A short film set in Central has scored the top gong at the New Zealand Nationals for the International Youth Silent Film festival (IYSFF) in Tauranga last week (November 16).

Crash was directed and written by 12-year-old Ben Young and recently aired at the Bannockburn Arts Festival exhibition.

Along with placing first, Crash was recognised with a raft of other awards: Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, and the Bay of Plenty Choice Award.

Ben said he was extremely nervous at the awards ceremony especially after seeing the other finalists.

“Never in a million years would I have pictured the final product looking as amazing as it does.”

He will attend the global awards show for the IYSFF in Portland, Oregon in June 2023 and said he will use his $1,500 prize to help him to get there and put Bannockburn “on the big screen in front of Hollywood judges”. 

The film was shot in the Bannockburn sluicings and alongside Lake Dunstan. It features family (Ben’s sister and cousin), friends and neighbours of his aunt, who has a home in Bannockburn where Ben spends a lot of time.

Set in the 1930s, the film has won other awards including an award for excellence in the IndieFest film awards in the USA and reached the semi finals in the international section of the Australian Independent Film Festival. 

View the movie here.

Ben asked those involved in the film what they would do if they won, view their reactions here.

Ben he said he wants to keep making films: “Making them even better, more interesting and more fun”.

Read the Central App’s earlier story about Ben here.