Baycourt Community & Arts Centre will roll out the red carpet for the 2017 International Youth Silent Film New Zealand Regional Awards Final, which returns to Tauranga this November.

The IYSFF is an international competition challenging filmmakers, aged 20 and under, to create a three-minute silent film set to one of 10 musical scores composed especially for the festival.

This year 35 entries adhering to the IYSFF's rules criteria were accepted for judging, and following robust discussion by a panel of jurors, the top 12 silent films have now been selected and will be celebrated at the red-carpet awards night at Baycourt on Wednesday November 22.

All of the top 12 silent films will be screened during the New Zealand Regional Awards Final, with each film to feature live musical accompaniment from award-winning organist and the international festival's composer Nathan Avakian, who is travelling from the United States and will be playing Baycourt's mighty Wurlitzer Organ.

The IYSFF made its New Zealand debut at the Tauranga community and arts centre in 2016, and Baycourt manager Megan Peacock Coyle says last year's entries set the bar very high.

'Unbelievably, the 2017 entries have raised the bar even higher and we are blown away by the quality, craftsmanship, and storytelling of this year's batch of films.

'Thank you to all of those young filmmakers who entered the IYSFF New Zealand regionals this year, because without your films and your wonderful creativity we simply wouldn't have a competition.”

Filmmakers are competing for a total cash prize pool of $6500 across 10 category awards, with the winners of each category to be chosen by 2017 celebrity judges – actor, scriptwriter and director Tim Balme, and Bay of Plenty Film CEO and director Anton Steel.

The awards include a $2000 first place prize sponsored by the New Zealand Broadcasting School, a $1500 second place prize sponsored by the University of Waikato, a $1000 third place prize sponsored by Priority One, and a $750 highly recommended prize sponsored by South Pacific Pictures.

Also up for grabs are five $250 prizes sponsored by Metro Marketing (Best Director), Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology (Best Actor & Best Cinematography/Special FX), Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School (Best Production Design), Campbell Squared (Editing), and Bay of Plenty Film (Best Shot).

'I would like to congratulate the top 12 filmmakers selected this year, each of your films are simply outstanding and we hope you enjoyed making them as much as we enjoyed watching them. We cannot wait to screen your films and share your talents with the world at the New Zealand Regional Awards Final on November 22,” says Megan.

Ahead of the final, all of the 35 films that were accepted for judging this year will be screened at Baycourt on Tuesday November 21, from 4.30pm. Entry is free.

The 2017 International Youth Silent Film Festival New Zealand Regional Awards Final is on at Baycourt Community and Arts Centre's Addison Theatre on at 7pm, Wednesday November 22.

Tickets cost $12 for adults, entry is free for children aged 14 and under. Tickets are available online from www.ticketek.co.nz or over the counter at the Baycourt Box Office on Durham Street, Tauranga.