The first Samoan feature film ever made cleaned up at the inaugural Sorta Unofficial New Zealand Film Awards (a.k.a the Moas) last night. The Orator – shot in Samoa, in the Samoan language, with a Samoan cast and story – took home all the night’s big awards: Best Feature, Best Director (Tusi Tamasese), Best Screenplay (Tusi Tamasese again!), Best Actor (Fa’afiaula), and Best Actress (Tausili Pushparaj) – going on to win a total of 8 Moas from 11 nominations!
Other winners on the night included Petra Brettkelly’s Maori Boy Genius (Best Documentary), Sam Peacocke (Best Documentary Director for Shihad: Beautiful Machine), Annie Collins (Best Editing for Two Little Boys) and Crighton Bone (Best Cinematography for The Most Fun You Can Have Dying). Honk If You’re Horny won Best Short Film, and the Moa for Best Self-Funded Short Film went to In Safe Hands. And it was wonderful to see the man, the myth, the Kiwi acting legend that is Andy Anderson receiving an award for Best Actor in a short film.
One of the biggest surprises of the night was Good for Nothing not winning Best Self-Funded Feature. It missed out to The Red House – which is apparently very good but hasn’t hit theatres yet. It was a shame to see brilliant films like Good for Nothing and How to Meet Girls from a Distance miss out, but such was the calibre of films nominated not everyone could leave with a striking Moa statuette.
As for the ceremony itself, orchestrators Ant Timpson and Hugh Sundae put on quite the show – yes, award shows can be fun! The crowd were entertained with the likes of faux international trailers for the Best Feature Film nominees, craftily put together video interviews (making fun of the likes of David Shearer), and the deadpan comedy stylings of Mr Sundae.
Directing legends Roger Donaldson and Lee Tamahori dropped in to present Best Feature, and it was a privilege to have chinwags with talented directors Rob Sarkies (Two Little Boys), Costa Botes (The Last Dogs of Winter) and Chris Pryor (How Far is Heaven) after the show.
So all-in-all… an outrageous success. Nice work, people.
Congrats to all the films, producers, directors, actors and crew who worked so hard to bring us this sumptuous feast of Kiwi flicks. If you haven’t caught any of these films yet, I highly recommend you do.
Here’s the full list of winners and nominees:
FEATURE
Best Film:
The Orator – WINNER
How to Meet Girls From a Distance
Two Little Boys
Good For Nothing
The Most Fun You Can Have Dying
Best Self-Funded Film:
Netherwood
Good For Nothing
We Feel Fine
The Red House – WINNER
Best Director:
Dean Hewison – How to Meet Girls From a Distance
Tusi Tamasese – The Orator – WINNER
Mike Wallis – Good For Nothing
Kirstin Marcon – The Most Fun You Can Have Dying
Robert Sarkies – Two Little Boys
Best Editing:
Simon Price – The Orator
Annie Collins – Two Little Boys – WINNER
Greg Daniels – Good For Nothing
Best Cinematography:
Leon Narbey – The Orator
Jac Fitzgerald – Two Little Boys
Crighton Bone – The Most Fun You Can Have Dying – WINNER
Best Actor:
Richard Falkner – How to Meet Girls From a Distance
Fa’afiaula Sagote – The Orator – WINNER
Bret McKenzie – Two Little Boys
Matt Whelan – The Most Fun You Can Have Dying
Best Actress:
Tandi Wright – Kiwi Flyer
Inge Rademeyer – Good For Nothing
Tausili Pushparaj – The Orator – WINNER
Madeleine Sami – Sione’s 2: Unfinished Business
Best Supporting Actor:
John Bach – Rest For The Wicked
Johnathan Brugh – How to Meet Girls From a Distance
Will Hall – Netherwood – WINNER
Best Supporting Actress:
Aidee Walker – How to Meet Girls From a Distance
Jessica Joy Wood – Sione’s 2: Unfinished Business
Salamasina Mataia – The Orator – WINNER
Best Screenplay:
Tusi Tamasese – The Orator – WINNER
Dean Hewison, Richard Falkner and Sam Dickson – How to Meet Girls From a Distance
Duncan Sarkies and Robert Sarkies – Two Little Boys
Best Visual Effects:
Steve Cronin and Paul Story – Good For Nothing
Frank Rueter and Jake Lee – The Devil’s Rock
Jon Baxter and Puck Murphy – Two Little Boys – WINNER
Best Costume Design:
Tristan McCallum – The Devil’s Rock
Kirsty Cameron – The Orator – WINNER
Amanda Neale – Two Little Boys
Best Makeup Design:
Davina Lamont, Sean Foot and Richard Taylor – The Devil’s Rock – WINNER
Linda Wall – Two Little Boys
Ryk Fortuna – Good For Nothing
Best Production Design:
Bruce Everard – The Most Fun You Can Have Dying – WINNER
Jules Cook – Two Little Boys
Rob Astley, Roger Guise and Pouoa Malae Lialia’i – The Orator
Best Score:
Grayson Gilmour – The Most Fun You Can Have Dying – WINNER
Don McGlashan and Dawn Raid – Sione’s 2: Unfinished Business
David Long – The Red House
Tim Prebble – The Orator
APRA Best Sound:
Tim Prebble, Chris Todd, Richard Flynn, Mike Hedges and Gilbert Lake – The Orator – WINNER
Dave Whitehead – Two Little Boys
Myk Farmer, Steve Finnigan and Chris Burt – Sione’s 2: Unfinished Business
DOCUMENTARY FILM
Best Documentary:
Pictures of Susan
How Far is Heaven
The Last Dogs of Winter
Maori Boy Genius – WINNER
Shihad: Beautiful Machine
Best Director:
Dan Salmon – Pictures of Susan
Miriam Smith and Christopher Pryor – How Far is Heaven
Costa Botes – The Last Dogs of Winter
Pietra Brettkelly – Maori Boy Genius
Sam Peacocke – Shihad: Beautiful Machine – WINNER
Best Cinematography:
Christopher Pryor – How Far is Heaven – WINNER
Ben Freedman – Pictures of Susan
Peter Young – The Last Ocean
Best Editing:
Christopher Pryor and Cushla Dillon – How Far is Heaven
Cushla Dillon – Shihad: Beautiful Machine – WINNER
Jonno Woodford-Robinson and Richard Lord – The Last Ocean
Richard Lord and Ken Sparks – When a City Falls
SHORT FILM
Best Short:
Home
Lambs
Whakatiki
I’m the One
Honk If You’re Horny – WINNER
Best Self-Funded Short:
In Safe Hands – WINNER
Dr Grordbort Presents: The Deadliest Game
The Girl With The Clover Tattoo
Brothers
Swansong
Best Script:
Sam Kelly – Lambs
Paola Morabito – I’m The One
Joe Lonie – Honk If You’re Horny – WINNER
Best Actor:
Waka Rowlands – Lambs
Jim Moriarty – Whakatiki
Andy Anderson – Honk If You’re Horny – WINNER
StarNow Best Actress:
Mabelle Dennison – Whakatiki – WINNER
Maya Stange – I’m The One
Anapela Polataivao – Night Shift
Best Cinematography:
Andrew Stroud – Ellen Is Leaving
Ari Wegner – Night Shift
Bonnie Elliott – I’m the One – WINNER
