NEWS: Child Jumping Fad Scores Top Honours At The 2011 V48Hours Final

 
Chumping: the unusual game of jumping over unsuspecting children.  The new ‘fad’ had hundreds in hysterics, as a mockumentary about it became the latest short film to win the Grand Champion title at the 2011 V48HOURS Final on Saturday.

Auckland Team Grand Cheval with their winning film The Child Jumpers took out top honours at a packed out Auckland Civic Theatre, beating over 800 teams and 10,000 participants in this year’s competition. With that, they also cleaned up $60,000 in cash, cameras and a TV from sponsors. Not bad for a team who wasn’t sure they were going to even finish the film in time.

Watch The Child Jumpers below.

The Child Jumpers

"It's incredible that we won – we’re stoked,” says Tom Furniss, team leader and co-director who also won Best Actor at the regional Auckland Final.  “But don't just judge us on this film; judge us on what we are going to produce with our prizes – hopefully you will be seeing more of us. We owe it all to Ant who made this possible."

Second runner up went to 2007 champs Team Lense Flare with Road Movie Copy That, and third place Team Mukpuddy with Quest Movie Meanie Pants, also taking home Best Animated film.

Host Oliver Driver, channeling his inner pilot provided entertainment along with a surprise celebrity co-host who made his grand entrance to the Mission Impossible theme song and offered plenty of fist pumping and couch jumping, minus the couch.

While there were plenty of laughs from the 13 finalist films, with themes such as revengeful robots, dance-offs and farting, the quality was extraordinary. 

“These guys work damn hard within 48 hours and then produce some fantastic pieces of work, which as a country we can be truly proud of,” says event founder Ant Timpson. “Once again this competition has amazed me and we are thrilled to have it as a showcase for kiwi talent.”

Films from the competition will be aired by official broadcast partner U in the Best Of The Fest TV series from 10pm each night from Sunday 3rd to Saturday 9th July on U Freeview 6 / SKY channel 016.

Other winners include:

Best Road Movie: Team Haynes Film/Ow - ‘Stuck in the Mini with You’
Best Actress: Mia Pistorious (Team idiotVision - ‘Headshot’)
Best Actor: Dinnie Moeahu and Ash Haimona (Team Rubber Soul Productions – ‘Well Strung’)
Panasonic Best Cinematography: Team Couch Kumaras - ‘Sketch’
Best Animation: Team Mukpuddy – ‘Meanie Pants’
Best Original Score: Team Couch Kumaras – ‘Sketch’
Best Original Song: Team Rubber Soul Productions – ‘Well Strung’
Best Editing: Team Pickle Thugs – ‘Nearest and Dearest’
Best Art Direction: Team Irrational But Cunning – ‘Sick’
Best Makeup: Team Traces of Nut feat. EPC – ‘Ruby Red’
Best Costume: Team Traces of Nut feat. EPC – ‘Ruby Red’
WIFT Best Female Director: Laurie Wright
Best All Female Team:  Team SCC Unicorns – ‘Do You Swing That Way’
Best Use of Prop: Team Mo Appreciation Collective – ‘Circus Animals’
Best Use of Line: Team Zebra Crossing Inc. – ‘A Series of Unlikely Events’
Best Use of Character: Team Touche Maiballs – ‘Rodney’
Best Damn Teen Team: Team Pickle Thugs – ‘Nearest and Dearest’
Best School Team: Team Toasted Wolfgang – ‘Get Lost, Be Free’
Best Incredibly Strange Film: Team Vault502 – ‘Blue Rising’
Unitec Aspiring Filmmaker Study Prize: Alan Parr
Rialto Channel Rising Talent Award: Team Slurpedo
Images & Sound Sexiest Looking Short: Team Mr. Manager – ‘The Gardener’