Celebrating The Stars Among Us – Two Minutes of Good Stuff 2025 Wrap-Up

Thursday evening, June 19th, Lawson Field Theatre was buzzing with community spirit and celebration as we premiered the Two Minutes of Good Stuff 2025 short film showcase. Proudly presented every two years by the Gisborne Volunteer Centre, this event continues to shine a spotlight on the unsung heroes of our region; our volunteers and the organisations they support.

Now in its fourth edition, this year's theme, The Stars Among Us, aligned with Matariki and Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu – National Volunteer Week, offering the ideal moment to acknowledge the incredible people who make a difference in our community.

Eight inspiring films were created voluntarily by local filmmakers, each capturing the good being done in our backyard. From restoring native bush to rescuing food, encouraging science learning, and preserving our region’s rich history. Every story reflected the powerful mahi happening right here in Tairāwhiti.

A huge thank you to the filmmakers: Tom McGregor, Bodhi and Indie Cowper, Bjorn Ahman, Tom Paton, Shannon Dowsing, Jordan Perry and Te Hira Horua for donating your time and talent to bring these stories to life.

The event offered three award categories and each award came with a $500 prize for the featured organisation and a $500 prize for the filmmaker. That’s $3,000 going straight back into our community and to the creatives who told their stories with such heart. Many of these groups operate on very limited budgets, and with funding becoming increasingly harder to secure, a little extra cash can go a long way.

Winner of The Judges’ Award: East Coast Museum of Technology, film by Bjorn Ahman and Lightshift Pictures.
Selected for its strong storytelling, creative delivery, and excellent cinematography. The film brought to life the relics of the museum and the dedicated volunteers who preserve our region’s rich history.

Winner of the Gisborne Volunteer Centre Board of Trustees Award: Gizzy Kai Rescue, film by Jordan Perry.
Chosen for its alignment with the theme and its clear celebration of volunteering, food rescue, and the vital role community plays.

The highly coveted People’s Choice Award went to East Coast Museum of Technology. Voted by our live audience on the night, this film clearly struck a chord with its warmth, humour and nostalgic charm.

The films will be released on the Gisborne Volunteer Centre's Facebook and Instagram pages over the coming weeks with some being shown at the Wellington Big Shout Out volunteer celebration event at Parliament this week.

Thank you to the organisations who got involved and the volunteers on the night and behind the scenes who made the event such a success.

2025 Featured Organisations and Initiatives:
Curtain Bank Gisborne - Film by Tom McGregor
Riding for the Disabled - Film by Bodhi and Indie Cowper
East Coast Museum of Technology - Film by Bjorn Ahman
Build a Band - Film by Tom Paton
Gisborne Toy Library - Film by Shannon Dowsing
Gizzy Kai Rescue - Film by Jordan Perry
Women’s Native Tree Project Trust - Film by Te Hira Horua
House of Science - Film by Indie and Bodhi Cowper