Awards

NEW ZEALAND COMPETITION

Best New Zealand Feature: Every Little Thing
* Special Mention: Sharko & Pistachio Wars

Best New Zealand Short: Diary of a Head Injury
Best New Zealand Director: Sally Aitken / Every Little Thing
Best New Zealand Editing: Every Little Thing
Best New Zealand Cinematography: Every Little Thing
Best New Zealand Sound: Every Little Thing
Best New Zealand Emerging Filmmaker: Rowan Wernham / Pistachio Wars

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Best International Feature: Sugarcane
* Special Mention:  Invisible Nation

Best International Short: Girl of Wind
* Special Mention:  Instruments of a Beating Heart

Best International Director: Marcus Vetter, Michele Gentile / War and Justice
* Special Mention: Jalena Keane-Lee / Standing Above the Clouds

Best International Editing: We Will Dance Again
Best International Cinematography: I Shall Not Hate
Best International Sound: Sugarcane

FESTIVAL CATEGORY

Being Oneself: Renee Gracie: Fireproof
Bridges of Understanding: I Shall Not Hate
Democracy on the Edge: Rather Be Ashes Than Dust
Facing the Edge: Invisible Summit
In Truth We Trust: We Will Dance Again
The Edge of Impact: Devi

NZ STUDENT AWARDS

Best Tertiary Film: No Home Owner
* Special Mention: Underbirds: The Fight to Save the New Zealand Dotterel

Best Secondary Film: Hounga’ia – Be Grateful
* Special Mention: Telesia 2 the World

IMMERSIVE EXHIBITION

New Zealand Immersive Impact Project: Lane 25
International Immersive Impact Project: Murals

NEW ZEALAND COMPETITION

Best New Zealand Feature: Pacific Mother (Dir. Katherine McRae)

Best New Zealand Short: Strange Beasts (Dir. Darcy Prendergast)
– Special Mention: Demons (Dirs. Daniel Ali, Mark Robertson)

Best New Zealand Director: Katherine McRae (Pacific Mother)
Best New Zealand Editing: Pacific Mother (Editor Lala Rolls)
Best New Zealand Cinematography: Pacific Mother (various)
Best New Zealand Sound: Frances Hodgkins, Anything but a Still Life (Composer Dana Lund, original score)
Best New Zealand Emerging Filmmaker: Blandine Massiet du Biest (Frances Hodgkins, Anything but a Still Life)

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Best International Feature: In the Shadow of Beirut (Germany, Ireland, Lebanon, UK, Dirs. Stephen Gerard Kelly, Garry Keane)
– Special Mention: Twice Colonized (Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Dir. Lin Alluna)

Best International Short: When the Sand Stands Still (Denmark, Dirs. David Jervidal, Tommy Jervidal)
– Special Mention: Finding Alaa (UK, Dir. Myriam Francois)

Best International Director: Mstyslav Chernov (20 Days in Mariupol)
Best International Editing: 20 Days in Mariupol (Michelle Mizner)
Best International Cinematography: In the Shadow of Beirut
Best International Sound: Knowing the Score (Simon Hicks)

FESTIVAL CATEGORY

Being Oneself: Who I Am Not
Crime & Conspiracy: All Static & Noise
Fighting Spirit: Twice Colonized
Making an Impact: Deep Rising
The Art of Storytelling: Call Me Dancer
Our World, Our Stories: In the Shadow of Beirut

NEW ZEALAND STUDENT AWARDS

Best Tertiary Film: A Love Letter to the Estranged (Dir. Va’a Magalogo, AUT)
Best Secondary School Film: Self Portrait (Dir. Connor Lynd, Rotorua Lakes High School)

EXTENDED REALITY (XR) IMPACT WINNERS

New Zealand Project: Evoke
International Project: Missing 10 Hours (Hungary)

NEW ZEALAND COMPETITION

Best NZ Feature (sponsored by NZ On Air): Off the Rails

Special Mention: Behind the Mask

Best NZ Director:  Alastair Cole, director of Iorram (Boat Song)

Best NZ Short: Our Aotearoa

Best NZ Cinematography: Balance of the Five Elements 

Best NZ Editing: Balance of the Five Elements 

Best NZ Sound: Only I Can Hear

Best NZ Emerging Filmmaker (sponsored by Department of Post): Marcus Palmer, director of Disco Bloodbath

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Best International Feature: All that Breathes
Special Mention: Delikado

Best International Director: Ben Lawrence, director of Ithaka

Best International Short: Freedom Swimmer 
Special Mention: Water, Wind, Dust and Bread 

Best International Cinematography: Hide & Seek

Best International Editing: Girl Gang

Best International Sound: All that Breathes

FESTIVAL CATEGORY

And Action… : The Other Fellow
Being Oneself:  Nelly & Nadine
Fearless: And Still I Sing
Ripple Effect: Myanmar Diaries
Thank You for the Music: Nothing Compares
Through the Generations: Young Plato
True or False: Tantura
We are the World: The Balcony Movie
Work It: The Happy Worker

Doc Edge Festival 2021 Oscar-qualifying awards night was held on Wednesday, 2 June in Auckland.

NEW ZEALAND COMPETITION

Best NZ Feature: Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks
(sponsored by NZ On Air)

Best NZ Director: Sally Aitken, Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks

Best NZ Cinematography: Jacob Bryant, The Garden of Evil

Best NZ Editing: Thomas Gleeson, High Tide Don’t Hide

Best NZ Short: Garage Romantic
(sponsored by The Spinoff)

Best NZ Emerging Filmmaker: Alistair Harding, The Sea Decides
(sponsored by Department of Post)

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Best International Feature: Wuhan Wuhan
Special Mention: Sabaya

Best International Director: Hogir Hirori, Sabaya

Best International Short: Say His Name: Five Days for George Floyd
Special Mention: Souvenir Souvenir 

FESTIVAL CATEGORY

Around the World in Nine Films: Children
Crime & Conspiracy: Down A Dark Stairwell
Fame! I’m Gonna Live Forever: The Rossellinis
Family/Whānau: Try Harder!
Fearless/Mātātoa: Laura’s Choice
The Future Beckons: The Wonderful: Stories From The Space Station
State of Mind: Aulcie

NEW ZEALAND COMPETITION

* Best NZ Feature: Elementa
(sponsored by NZ On Air)

* Best NZ Short: Pluck
(sponsored by NZ On Air)
Special Mention: Hurting to Heal

Best NZ Director: Sally Williams,Stevenson: Lost and Found
Best NZ Cinematography: Richard Sidey, Elementa
Best NZ Editing: Deborah Peretz, Stevenson: Lost and Found
Best NZ Emerging Filmmaker: Yeshe Hegan, Return to Gandhi Road
(sponsored by Department of Post)

* These winners qualified for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Oscars.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

* Best International Feature:  A Thousand Cuts
Special Mention: The Forum

* Best International Short: Far From Home
Special Mention: Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible

Best International Director: Hind Meddeb, Thim Naccache, Paris Stalingrad
Special Mention: Pawel Wysoczanski, Long Day Tomorrow

FESTIVAL CATEGORY WINNERS

Best All In The Family (presented by Rei Foundation): Confucian Dream
Best Art Attack (presented by MiNDFOOD): A Chef’s Voyage
Best of Fests: This is Not a Movie
Best Fearless: Blood on the Wall
Best Future Watch (presented by Chorus): First We Eat
Best MOANA WHĀRAHI – Films from the Pacific: Tokyo Hula
Best On the Edge (presented by Department of Post): The Queen’s Man
Best World Cinema (presented by RNZ): Paris Stalingrad