Shamin’s Weekly Round Up: Tiffin Box, Camp Be Better & Show Me Shorts

The 13th Floor’s Shamin Yazdani has been busy flitting around from event to event. Here is her report on Tiffin Box, Camp Be Better and Show Me Shorts.

Last week was a flurry of exciting events, from Tiffin Box, an eclectic showcase by Prayas Theatre at The Basement, to the premiere of Camp Be Better, a new show streaming on TVNZ+, and the annual kick-off of Show Me Shorts film festival. Despite being knee-deep in the chaos of moving house, I wanted to carve out some time to appreciate the line-up of local content. Here’s my roundup of the week’s highlights.

TIFFIN BOX – OPENING NIGHT

A pre-Diwali extravaganza showcasing a line up of 21 local South Asian artists presenting bite-sized multidisciplinary delights (dance, spoken word, theatre and stand-up) produced by Auckland based South Asian theatre company Prayas and hosted by The Basement Theatre (say that five times fast!)

My top selects:

 

WICKED AMA (Ask Me Anything) by Namrata Mankame-Shanbhag (theatre)

This piece played by Namrata features a Wicked (what else) Witch ready for some honest FAQ about witches. A no-filter session performed by Namrata-Mankame-Shanbhag and directed by Sananda Chatterjee

Photo: John Rata

AMMA by GEMISHKA CHETTY (poetry)

Actor, writer and poet Gemishka Chetty brought her powerful poetry to Tiffin Box with words tinged with mango-flavoured metaphors with her brand-new work “Amma”.

 

My takeaway: Platforming minority artists is not just about showcasing perfect work; it’s about creating equitable opportunities, encouraging artistic growth, and ensuring that underrepresented voices are part of the broader cultural conversation. In doing so, we cultivate a more diverse, empathetic, and inclusive society. The impact of such platforming reaches far beyond the individual artist—it influences the communities they represent and the future of creative industries as a whole. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and hard work of everyone involved and the support and platforming from The Basement Theatre. 

You can access the programme here. 

CAMP BE BETTER – PREMIERE

On Wednesday night I attended the premiere for the first two episodes of Camp Be Better, a show created by Chye-Ling Huang and Hayden J. Weal and produced by Joyce Wong about 17-year-old outsider Niah who “is surrounded by spoiled rich kids after somehow ending up at Camp Be Better, a cushy alternative to community service for the offspring of the rich and famous.”

Hosted at Lido Cinema, the evening was a tremendous success. It was heartwarming to see the level of support and enthusiasm for local content, with a large demographic comprising PASC and the wider community. More of this energy please! 

You can watch Camp Be Better here.

SHOW ME SHORTS – PREMIERE / AOTEAROA – KA AWATEA

Last Thursday was the opening night of Aotearoa’s top international short film festival: Show Me Shorts – a competitive Academy Awards and Bafta accredited festival that screens in more than 35 cinemas nationwide.

 

I had the chance to attend opening night (MC’d by Aidee Walker – the perfect host for the occasion) at The Hollywood Avondale and the Aotearoa – Ka Awatea session at The Academy Cinemas. Both evenings featured strong selections. Here are my top picks (admittedly more than half of the films I watched – a testament to the selections) in no particular order:

Help I’m Alien Pregnant – for excellent casting and execution, a marriage of local and global relatability 

PleasureDora – for sound design, excellent casting, and resourcefulness

African Family Dinner – for a strong, culturally resonant concept brought to life with hilarious performances and editing

What’ll It Be Today? – for “less is more” (the film is under two minutes), punchy, audience reaction (I’ve now seen it three times with a cinema audience and it never misses)

Honey Kaha – for a playful take on a serious topic, well crafted and casted, a nod to the 70s complete with double entendres and great editing 

Payback – for an important commentary on a relevant social and political issue

My Dying Place – for an emotive documentary with beautiful cinematography 

Lea Tupu’anga (Mother Tongue) – for a heartfelt and moving narrative

Diary of a Head Injury – for something unexpected and transfixing 

Nga mihi to Gina, Mark, Jack, Harley, Dhiya and the programming team for a fab festival so far.

Gtg, catch you at the next round up!

Shamin Yazdani

Shamin is an Iranian New Zealander and multi-hyphenate creative engaged in storytelling across diverse mediums and platforms. She began her professional journey in the UAE and London, steadily advancing to creative producing in broadcast television. Shamin’s contributions in film and creative direction have featured on various platforms and publications including BBC World News, Vogue Arabia, Elle Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, The Gulf Film Festival, MENA Film Festival, London Shubbak Festival and more.