Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival today announces the Audience Choice Award winners for its short film competitions, with audiences selecting Datsun, directed by Mark Albiston, as the winner of the New Zealand’s Best Audience Choice Award and Disconnected, directed by Maruia Jensen as the recipient of the Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts’ Letterboxd Audience Award.

Albiston will receive a 25% share of the box office takings from the New Zealand's Best screenings in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin), while Jensen takes home a cash prize of $1000.

Audiences at the New Zealand’s Best and Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts screenings in Wellington and Christchurch were asked to vote for their favourite shorts, and the recipients were announced live tonight at Wellington’s Embassy Theatre ahead of the screening of the capital’s Closing Night film, 2021 Palme d’Or winner Titane.

The Audience Choice Awards announcement follows last night’s announcement of Jensen as the winner of the Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts Wellington UNESCO City of Film Award for Best Film ($3000 cash prize).

Earlier this month, NZIFF announced the winners of New Zealand’s Best jury selected awards. Directors Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu and Kath Akuhata-Brown were joint recipients of the Vista Group Award for Best Short Film for their respective films When We Were Kids and Washday, splitting the cash prize of $7500. Stewart-Te Whiu also won the Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award of $4000; and the Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award was awarded to TÅ«Ä« director, Awa Puna, who received a cash prize of $4000.

New Zealand’s Best and Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts continue to screen around New Zealand, with New Zealand’s Best still to screen in Hawke’s Bay, New Plymouth and Masterton, with a sold-out encore screening in Wellington on Tuesday, while Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts has upcoming screenings in Tauranga, Hawke’s Bay, New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Nelson, with a sold-out encore screening in Wellington on Wednesday.