MFA (CP) Film graduates make international film competition final
A film produced as a final creative project for the 2018 Master of Fine Arts (Creative Practice) has been selected as a finalist in an international student film festival competition.
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Humans, produced by Shu Run Yap and directed by Steph Miller, is one of four finalists in the Documentary section of the 2018 Uni Shorts International Student Film Festival. The festival is the biggest tertiary student film festival of its type in Australasia, attracting entries from all over the world.
Humans presents the stories of four seemingly unrelated individuals, whose connection is revealed during the film. Director Steph Miller says Humans tackles the massive global social issue of homelessness in a very personal way. “We know the statistics, we know the issue, but Humans lets us know the people,” she says. “The film invites audiences to enter a world of human emotion and honesty, and ultimately feel connected to other human beings.”
Shu Run says there was a lot of work involved in crafting the stories. “Every word, cut and silence in the film was deliberate and calculated. It was challenging, but rewarding. There is a lot to consider around the ethics of representation in documentary—learning to work with the subjects and tell their stories with them, not for them, was a valuable experience.”
The team spent months volunteering and meeting people from all walks of life, listening to their stories and nurturing the relationships to make sure they were doing the participants justice. “It was a really deliberate choice to structure the film the way we did and reveal the connection between the subjects near the midpoint,” says Steph. “I wanted to make sure the audience had well and truly left their judgement behind by the time they learn of the subjects’ connection to homelessness.”
Both women are delighted the film is a finalist in the competition, saying it means a lot to have the hard work of the cast and crew acknowledged and celebrated. “This is a predominantly female-led project too,” says Steph, “with women taking the key roles of director, producer and director of photography (DOP). It’s great to be able to show what we can do in such a male-dominated industry.”
Shu Run says she is looking forward to seeing how the film is received at the screening. “I'm really excited Humans has been given an opportunity and platform for exposure, especially with the stories it seeks to tell.”
“We’ve had great feedback so far—this film moves people,” says Steph. “We believe in it and hope it reaches a wide audience.”
Screenings of all the finalists, followed by the awards ceremony, will be held in the Red Lecture Theatre at Unitec Institute of Technology in Auckland, on Saturday, 27 October. For all booking enquiries, email festival coordinator Peter Rees at unishorts@unitec.ac.nz.
Image credits: Stills from Humans, courtesy of Shu Run Yap