Hollywood leading man Martin Henderson may spend more time in the United States than New Zealand these days, but he’s still very interested in supporting local talent. Star of films The Ring and Battle in Seattle, and the television series Off The Map, Henderson is thrilled to be an ambassador for the annual short film festival Tropfest. 

In June Rialto Channel is playing a short film, including all 16 finalists from this year’s Tropfest, every night before the 8.30pm New Zealand film. 
Martin kindly took time out of his busy schedule to have a chat about Tropfest, and the importance of short films...

Hollywood leading man Martin Henderson may spend more time in the United States than New Zealand these days, but he’s still very interested in supporting local talent. Star of films The Ring and Battle in Seattle, and the television series Off The Map, Henderson is thrilled to be an ambassador for the annual short film festival Tropfest. 

In June Rialto Channel is playing a short film, including all 16 finalists from this year’s Tropfest, every night before the 8.30pm New Zealand film. 

Martin kindly took time out of his busy schedule to have a chat about Tropfest, and the importance of short films.

Thanks so much for having a chat to us about the Tropfest New Zealand Short Film Festival. First, why did come on board as an ambassador for Tropfest NZ?

MH: I lived in Sydney for a few years and during my time there I had always loved the Tropfest, both as an audience member and as an industry member, and I wanted to help promote such a thing in New Zealand as a way to discover and develop the creative talent we have here. I think we have a lot of talented people who can benefit from a festival like this.

How much is a film career about luck and getting a chance, and how important are short films in offering that chance?

MH: Certainly it is important to get noticed and have as many people as possible see your work so that opportunities can come from it, and short films can be a great way of offering exposure to film makers who want to get noticed and start their careers. Film festivals like Tropfest can provide filmmakers with that exposure and also connect them with other people from the industry like actors, writers and producers. As horrible as it sounds, it often is about who you know, and Tropfest brings industry professionals together, and often relationships are forged that spawn creative partnerships down the road. A good short film can often have a long life on the festival circuit and grab attention the world over.

What’s the best thing about short films from an actor’s perspective?

MH: Short films often provide actors with the chance to play roles that they wouldn’t necessarily be offered in television or in a feature film and so allow actors an opportunity to take some risks and have a lot of fun doing so. The creative freedom of short film allows writers and directors to create characters and styles that you wouldn’t really get within the commercial limits of TV and film and so more experimental or zany ideas provide actors with the potential for really stretching themselves and exploring.

What are the three things that making a short film is going to teach any aspiring feature filmmaker?

MH: That there is never enough money!!! Or time!!!...Seriously though, certainly learning to work with a crew is a very big part of film making and working on short films teaches a director the art of leading an entire crew of people and how important they all are in helping you realise your vision. Obviously working with actors is also a big part of getting your story on screen. Getting experience with how different actors work is vital to getting good performances and bringing the script to life.
So definitely learning to collaborate is a big lesson that short films will teach you. Thirdly, because short films are, well ... short, it is a great way to learn how to keep track of the bigger picture without it being too overwhelming. A huge part of directing well is to do with keeping in mind how each little scene or moment within a scene fits into the bigger overarching story line and this is made much easier by getting experience with short film making first. Also working with a schedule and learning to get your shots each day is a great discipline that if not mastered on a short film will be disastrous on a bigger more ambitious project so that too is a vital lesson that making shorts can provide.

Best short film you’ve ever seen?

MH: That’s a hard one to answer as there are so many great short films for many different reasons but I do really love Taika Waititi’s “Two Cars One Night”. I think serves as a great example of what a short film can do for someone’s career. Taika probably had no idea that it would take him to the Oscars. It was clear from that one short that he had a great deal of talent and he is now one of our top feature film directors.

When might we next get the chance to see you on screen again here in New Zealand?

MH: When Taika offers me a job!

Tropfest will be back in 2014 on 16th February at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands. Entry deadline is 6th January 2014. For more information go to www.tropfest.co.nz.