone, Housebound
Toa Fraser, The Dead Lands
Rene Naufahu, The Last Saint
Peter Yealands Wines Best Actor
Cliff Curtis
*** Cliff Curtis, The Dark Horse
Matt Whelan, 3 Mile Limit
Nathan Meister, Realiti
James Rolleston, The Dead Lands
Beulah Koale, The Last Saint
Peter Yealands Wines Best Actress
Sia Trokenheim takes the Best Actress gong from Karl Urban
Morgana O’Reilly, Housebound
Michelle Langstone, Realiti
Joy Vaele Lia, The Last Saint
Antonia Prebble, The Cure
Peter Yealands Wines Best Supporting Actor
*** James Rolleston, The Dark Horse
Wayne Hapi, The Dark Horse
Leighton Cardno, Jake
Lawrence Makoare, The Dead Lands
Jonathan Brugh, What We Do in the Shadows
Peter Yealands Wines Best Supporting Actress
*** Jackie van Beek, What We Do in the Shadows
Raukura Turei, The Dead Lands
Sophia Huybens, The Last Saint
Vanessa Rare, The Z-Nail Gang
Rima Te Wiata, Housebound
Best Screenplay
*** James Napier Robertson, The Dark Horse
Max Currie, Everything We Loved
Chad Taylor, Realiti
Glenn Standring, The Dead Lands
Rene Naufahu, The Last Saint
Park Road Post Best Self Funded Film
*** What We Do in the Shadows
Jake
Realiti
3 Mile Limit
The Z-Nail Gang
NZ On Air Best Television Feature
Louise Nicholas and Desert Road’s Steven O’Meagher
*** Consent: The Louise Nicholas Story
Erebus: Operation Overdue
The Kick
Field Punishment No 1
Pirates of the Airwaves
MAC Best Makeup Design
*** Davina Lamont, The Dead Lands
Jacinta Driver, Housebound
Brae Toia and Julie Clark, I Survived a Zombie Holocaust
Jane O’Kane, The Dark Horse
Dannelle Satherly, What We Do in the Shadows
Best Costume Design
*** Barbara Darragh, The Dead Lands
Lissy Patterson, Housebound
Gabrielle Stevenson, The Cure
Kristin Seth, The Dark Horse
Amanda Neale, What We Do in the Shadows
Images & Sound Best Visual Effects
*** George Zwier, The Dead Lands
Peter McCully, 3 Mile Limit
Matthew Westbrooke, Housebound
Sam Scott, I Survived a Zombie Holocaust
Stan Alley, What We Do in the Shadows
Bigpop Studios Best Sound
*** Simon Riley, Mike Hedges, Tim Chaproniere, What We Do in the Shadows
Ben Sinclair, Erewhon
Franklin Road Sound Post Production, Housebound
Chris Todd, Nick Buckton, Pete Smith, Tim Champroniere, Fred Enholmer, The Dark Horse
James Hayday, The Dead Lands
Best Score
*** Dana Lund, The Dark Horse
Tom Mcleod, 3 Mile Limit
Rachel Shearer, Erewon
Victoria Kelly, Realiti
Don McGlashan, The Dead Lands
Mandy Best Editor
*** Cushla Dillon, Orphans & Kingdoms
Dan Kircher, Everything We Loved
Peter Roberts, The Dark Horse
Dan Kircher, The Dead Lands
Eric de Beus, The Last Saint
Best Production Design
*** Ra Vincent, What We Do in the Shadows
Jane Bucknell & Anya Whitlock, Housebound
Kim Sinclair, The Dark Horse
Grant Major, The Dead Lands
Brant Fraser, The Last Saint
Queenstown Camera Arri Best Cinematography
*** Dave Garbett, Everything We Loved
DJ Stipsen, 3 Mile Limit
Simon Riera, Housebound
Simon Raby, Orphans & Kingdoms
Denson Baker, The Dark Horse
Letterboxd Best Poster Design
*** Andrejs Skuja, Johnny Lyon, Housebound
Kirk Bremner, Luke Bremner, A Motel and a Hard Place
Rene Naufahu & Farini Jnr., The Last Saint
Alastair Tye Samson, Doug Dillaman & Lucas Brooking, Jake
Jeremy Saunders, The Dead Lands
DOCUMENTARIES
Best Documentary
The team behind Hip Hop-eration
*** Hip Hop-eration
Erebus: Operation Overdue
Voices of the Land Nga Reo o te Whenua
Cap Bocage
Hot Air
Best Documentary Director
*** Bryn Evans, Hip Hop-eration
Peter Burger, & Charlotte Purdy, Erebus: Operation Overdue
Paul Wolffram, Voices of the Land – Nga Reo o te Whenua
Jim Marbrook, Cap Bocage
Gerard Smyth, Aunty and the Star People
NZ Broadcasting School at CPIT Best Documentary Cinematography
*** Bevan Crothers, Hip Hop-eration
Toby Ricketts, Manila – No Limitations
Alun Bollinger, Voices of the Land – Nga Reo o te Whenua
James Ellis, Dave Perry, Into the Void
Gerard Smyth & Jacob Bryant, Aunty and the Star People
Lotech Best Documentary Editor
*** Simon Coldrick, Erebus: Operation Overdue
Annie Collins, Voices of the Land – Nga Reo o te Whenua
Peter Roberts, Hip Hop-eration
Jim Marbrook and Prisca Bouchet, Cap Bocage
Abi King-Jones, Hot Air
SHORT FILMS
Canon Best Short Film
Kate Prior accepting the Best Short gong, and also the winner of the Short Film script award
*** Eleven
Ross & Beth
The Tide Keeper
The Keeper
Whisker
Halcyon Digital Best Self-Funded Short Film
*** Skin
Mi Amigo Mandarina
The Last Night
Over the Moon
A Lesson on Probability
Actors Agents Association of NZ Best Short Film Actor
*** John Clarke, Ross & Beth
Charlie Bleakley, Coconut
Alan James Drum-Garcia, Mi Amigo Mandarina
Cohen Holloway, The Last Night
Elliot Travers, Mis-Drop
Actors Agents Association of NZ Best Short Film Actress
*** Tahei Simpson, Home
Anna Jullienne, Over The Moon
Phoebe McLeod, Snip
Morgan Albrecht, After Wonderland
Hayley Sproull, School Night
PLS Best Cinematography in a Short Film
*** Grant McKinnon, Ross & Beth
Ben Montgomery, Chris Pryor, The Tide Keeper
Germain McMicking, The Keeper
Ian McCarroll, Whisker
Mathew Knight, The Last Night
NZ Herald Online Best Short Film Script
*** Kate Prior, Eleven
Alyx Duncan, The Tide Keeper
Charlie Bleakley & Cohen Holloway, Coconut
Tom Furniss, Mi Amigo Mandarina
Hamish Bennett, Ross & Beth
SPECIAL AWARDS
Services to Cinema
Cinematographer Leon Narbey
