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Awards History for April Phillips

SHORT FILMS

 

"MAKO" (Co-Writer / Acting Coach)
  • 2023 New Zealand International Film Festival - Letterboxd Audience Award

"THE HAKA" (Co-Writer)
  • 2022 Top Of The South Film Festival - Best Film Aotearoa
"THE LAST MAN ON EARTH" (Writer, Director, Producer)
  • 2020 Best Shorts annual Humanitarian Awards - Outstanding Achievement Award

  • 2021 Independent Shorts Awards - nominee for Best Sci-Fi film

  • 2021 FilmQuest - nominee for Minerva Award (female filmmaker in genre)

  • 2019 Finalist Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival

  • 2019 Independent Shorts Awards - Gold Award for Best Women Short

  • 2019 Independent Shorts Awards - Gold Award for Best Supporting Actor (Duncan Armstrong)

  • 2019 Independent Shorts Awards - Silver Award for Best Director (Female)

  • 2019 Independent Shorts Awards - Silver Award for Best Sci-Fi

  • 2019 Independent Shorts Awards - Silver Awards for Best Original Story and Best Original Score

  • 2020 Official Selection Gold Movie Awards

  • 2020 L.A. Film Awards (LAFA) Best Sci-Fi

  • 2020 L.A. Film Awards (LAFA) Honorable Mention: Director

  • 2020 Festigious International Film Festiva: Best Director, Best Sci-Fi, Best Original Story

  • 2020 Worldfest, Houston - Winner Special Jury Award (Suspense/Thriller)

  • 2019 Best Shorts Awards - Awards of Excellence for Leading Actor, Leading Actress, Supporting Actor, Disability Issues

  • 2019 Best Shorts Awards - Award of Excellence Special Mention Women Filmmakers

“R.E.M.” (Writer, Director, Producer, Actress)
  • 2018 Short Film Awards, New York (SOFIES) Winner Best Director

  • 2018 Short Film Awards, New York (SOFIES) 7 nominations including Best Narrative Short Film, Best Director, Best Leading Actress, Best Leading Actor, Best Editing, Best Writing, Outstanding Styling.

  • 2017 Independent Spirit Award, Fantastic Planet Film Festival, Sydney

  • 2017 Official Selection at Fantasia, Montreal (North America’s largest genre festival);

  • 2017 Official Selection at Horror Hound Weekend Film Festival, Cincinnati, (largest horror festival in the U.S.);

  • 2017 Official Selection at Madrid International Film Festival (MIFF);

  • 2017 Nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Lead Actress in a short, MIFF;

  • 2017 Official Selection at 51st Worldfest, Houston;

  • 2017 Bronze Medal Global Independent Film Awards (Sci Fi);

  • 2017 Winner Platinum REMI award for Best Sci Fi/Fantasy, Worldfest;

  • 2017 Official Selection Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI) Short Film Showcase;

  • 2016 IndieFest Film Awards Award of Excellence Special Mention;

  • 2016 Ouchy Film Festival Lausanne selection and nominated Best Director;

  • 2016 Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival Best Foreign Short

  • 2016 Official Selection Los Angeles Independent Film Festival (LAIFF)

  • 2016 Best Horror Short Foreign and Best Sound Design at LAIFF

  • 2016 Global Accolade Film Competition Award of Merit Special Mention

  • 2016 Best Shorts Film Competition Award for Excellence

 

“Utu Pihikete” (Writer, Co-Producer, Actress)
  • 2018 Official Selection NZ Film Festival in China;

  • 2016 Official Selection NZ Film Festival in China;

  • 2015 Best Shorts Film Competition Award for Excellence

  • 2014 Accolade Global Film Competition Award for Excellence

  • 2014 Official Selection Action on Film Festival, California

  • 2014 Official Selection Wairoa Maori Film Festival (NZIFF)

  • 2014 Indiefest Award of Merit

  • 2016 Screening CTV and Air New Zealand inflight entertainment

 

“Letter For Hope”  (Writer, Co-Producer, Actress)
  • 2016 Official Selection NZ Film Festival in China;

  • 2014 Global Accolade Film Competition Award for Excellence;

  • 2014 Official Selection Action on Film Festival, California;

  • 2014 Official Selection River Bend Film Festival, Indiana;

  • 2014 Official Selection Bare Bones Film Festival, Oklahoma;

  • 2014 Official Selection Sarasota Film Festival, Florida (U.N. Through Women’s Eyes section);

  • 2014 Official Selection NewFilmmakers, New York;

  • 2014 Official Selection and Honorable Mention Award, Sunset Film Festival, Los Angeles;

  • 2014 Official Selection International Film Festival of Cinematic Arts, Los Angeles;

  • 2014 Indiefest Award of Merit;

  • 2016 Screening on CTV and on Air New Zealand inflight entertainment.

 

OTHER SCREENWRITING

 

  • 2017 BlueCat Screenplay Competition Quarter Finalist for the revised screenplay "Rare";

  • 2014 Official Selection Mile High Horror Film Festival for the screenplay “Halfway House”;

  • 2014 BlueCat Screenplay Competition Quarter Finalist for the screenplay “Motel”;

  • 2014 BlueCat Screenplay Competition First Cut Finalist for the screenplay “Rare”;

  • 2013 Winner New Zealand Writer’s Guild 5 Page Film Treatment competition for “As Seen On TV”

 

STAGE AND RADIO – AWARDS & NOMINATIONS

 

  • 2017 Outstanding Achievement Award - Playwrights Association of New Zealand

  • 2017 Finalist SWANZ Awards Best Unproduced Screenplay for "Blind Eye"

  • 2014 Finalist Adam Play Awards for “Charlotte Badger”’

  • 2013 Doug Wren Award for Achievement (Playwright’s Association of New Zealand);

  • 2013 Finalist in SWANZ Awards Best Play category for “Motel”;

  • 2012 Finalist in SWANZ Awards Best Play category for “SNiP”;

  • 2010 Michael Hirschfeld Scholarship for Scriptwriting (Victoria University of Wellington)’

  • 2010 Winner Playwrights Association of NZ (PANZ) One Act Play for “Bonking James Bond”;

  • 2010 Winner Radio New Zealand Drama Student Short for the radio play “In Two Minds”;

  • 2003 Winner Playwrights Association of NZ (PANZ) Playwriting Competition for “STiFF”;

  • 2003 Winner Stellar Award for “Best Music Production” for “Blue Eyes”;

  • 2002 Winner Adam Play Reading Series – Downstage Theatre for “STiFF”;

  • 1996 Winner Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards – “Hens Teeth” – Best Female Comedy.

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