Aucklander a hit in Hamburg film awards

Auckland students wins third place: Scene from Time to Fly which earned a group of students third place in the prestigious Hamburg Animation Awards.

From City Scene, published on 5 July, 2009.

The animated short film Time to Fly by a group of Auckland students was awarded third place at the prestigious Hamburg Animation Award in Hamburg, Germany, recently.

Cameron Smith, a member of the winning team from Media Design School, attended the award ceremony and collected the €2000 prize money on behalf of his group.

In 2007, Auckland City Council formed a strategic alliance with Hamburg to support opportunities for key sectors, and annually promotes the Hamburg Animation Award within the city.

"The strong turnout of Auckland city's entries, and the success of Time to Fly, showcases the skilled workforce and high calibre of tertiary education within Auckland," says Councillor Aaron Bhatnagar, chairperson of the City Development Committee.

"Congratulations to Cameron and his team. We've all known the film sector in New Zealand is thriving, especially in Auckland, but an award like this goes some way to verifying the talent we have around us."

The 15 Auckland entries submitted to the Hamburg Animation Award featured in a local film night this month, and received special prizes from industry sponsors Flux Animation Studio, Toon Boom and C4. Grace by Niki Hiini from Unitec was selected the top animation for the local competition.

All local entries will feature on C4's website shortly.

Auckland's film industry at a glance:

$500 million contribution to Auckland's gross domestic product (GDP)
600 Auckland businesses, employing 3500 people
A high-growth industry, which Auckland City Council seeks to support.