Action, comedy, romance, time travel, dancing, singing, explosions, an interstellar love story, mysterious disembodied hand, a giant gross pimple, and more feature in the top 18 films in the 2019 Vista Foundation 48Hours.

In June, 530 teams competed from seven regions across Aotearoa - these have been whittled down to 18 epic finalist films, 15 Grand Finalists and 3 Sir Peter Jackson Wildcards. 

Teams were given one of 13 genres and made a short film in just 48 hours including some technical elements in their films; an overhead shot, a laugh, a double-take and wind in their films to qualify for the awards.

Judged by 16 national and international judges including Sir Peter Jackson, there are 17 awards and $100,000 of prizes in cash and services to be presented on the night including the coveted Grand National Champion for 2019.

The star international judge for 2019 is Chris Weitz, an Academy Award-nominated writer/director and the mind behind some of the most iconic films of the past 20 years, including Antz, American Pie, The Golden Compass, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, About a Boy and one of the credited writers behind Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

"I was so impressed by many of the films from the 48Hours, and with what was able to be accomplished in such a short amount of time. It was also great to see New Zealand at the heart of some of the stories!"  says Grand Final Judge Maddie Do.

This event showcases New Zealand’s film-making talent in one of the most-subscribed film competitions in the country. The atmosphere is electric and the films will blow your mind! Show our local filmmakers your support, and get your ticket.

Bar open 6:30pm
Doors open 7:00pm
Show starts 7:30pm

Rated M

$2 per hour to a max of $12 on weekends and a $12 flat rate for weekday evenings at The Civic car park. Find out more

Last updated: 08 August 2019