- History of the Festival -

2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

The Belladonna Trust celebrated five years of screening works by kiwis with the fifth annual Belladonna Short Film Festival held at the Christchurch Art Gallery on June 25, 26 and 27 2006.

The Ladderman 3m 40s Cathy Fouhy Comedy A cleaner finds a clever way to overcome a tricky challenge. Kismet 4m 27s Joe Hitchcock Animation From within the darkness a distant noise is falling, and Kismet's twisted world is about to change. Link 10m 30s Paul Roukchan Drama Leaving behind his brother and alcoholic mother a soldier is sent to East Timor and his own + uncertain future. Out Of Darkness 14m David Rittey Drama Shattered vision. A new way of seeing. A life changed in a single moment - the moment of impact. + Retrospective festival 2003 Sonata 2m 54s Ghazaleh Golbakhsh Experimental An exploration of the hypocrisy of 'fighting for freedom' by rejecting the very cause being fought for - freedom of life. The Wellington Wind 9m Chris Davis Documentary A light-hearted look at how the Wellington wind has shaped both the city and its people. Purgatory 6m 55s Hamish Pattison Drama A man's struggle between good and evil ends in the ultimate sacrifice. Heroes 8m 57s Julia Reynolds Drama There is no way to tell what heroism is, no way to judge which act and at what time heroes are created. Swan Song 6m 30s Fiona Pinkernell Drama Life is ephemeral. Love is eternal. A man takes devoted care of his sick wife until she dies. Descent 8m 23s Daniel Habedank Drama Jude believes blowing up the seventh level of an occupied office complex will rights the wrongs of society, Lucy is witness to his unravelling. The Package 7m Rajeev Mishra Comedy A mysterious package arrives in the mail and Geoff's attempts to open it soon get more and more outlandish. Summer '35 7m Adam Simpson Drama Old Jim spends his resthome days reminiscing about childhood summers on the beach. A friend gives him the chance to go back. Coulrophobia 3m 40s Chris Tse Comedy If you don't hate clowns now, you soon will. Oh Deer 5m 39s Chungmin Moon Animation A poetic portrayal of the silent yet intimate relationships between a girl and different creatures, and even a fruit. La Confessione 4m Byard James Drama A young man confesses to a priest he is about to kill a man today. Bad Dates 15m Grant Lahood Comedy A hapless speed dating organiser tells the story of a night that went horribly wrong. Blur 2m 11s Meshell Edgecombe & Toni Keevil Documentary An intimate look into a gender transformation. (You can't be) Too Careful 12m Naomi Wallwork Drama Fiona's scared. Her family are scared. Her community is scared. The whole world is scared. But Fiona's going to do something about it. Gurty Likes TV 11m 13s Daniel Wadsworth Comedy Gurty gets a new flatmate. When abandoned cars pile up in the street he confronts her and discovers a horrible truth. Family Tree 8m 20s Luke Mayes Experimental Unreservedly subjugated Bob (30) has never left home. When Bob escapes he is rescued by Flow - or is he? The Devil's Library 8m Michael Travis Drama Amy is invited to a banquet with the Devil in Hell, where she is distracted by his mysterious library. Retrospective festival 2004 Winner Every Day 15m Nick Preval & Mary-Lou Harris Documentary Everyday perceptions of intellectual disabilities are challenged in this personable tribute to a familiar face on Wellington's streets. Tight-heads 7m 35s Beau Cuthbert Comedy Encased in a rugby scrum, two men battle for the attention of a beautiful woman standing on the sidelines. Bluff 2m 5s Claire Eastham-Farrelly Drama One evening, four men and a game of poker. What does it take to win? Petals of Me 2m Vicky Harker Drama Lonely and longing to be loved, a teenage girl looks to fulfil her life by throwing herself at men. Danny Alexander 9m 39s Tony Wright Drama Recently returned from the Iraq, a young solider struggles with the haunting memories of war. The Right Step 10m Valerie Reid Documentary Sand artist Peter Donnelly was a best kept secret until Billy Connelly's tour changed all that. Shall I Be Mother? 2m 30s Dan Inglis Experimental (720 x 576) + scratch [16x9] = elevenses 3750f @ 25Hz Good For A Girl 10m Kirsty MacDonald Documentary Alexis Pritchard likes nothing better than to punch her opponent in the head, but it's not simple aggression that gets her to the end of each fight. Stan Remotely 18m 50s Stephen Ballantyne Experimental Trapped in a world distorted and perverted by his darkest thoughts Stan must escape to conquer his subconscious and be reborn. Dream Within A Dream 9m Felicity Rogers Animation What if your eyes could see outside this living dream? Retrospective festival 2005 The World's Fastest Mexican 7m Alan Sutton Comedy A Mexican lawnmower mechanic dreams of going to New Zealand and breaking the 100mph speed record on his homemade motorcycle. Amy's Break 7m 15s Mark Prebble Drama A busy metropolitan woman learns how to free herself while on her first ever camping trip.