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Emerging young filmmakers Guy Ryan and Nick Holmes have just been awarded ‘Runner-up Best New Zealand Film’ at New Zealand’s Reel Earth Film Festival for their youth-action focused documentary Carving the Future (www.carvingthefuture.com).

The awards night held in Palmerston North on Saturday, celebrated excellence in filmmaking with over 200 entries from more than 40 countries, making it the largest environmental film festival in the southern hemisphere. Ryan, who accepted the award on Saturday night was “stoked, it really emphasises the need for solution-focused films – real New Zealanders, making a real difference.”

The film was produced as part of the pairs’ Masters in Science Communication & Natural History Filmmaking at Otago University in 2009. Grassroots, youth-driven community action was the inspiration for the film, crafted for a secondary schools audience, it showcases three young New Zealanders leading big projects in their regions.

Woven together with threads from the 350 International Day of Climate Action, the film is “very moving, an inspirational account of how one person can make a difference” said Reel Earth Festival Director Brent Barrett.

The award has built on the momentum already created by the film after the filmmakers toured around New Zealand earlier this year. “What’s really cool is that lots of kiwi’s are now using it as a catalyst to inspire local, community action” – said Ryan. Now with the film finished, the two are looking to distribute the film throughout New Zealand secondary schools from June onwards, they’re looking for support, and encourage anyone interested to get in touch through their website – www.carvingthefuture.com, or email [email protected].

Tags: carving the future, dreams, film, good news