The Spinoff

Alex Casey snacks on this year’s Loading Docs selection, ten locally-made documentaries under 3 minutes in length.

Love documentaries but hate all the sitting, watching and listening? Destined to take 100 pee breaks and snack stops during the average 90 minute runtime? Fear not my fellow cinema pests, Loading Docs is the perfect solution if your love for factual content is only outweighed by your piddly attention span.

Founded by Julia Parnell and Anna Jackson, the NZ On Air funded initiative produces a selection of 3 minute documentaries that aim to showcase local stories and promote our brightest new filmmakers. The theme for this year’s crop is ‘change’, presenting true stories of transformation, growth, adversity and hope. I binged them all in an easy breezy half hour to assemble this handy, one-sentence guide. Snack away.

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In three minutes you could make yourself a bowl of two minute noodles (prep time + meditation included), look through someone’s ‘Bali 2009′ album on Facebook, or watch some incredible short kiwi documentaries on TVNZ Ondemand.

Part of the Loading Docs initiative, filmmakers are given the opportunity to produce three-minute documentaries across a wide range of subjects and styles. This year, ten films were selected to be made under the overarching theme of connection, with funding from NZFC and NZ On Air.  Read more