FAQ’s

Can I Get Help From Anyone Over 24?

In selecting winning films the judges will be looking for films which are evidently made by young people and not made for young people. Sometimes older people will help a young filmmaker to make their film. That is OK. But if someone over 24 helps a young filmmaker or team to make a film for The Someday Challenge it is important that their help is supportive of the young filmmaker or team to make their own creative and editorial decisions. They must not make those decisions on behalf of the young filmmaker or team. Anyone operating the equipment necessary to make a film for The Someday Challenge (eg the camera or the editing computer) must themselves be eligible to enter the challenge. So if you can't operate the equipment yourself you need to team up with another young person who can. That person can be older than you but, like you, they must be no older than 24.

Can My Actors Be Over 24?

Anyone of any age can appear in a film for The Someday Challenge, including as an actor.

How Will My Film Be Judged?

To decide if your film is to be one of the 10 Winning Films, the Judging Team will be asking themselves these questions:

  1. Is the film relevant to the theme of sustainability and does it show us your 'outlook for someday'?
  2. Are the idea(s) and/or message(s) clear?
  3. How well does the visual and audio approach support the idea(s) and/or message(s)?
  4. How well does the visual and audio quality support the content of the film?
  5. Is the film original / creative / distinctive / powerful / challenging / inspiring / funny?
  6. Does the film just grab the judges and demand to be chosen for a reason they can't explain?
That last question is our 'wildcard' question. Sometimes a film is a great film precisely because it doesn't fit with existing ideas, guidelines or formulas. It just stands out. We think the starting point for a film like that is when you decide to make a film about something you really care about. And finally, if you want to win, remember that quality and content are both important. If your film has great ideas but we can’t see it or hear it properly, then those great ideas are wasted on the Judges. And if it’s a technical masterpiece but a boring imitation of something else, then all those techniques are wasted too.

Can I / My Team Send More Than One Entry?

Yes

Does My Film Have To Be Made This Year?

No, it’s OK to enter a film that was made in the past – as long as it conforms to all the entry requirements for The Someday Challenge. So if you made a film in the past which you would like to enter into The Someday Challenge and the film is longer than 5 minutes then you may need to cut it down to a shorter version.

Can I Enter My Film Elsewhere?

Yes, that's fine. We don't mind if you have entered your film into another film challenge or competition or if you are planning to.

How Large Can My Team Be?

There is no limit to how many members you have in your film-making team. If you have more team members than the spaces available for them on the second page of the Entry Form then you just need to print more copies of that page so you can provide details for each member of your team.

Can I Be In More Than One Team?

Yes

Do I Need to Translate My Film If It Is Not In English?

Yes. For example, if your film has Te Reo Māori in it – which we encourage for the Whakatipuranga Award – you need to provide a translation script so that all of the judges can understand the film, not just the judges who speak Te Reo. The translation script needs to be line-by-line for each piece of dialogue, narration, titles or captions.