AWARD FINALISTS

Our 2023 nominees

All the podcasts, short films and web series competing for awards at #NZWF23.

Please find our 2023 award nominees below. All nominees are free to listen to and watch 6 – 13 November.

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Register here to enjoy all our podcasts, shorts and series.

ACTUAL PLAY

BEST HOST

Dark Dice
Party of One
Quest Friends
The Dirty Twenty
The Valkyrie Cycle

BEST CAST

Ain’t Slayed Nobody
Dark Dice
Quest Friends
The All Night Society
The Dirty Twenty

BEST PODCAST, ACTUAL PLAY

Ain’t Slayed Nobody
Dark Dice
Kill Every Monster
The All Night Society
The Dirty Twenty
Top of the Round

FICTION

BEST WRITING

Dice Tower Theatre
Experiment 31E
Muckey Landing
Starship Q Star
The Slightly Sleazy Speakeasy
Uncle Walter’s Year of Wonder

BEST PERFORMANCE

Don’t Mind Cruxmont
Fawx & Stallion
Muckey Landing
Small Victories
We’re Alive
Womb Envy

BEST SOUND DESIGN

Curious Matter
Dice Tower Theatre
Fire Pockets
Re: Dracula
Savage Waking
The Endless Elsewhere
The Rapscallion Agency

BEST CONCEPT

Curious Matter
Fawx & Stallion
Once Upon a Wasteland
Re: Dracula
Sidequesting
Subsister
The Apochrypha Chronicles

BEST PODCAST, STANDALONE FICTION

It’s a Wonderful Law & Order Life SVU
The Slightly Sleazy Speakeasy
The Something
Whistlebottom – A Trespasser’s Tale

BEST PODCAST, SERIES FICTION

Don’t Mind Cruxmont
Small Victories
Starship Q Star
Table Read
The Rapscallion Agency
Vampire: The Masquerade Port Saga

MUSIC VIDEO

BEST MUSIC VIDEO, INTERNATIONAL

Still Fighting, Canada
The Man with the Midas Touch, USA
Zé do Telhado, Portugal

BEST MUSIC VIDEO, NZ

Boofhead
Don’t Expect the World
Don’t Pop My Bubble
Glitter VIP
How I Miss You
Sportsman of the Year

SHORT DOCUMENTARY

BEST DIRECTING, SHORT DOCUMENTARY

Zakea Page, Ink and Gold, NZ
Brooke Benton, Preventing the Preventable, NZ
Alice Lolohea, Testimony, NZ
Matthieu Brajot, The Unencumbered Life of a French House Fly, USA
Kathleen Winter, Ultimately Lacks Polish, NZ
Justin Scott, What’s the Disabili-Tea: Misty Frequency, NZ

BEST FILM, SHORT DOCUMENTARY

Ink and Gold, NZ
Preventing the Preventable, NZ
Testimony, NZ
The Unencumbered Life of a French House Fly, USA
Turn the Corner, NZ
What’s the Disabili-Tea: Misty Frequency, NZ

INTERNATIONAL FICTION

BEST PERFORMANCE, INTERNATIONAL SHORT FICTION

Kain Baigent, A Piece of Work is Man, Australia
Joshua Leomiti, Fili, USA
Joshua Pangborn, Scratched, USA

BEST DIRECTING, INTERNATIONAL SHORT FICTION

Kain Baigent & Stig Wemyss, A Piece of Work is Man, Australia
Marcus Fehér, Aero Orange, Canada
Peter Filimaua, Fili, USA
Stuart Kiczek & Joshua R. Pangborn, Scratched, USA
Matt Bolin, The Adventures of Wolfdogg and Red Ridinghood, Australia

BEST FILM, INTERNATIONAL SHORT FICTION

A Piece of Work is Man, Australia
Aero Orange, Canada
Fili, USA
Scratched, USA
The Adventures of Wolfdogg and Red Ridinghood, Australia

NZ FICTION

BEST PERFORMANCE, NZ SHORT FICTION

Helene Wong, Death & Margaret
Joe Daymond, In The Zone
Dougie Mackie, Not Served On A Plate
Geraldine Creff, Not Served On A Plate
Romain Mereau, Solitaire
Loise Lindsay, Stop
Hamish Boyle, Strangers
Lisa Zhang, Strangers
Sophia Elisabeth, Umbra
Jorja Farrant, Woman

BEST WRITING, NZ SHORT FICTION

Sam Geri, Death & Margaret
Kahu Kaiha, Find Where I Belong
Shelley Waddams, Hand in Hand
Priya Lorenz & Vanessa Vandy, My Own Eyes
Bertrand Remaut, Not Served On A Plate
James Fink-Jensen, Strangers
Max Thomas & Jordan Jacques, Umbra
Sian Ledingham, Woman

BEST DIRECTING, NZ SHORT FICTION

Kahu Kaiha, Find Where I Belong
Shelley Waddams, Hand in Hand
Connor Pritchard, In The Zone
Seung-woo Hong, Letters
Bertrand Remaut, Not Served On A Plate
Thomas Stewardson, The Reunion
Joe Murdie, Walk
Sian Ledingham, Woman

BEST STUDENT FILM, NZ SHORT FICTION

Blue Cow
Revolt
Solitaire
Stop
The Reunion
Umbra
Woman

BEST FILM, NZ SHORT FICTION

Find Where I Belong
Hand in Hand
In The Zone
Not Served On A Plate
Stop
Umbra
Woman

OPEN CATEGORIES

BEST ANIMATED / PUPPETRY SHOW

Eva. Connected Through Time, Russia
Magical Caresses, Canada
Roadkill Rockband, New Zealand
The Great List of Everything, Canada

INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES

BEST TRAILER

Absolved, USA
Drag Heals, Canada
Geomapping Love
Incoming: The Wives, Australia
It’s A Cult, Australia
Walking Shadows, Australia
Who Is Joey Skaggs, USA
Womb Envy, Canada

BEST PILOT

Alpha/Beta, USA
As Dead As It Gets, Germany
Ashgreen, Italy
Bogan Moths, Australia
House of Switzerland, Switzerland
Made in Turkistan, Kazahkstan
Spook Siblings, Australia
Tales from the Dark Web, Australia

INTERNATIONAL FACTUAL

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, FACTUAL

Drag Heals, Canada
Fear, Lebanon
North Star, Canada
Restaurants, After It All, Canada
Rhythms of Italy, UK

BEST EDITING, FACTUAL

Canadiana, Canada
Drag Heals, Canada
Fear, Lebanon
Joey Skaggs: Walk Right, USA
North Star, Canada

BEST DIRECTING, FACTUAL

Canadiana, Canada
Decolonizing History, Canada
Drag Heals, Canada
Fear, Lebanon
North Star, Canada
Rhythms of Italy, UK

BEST SHOW, FACTUAL

Canadiana, Canada
Drag Heals, Canada
Fear, Lebanon
Joey Skaggs: Walk Right, USA
North Star, Canada

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE

BEST SCORE, NARRATIVE

Chateau Laurier, Canada
Forgotten Masters, Canada
Gay Mean Girls, Canada
It Came from the Tenth Floor, Brazil
Movers, Russia
Skeleton Crew, USA
Stupid Wife, Brazil
The Hunted: NYCSS, USA
Tokens, Canada
W, Luxembourg

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, NARRATIVE

Chateau Laurier, Canada
Gay Mean Girls, Canada
Headless, USA
Less Than Kosher, Canada
Like in Movies, Japan
Recife’s Greatest Love Story, Brazil
Revenge of the Black Best Friend, Canada
Stupid Wife, Brazil
The Hunted: NYCSS, USA
W, Luxembourg

BEST EDITING, NARRATIVE

Chateau Laurier, Canada
Gay Mean Girls, Canada
Headless, USA
Less Than Kosher, Canada
Liminal, Australia
Medea, UK
Streams Flow From A River, Canada
Stupid Wife, Brazil
The Universe Conspires, Uruguay
W, Luxembourg

BEST ENSEMBLE, NARRATIVE

8.30pm at Mathieu’s, Canada
Headless, USA
Incoming: The Wives, Australia
Like in Movies, Japan
Skeleton Crew, USA
Shambleton, Australia
The Hunted: NYCSS, USA
The Universe Conspires, Uruguay
Tokens, Canada
Walking Shadows, Australia

BEST ACTING, NARRATIVE

David Ogrodowski, Absolved, USA
Luke Humphrey, Chateau Laurier, Canada
Kate Leckie, Chateau Laurier, Canada
Ken Lawson, Forgotten Masters, Canada
Jenna Phoa, Gay Mean Girls, Canada
Mel House, Hot Angry Mom, USA
Maico Silveira, It Came from the Tenth Floor, Brazil
Juliana del Rosso, It Came from the Tenth Floor, Brazil
Shaina Silver-Baird, Less Than Kosher, Canada
Mariana Lewis, Medea, UK
Olunike Adeliyi, Revenge of the Black Best Friend, Canada
Priscila Reis, Stupid Wife, Brazil
Priscila Buiar, Stupid Wife, Brazil
Catherine Elsen, W, Luxembourg
Daniel Fernandes, Womb Envy, Canada

BEST WRITING, NARRATIVE
(not English language)

Enclave, France
It Came from the Tenth Floor, Brazil
Like in Movies, Japan
Movers, Russia
Recife’s Greatest Love Story, Brazil
Stupid Wife, Brazil
The Universe Conspires, Uruguay
Tutopique, France
W, Luxembourg

BEST WRITING, NARRATIVE
(English Language)

Chateau Laurier, Canada
Forgotten Masters, Canada
Gay Mean Girls, Canada
Headless, USA
Hot Angry Mom, USA
Illuminagents, Canada
Incoming: The Wives, Australia
Less Than Kosher, Canada
Shambleton, Australia
Tokens, Canada

BEST DIRECTING, NARRATIVE

Chateau Laurier, Canada
Gay Mean Girls, Canada
Headless, USA
Illuminagents, Canada
Incoming: The Wives, Australia
Like in Movies, Japan
Stupid Wife, Brazil
Tokens, Canada
W, Luxembourg
Walking Shadows, Australia

BEST SHOW, NARRATIVE
(not English Language)

Enclave, France
It Came from the Tenth Floor, Brazil
Like in Movies, Japan
Lost in Moldova, Moldova
Movers, Russia
Recife’s Greatest Love Story, Brazil
Stupid Wife, Brazil
The Universe Conspires, Uruguay
W, Luxembourg
Wipe Me Away, Canada

BEST SHOW, NARRATIVE
(English Language)

Chateau Laurier, Canada
Gay Mean Girls, Canada
Headless, USA
Illuminagents, Canada
Incoming: The Wives, Australia
Less Than Kosher, Canada
Medea, UK
Revenge of the Black Best Friend, Canada
Skeleton Crew, USA
Tokens, Canada

NZ CATEGORIES

BEST TRAILER

Ahikāroa
Find Where I Belong
The 9 to 5ers

BEST PILOT

Blind Bitter Happiness
Social Typical
Te Pāmu Kūmara
Well Well Wellness

FACTUAL

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, FACTUAL

2000s Baby
Chris & Eli’s Porn Revolution
Conversations With My Immigrant Parents
Fight or Flight
Journey to New Edinburgh
K Road Chronicles
No Place Like Home
POV
Scratched: Heath Davis
What’s the Disabili-Tea

BEST EDITING, FACTUAL

2000s Baby
Chris & Eli’s Porn Revolution
ConspiraSeries
Fight or Flight
Scratched: Heath Davis
Unravelling Anxiety
What’s the Disabili-Tea
When Bob Came

BEST DIRECTING, FACTUAL

Chris & Eli’s Porn Revolution
ConspiraSeries
Conversations With My Immigrant Parents
Dating While Asian
Journey to New Edinburgh
K Road Chronicles
No Place Like Home
When Bob Came

BEST SHOW, FACTUAL

2000s Baby
Chris & Eli’s Porn Revolution
Conversations With My Immigrant Parents
Fight or Flight
K Road Chronicles
TransGenerations

NARRATIVE WEBSERIES

BEST SCORE, NARRATIVE

Ahikāroa
Blind Bitter Happiness
Brutal Lives
Sky Tower
Well Well Wellness

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, NARRATIVE

Ahikāroa
Blind Bitter Happiness
Social Typical
Sky Tower
The 9 to 5ers

BEST EDITING, NARRATIVE

Ahikāroa
Blind Bitter Happiness
Brutal Lives
Sky Tower
Well Well Wellness

BEST ENSEMBLE, NARRATIVE

Ahikāroa
Blind Bitter Happiness
Brutal Lives
Social Typical
Sky Tower
Te Pāmu Kūmara

BEST ACTING, NARRATIVE

Turia Schmidt-Peke, Ahikāroa
Nepia Takuira-Mita, Ahikāroa
Joe Folau, Brutal Lives
Saane Green, Brutal Lives
José de Abreu, Sky Tower
Kararaina Rangihau, Te Pāmu Kūmara

BEST WRITING, NARRATIVE

Ahikāroa
Blind Bitter Happiness
Brutal Lives
Social Typical
Sky Tower
Te Pāmu Kūmara

BEST DIRECTING, NARRATIVE

Ahikāroa
Blind Bitter Happiness
Brutal Lives
Sky Tower
Well Well Wellness

BEST SHOW, NARRATIVE

Ahikāroa
Brutal Lives
Sky Tower
The 9 to 5ers