THE DARK HORSE TAKES OUT THE KING MOA

An inspirational film based on real life Gisborne speed-chess coach Genesis Potini, made all the right moves to take out top honours along with five other awards at the Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards - nicknamed The Moas.

The critically acclaimed drama The Dark Horse premiered at the New Zealand Film Festival earlier this year before connecting with audiences nationwide during its successful theatrical release. The 
second feature from writer director James Napier Robertson, it also picked up Moas for Flying Fish Best Director, Peter Yealands Wines Best Actor, Te Whānau O Waipareira Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay and Bigpop Studios Best Score. The Dark Horse producer Tom Hern also co-produced Everything We Loved, which took home Moas for Peter Yealands Wines Best Actress, and Queenstown Cameras ARRI Best Cinematography.

Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s vampire mockumentary What We Do In The Shadows was another big winner on the night, taking out Park Road Post Best Self-Funded film and scooping Moas for Manukau Urban Maori Authority Best Supporting Actress, Tommy & James Best Production Design and Bigpop Studios Best Sound. 

The recent box-office hit The Dead Lands was pipped at the post for the major awards but managed to chase down Images & Sound Best Visual Effects, Best Costume Design and M.A.C. Best Makeup Design. 

Festival darling and recent release Hip Hop-eration continued its winning ways and danced away with three of the four documentary Moas; Best Documentary, Vendetta Films Best Documentary Director and NZ Broadcasting School at CPIT Best Documentary Cinematography. 

Awards for Short Film were spread across multiple winners but Eleven managed to woo the judges and take home the Canon Best Short Film prize. 

Legendary Kiwi cinematographer Leon Narbey won a much-deserved ‘Services To Cinema’ award for his enormous contribution to New Zealand film history. 

The 2014 winners of the Rialto Channel New Zealand Film Awards:

• Rialto Channel Best Film: The Dark Horse
• Flying Fish Best Director: James Napier Robertson - The Dark Horse 
• Best Screenplay: James Napier Robertson - The Dark Horse 
• Peter Yealands Wines Best Actor: Cliff Curtis - The Dark Horse 
• Peter Yealands Wines Best Actress: Sia Trokenheim - Everything We Loved 
• Te Whānau O Waipareira Best Supporting Actor: James Rolleston - The Dark Horse 
• Manukau Urban Maori Authority Best Supporting Actress : Jackie van Beek - What We Do In The Shadows 
• Park Road Post Best Self-Funded Film: What We Do In The Shadows - Jemaine Clement, Chelsea Winstanley, Taika Waititi, Emanuel Michael
• Queenstown Camera ARRI Best Cinematography: Dave Garbett - Everything We Loved 
• Mandy VFX Best Editor: Cushla Dillon - Orphans & Kingdoms 
• Bigpop Studios Best Score: Dana Lund - The Dark Horse 
• Bigpop Studios Best Sound: Simon Riley, Mike Hedges & Tim Chaproniere - What We Do In The Shadows 
• Images & Sound Best Visual Effects: George Zwier - The Dead Lands 
• Best Costume Design: Barbara Darragh - The Dead Lands
• M.A.C. Best Makeup Design: Davina Lamont - The Dead Lands 
• Tommy & James Best Production Design: Ra Vincent - What We Do In The Shadows 
• Letterboxd Best Poster Design: Andrejs Skuja & Johnny Lyon - Housebound
• NZOnAir Best Television Feature: Consent: The Louise Nicholas Story - Steven O'Meagher
• Best Documentary: Hip Hop-eration - Paula Jones & Alex Lee
• Vendetta Films Best Documentary Director: Bryn Evans - Hip Hop-eration
• NZ Broadcasting School at CPIT Best Documentary Cinematography: Bevan Crothers - Hip Hop-eration 
• Lotech Best Documentary Editor: Simon Coldrick – Erebus: Operation Overdue
• Canon Best Short Film: Eleven - Abigail Greenwood
• Halcyon Digital Best Self-Funded Short Film: Skin - Tom Gould 
• Actors Agents Association of New Zealand Best Short Film Actor: John Clarke - Ross & Beth 
• Actors Agents Association of New Zealand Best Short Film Actor: Tahei Simpson - Home 
• PLS Best Short Film Cinematography: Grant McKinnon - Ross & Beth 
• NZ Herald Online Best Short Film Script : Kate Prior - Eleven 
• Services To Cinema Award: Leon Narbey