Naenae College students Clench Enoka and Kayla Howard won a $1000 prize for their short film on the health benefits of being a vegetarians.

The creative talents of young people at the Naenae Clubhouse are making a big impression around the country.

Two short films produced at the clubhouse, which provides technology and creative mentoring for young people, have won national and regional competitions in the past month.

Naenae College students Clench Enoka and Kayla Howard, both 17, won a $1000 prize in the New Zealand Vegetarian Society 2016 Film Competition. Clubhouse film collective Naenae Amplify won best original song for their entry in the HP 48Hours film competition for the Wellington region.

Clench and Kayla's five minute documentary won the Secondary School Nutrition and Health category.

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It was shot in Lower Hutt and included interviews with a nurse and vegan business owner about vegetarian nutrition and health, and Naenae Clubhouse co-ordinator Lily Chalmers on raising her children as vegetarians.

Making the film convinced Clench to be a vegetarian.

"I watched factory farming videos and was thinking 'I'm not eating meat'. I wanted to experience the different kinds of food you can eat without meat. If you're vegetarian you have to be creative," she said.

Clench had previously made two shorts, including an award-winning film on drink driving. Kyla was already vegetarian but new to film-making. Clubhouse session assistant Mike Duffy helped the two hone their directing skills.

Kayla said they could not have made the film without the support of the Clubhouse. It included cameras and editing equipment, while other Clubhouse members were part of the film crew.

Both were surprised at their success. "I never thought we'd win. My dad never thought we'd win and he said 'congratulations, you must be a star then'," Clench said.

Clench was also director of photography for Naenae Amplify's short action film Chasing the Beat. Charlie's Rap, written and performed by Saviour Erihe in the film, won the best original song category.

Director Michael Sanders said Chasing the Beat was very much a group effort with the Clubhouse members planning it together. "What was great about it is that we knew we needed something [finished] in 48 hours. But because we were getting stuff done there was not any real need to get stressed."

For the first time Taita Clubhouse also entered a film in the 48Hours competition. The short Samoan and Maori language film Strings, directed by Kaisa Fa'atui, featured puppetry.

"We were delighted we submitted on time and the kids loved the experience," Clubhouse coordinator Tom Johnson said.

Clench and Kayla's vegetarian film, Chasing the Beat and Strings will have free public screenings early next month at three Hutt City libraries:

* War Memorial Library, Lower Hutt, Thursday, 1 December, 4pm

* Taita Library, Friday, 2 December, 6pm

* Naenae Library, Saturday, 3 December, 2pm