Taranaki Arts Festival Trust's Tropfest manager Cleo Wood at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth, where the top 16 films will be screened on the evening of February 27

A Taranaki amateur filmmaker's latest project has wowed judges of New Zealand's premier short film competition and will be getting its first public screening at New Plymouth's Bowl of Brooklands.

Back o' the Bus, by Hannah Taylor, is one of 16 short films selected for Tropfest New Zealand 2016, said Cleo Wood, the event's manager.

Wood said Taylor's was selected from a pool of hundreds of films, a number of which were made by professional filmmakers.

"That's really what Tropfest is about; it's not about creating a polished film that's spent considerable time in post-production. Tropfest is about great stories and encouraging everyday people to pick up a camera and give filmmaking a go," Wood said.

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Taylor's film was created after she went to America to say goodbye to her dying grandfather last year.

While there, she decided to capture her family's memories of racism.

The 30-year-old Taranaki woman had spent years listening to her dad's tales of what it was like being a black man in America during the 1960s, at the height of the Civil Rights movement.

He'd told her of sitting at the back of the bus at the age of five and realising he was different to other people, solely because of the colour of his skin.

So as Taylor's family gathered in Fort Worth, Texas, to say goodbye to her grandad, she interviewed them about their memories of life in America in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, when racism was rife.

Then when she returned home to New Plymouth she turned those hours and hours of footage into a seven minute film for Tropfest New Zealand.

Last week, just days after Taylor's grandfather died, she found out she was selected as one of the 16 finalists for Tropfest New Zealand.

Her film will now screen to a live audience and judging panel on February 27 at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth.

Taylor, who works in education during the day, describes herself as a hobby filmmaker and said she didn't expect to make the finals of New Zealand's biggest short film festival.

"I just wanted to capture the voices of my family and make a film. I like the storytelling element of filmmaking, especially if it involves social commentary," Taylor said.

This year's judging panel will be made up of New Zealand industry professionals, whose identities will be revealed in the coming weeks.

First prize includes a five-day film immersion trip to Los Angeles, sponsored by the New Zealand Screen Association and Motion Picture Association, as well as a festival sponsored cash prize of $10,000.

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The finalists:

* Meet Hamish. Directors and producers: Nicola Peeperkorn (Auckland) and Andrew Cooper (Auckland)

* Natalia Rising. Directors and producers: Floris Van Gaalen (Hamilton)

* John Squared. Directors and producers: Emily French (Christchurch/Wellington). Co-Directors: Matthew Wilkey, Caitlyn Parslow, Chris Bird, Kate Lambert

* Bathilda's Cauldron. Director: Chayse Millar (Auckland). Producer: Ben Hobbs

* The Dairy Diaries: Daniel's Entry (Rotorua/Hamilton). Director and producers: Ashton Ledger

* Lon-Done – or the patriotic homesick kiwi hater's survival guide to London. Directors and producer: Allan George (Rotorua/Auckland)

* Bites. Director and producer: Florence Lam. Co-Director: Mia Maramara (Auckland)

* Tomorrow's Dream. Director: David Gould (Wellington). Producer: Anne Jaeger-Annear

* Papa Taniwha. Director: Kennedy Faimanifo (Auckland). Producer: Gray Davis

* Halfway to Timbuktu. Director and producer: Kirk Bremner (Dunedin). Co-Director: Luke Bremner

* Back o' the Bus. Director and producer: Hannah Taylor (New Plymouth)

* Be Home Soon. Director and producer: Emma Schranz (Dunedin)

* Timothy (or Hunting for the Doppelmonster). Directors and producers: Christopher Chalmers (Wellington)

* Lock & Key 2: Rise of the Demons. Director and producer: Nick Garrett (Auckland)

* The Dream of the Driver. Director and producer: Yamin Tun (Auckland)

* Wings. Director: Jharaiz Kiriona (Whanganui/Auckland). Producer: Olivia Preston