Thousands view entries in young film-makers contest
ON TOP: WHS students Jack Southee, Sam Conley and Vitek Sosnowski who tackled alcohol abuse in their video.
The red carpet was rolled out for young film-makers at the Wanganui War Memorial Hall last Friday night as the annual awards for the Yeah Hard 30 Second Ad Competition were announced.
The event was started three years ago by Maori development organisation Nga Tai O Te Awa as a positive social media campaign to promote healthy lifestyle options for people in the Wanganui region.
The competition challenges young people to share messages on topics that impact on them - bullying, alcohol and other drug abuse, gambling harm and suicide prevention.
Karney Herewini, Kia Piki Te Ora project manager, said Nga Tai O Te Awa organise and run the competition as a strengths-based approach to raising awareness.
"It is a simple concept which creates an opportunity for young people to share their voices on some real topics - those voices are so powerful they can really change the world."
Participants can enter the competition as individuals or part of a group which provides opportunity to work together on a vision, as they plan, script, act, direct, edit and produce a short advertisement to share with the world.
Mr Herewini said all the entries were posted on the Yeah Hard Facebook page and by last week they had been viewed by almost 17,000 people.
"The support from our community, schools, local businesses and sponsors has been wonderful and generous with positive feedback from near and far.
"The Problem Gambling Foundation of New Zealand also saw the value of one group's message on gambling harm and shared the advert' with their followers," said Mr Herewini.
-This year's competition saw 125 young people aged from 3 to 18 years participating and the winners were:
12 years and under category winners - I Got Your Back, C.A.T.S. Be a Legend winner, The No, No, No, Squad. What's up winner, Fast and Furious.
13 to 18 years winners: Be a Legend category , Studiosity; I Got Your Back category, The Anti Bullies; What's up category, Kokohuia.
Judges' choice - Best actors, Isabel Cameron Whyte (The Anti Bullies) Wanganui Intermediate School, Taonga Herewini (Fast and Furious) Wanganui East School, Jesse Rice (YMCA) YMCA Whanganui. Ipad winner - Baily Fabish, Wanganui Intermediate.
In true Oscars style, the winners were presented with gold figurines in the form of little troll characters.
Karney Herewini said the troll dolls are a "good ice-breaker and conversation starter" and have become mascots for Yeah Hard.
Yeah Hard is sponsored by the WDC Youth Committee, Cognition Education, Pak'n Save Wanganui, McDonald's and Domino's Pizza.
(Wanganui Chronicle 17/9/15)