Watson and Cricket Productions won overall best film, best director, best performer for Pete Naik and best script at the awards for the Dunedin section on Saturday night.
The team’s film Lizard Does Earth follows a lizard who was exiled to Earth and is learning how to fit in, but is "a bit misunderstood". Director Tegan Good said it was the second time the team had taken part in the competition, but last year was a "really bad year".
"It was a learning experience. We knew we wanted to have a good year this year. This is 100% a redemption."
She has personally entered the competition 10 years running.
Most of the team members are studying for a Master of Science Communication together at the University of Otago.The course sponsored students to enter the competition in past years, but not this year.
"We decided we wanted to do it again anyway," Ms Good said.
This year, teams were required to add the elements of a puddle, door slam and shadow into their films.The team also won the coveted award "best use of puddle". Ms Good said winning overall was exciting because the other films were "so good".
"Some of them were so cool. We were pretty surprised."
The national finals will be held in mid-July, although winning the Dunedin competition does not guarantee the team a place.Ms Good said the team would enter next year depending on who was still around.
"Wouldn’t want to break my 10-year streak."
Competition Dunedin manager Miguel Nitis said this year’s films were of a "really high standard".
"There were some fantastic teams that couldn’t make the finals."
The 10 finalists were whittled down from more than 30 entries from Otago, Southland and South Canterbury.
