Young Kiwi filmmakers have less than a month to get their entries in for the International Youth Silent Film Festival – IYSFF - New Zealand Nationals 2022.

The IYSFF is an annual global competition challenging young filmmakers, aged 20 and under, as of April 15, 2022 from across the United States of America, Montenegro, Hungary, Australia, The United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand.

Competitors create a three-minute silent film set to one of 10 musical scores composed specifically for the festival.

There are prizes for the top three placed films, plus seven ‘Best Of' category awards to be won. In addition, the top two films will represent New Zealand at the IYSFF Global Awards 2023 in Portland, Oregon, US.

IYSFF Global Awards 2022 supreme winner Dylan Pritchard. Photo: Supplied.

'I would highly recommend getting together with your mates and coming up with something to enter into this competition, says New Zealander and the IYSFF Global Awards 2022 supreme winner Dylan Pritchard.

'Some really amazing stuff can come from some creative minds cooperating on projects like these.”

The 19-year-old Napier filmmaker, who placed second in the IYSFF NZ Nationals 2021, won first place at the global awards with his animated film ‘The Climb', which 2022 celebrity juror Tom Desanto – producer of X Men and Transformers - hailed as an amazing piece of work that 'accomplished so much heart and so much technical finesse”.

A scene from 'The Climb' by Dylan Pritchard. Image: Supplied.

Along with the adulation from the panel of three celebrity jurors and being dubbed ‘best of the best' globally in 2022, Dylan also took home a cash prize of US $3000 for ‘The Climb'.

After two years of hosting online ceremonies due to the pandemic, in 2022 the top 15 Kiwi filmmakers will walk the red carpet at the New Zealand National Awards Final when the ceremony returns to the home of the IYSFF in New Zealand at the Addison Theatre in Tauranga's Baycourt Community & Arts Centre on Wednesday November 16.

IYSFF founder Jon ‘JP' Palanuk. Photo: Supplied.

The New Zealand organising team are also thrilled to announce that in attendance this year will be American philanthropist and IYSFF founder Jon ‘JP' Palanuk, along with official composer Nathan Avakian who will perform the top 15 films' soundtracks live on Baycourt's mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ.

'The IYSFF provides an amazing opportunity for young Kiwi creatives to share their stories and imagination with all of Aotearoa, and indeed, globally too,” says Baycourt manager Reena Snook.

'We love it when the entries start rolling in, and we're blown away every year by the superb quality of the films. I encourage anyone still debating whether to get involved this year to take the plunge – join the hundreds of other young creatives across the world as they celebrate the art of filmmaking and storytelling.”

The IYSFF official composer Nathan Avakian. Photo: Brydie Photography.

The IYSFF NZ Nationals 2022 is delivered with support from major media partner The Breeze Tauranga 95.8FM.

For rules, soundtracks, or to make a submission visit the IYSFF's website at www.makesilentfilm.com or for more information about the IYSFF NZ National 2022 competition visit www.baycourt.co.nz/iysffnz

Submissions for the 2022 competition close at 11.59pm on Thursday September 1.

For more information or to enter, visit the IYSSF's global website at www.makesilentfilm.com

What is the International Youth Silent Film Festival?

The IYSFF is an annual global competition challenging young filmmakers, aged 20 and under (as of April 15, 2021) from across the United States of America, Montenegro, Hungary, Australia, The United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand to create a three-minute silent film set to one of 10 musical scores composed specifically for the festival by award-winning organist and composer Nathan Avakian.

For each submission, filmmakers must choose one of the 10 pre-recorded musical themes upon which to base the film: Charmed, Action, Horror, Slapstick, Mystery, Science Fiction, Western, Noir, Discovery, and this year's new soundtrack Reflection.

The festival was founded in 2009 by Jon ‘JP' Palanuk who, after attending a live theatre organ concert at the time, was so inspired by what he heard that he decided to create a competition for young filmmakers to create their own silent movies. The global competition made its New Zealand debut at Baycourt Community & Arts Centre in Tauranga in 2016.

The top two films from the IYSFF NZ Nationals 2021 will compete in the IYSFF Global Awards Show traditionally held at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon, United States, in 2022.

Baycourt's ‘Mighty Wurli'

Tauranga is fortunate to have a Wurlitzer Organ (A.K.A The ‘Mighty Wurli') which is the largest type of musical instrument in the world. There are only three Wurlitzers in New Zealand, and Tauranga's is the only one in such an original condition.

Nathan Avakian playing the Wurlitzer in 2018. Photo: Brydie Photography.

The theatre organ consists of a console that dramatically rises from beneath the stage, connected to thousands of pipes; a piano keyboard, a xylophone, castanets, bells and drums.

Baycourt Community & Arts Centre manager Reena Snook said the Wurli is a tremendous asset for Tauranga and the IYSFF NZ Nationals is a wonderful opportunity to introduce the iconic theatre organ to a younger generation.

The Golden sound of silent film

Invented circa 1894, silent film was the earliest kind of filmmaking and was ‘state-of-the-art entertainment' up until 1929 when sound film appeared and actors could speak on film.

Without spoken dialogue technology, silent filmmakers had to tell their stories with exaggerated action, printed title cards which provided commentary, and clever plots which could be pulled off pictorially.

Live music, played by a skilled organist, accompanied silent films in the theatres, and added to the experience of seeing these stories on the big screen.

MC's Jolene James and Mark Eagle from The Breeze Tauranga 95.8FM. Photo: Supplied.