Winning students’ music video launched in Arrowtown

The winners of an inaugural music and film competition were presented with their award by the Minister of Conservation, Maggie Barry, on Saturday.

Steffan Paton, Russell Hamilton, Ruby Judson
Winners Steffan Paton and Ruby Judson with Russell Hamilton (middle), Manager of Soho Property Ltd properties.
Former Victoria student Ruby Judson and Steffan Paton, who is studying for his master's this year, were flown down to Arrowtown to receive their prize and attend the launch of their short film at Dorothy Brown’s Cinema in Arrowtown, as well as attend the official opening of the Mahu Whenua covenants.

The Soho Film and Original Composition Competition, which was run as a collaboration between Queen Elizabeth II National Trust and Victoria University, was organised to celebrate the Mahu Whenua covenants which were formally opened in the weekend by the National Trust and Soho Property Ltd. The covenants are New Zealand’s largest ever private land protection agreement, protecting 53,000 hectares of high country landscape near Arrowtown. 

In 2014, Ruby Judson completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in film and international business. Steffan Paton gained a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours in composition at Te Kōkī New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) last year and is now undertaking a Master of Musical Arts.