Five nominations for NZ series

Top of the Lake has a chance of picking up several Emmy Awards.

New Zealand producer Philippa Campbell is heading to the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles this weekend, hoping her Jane Campion-directed mini-series Top of the Lake will be among the winners,

The US-UK co-production was filmed last year in the Queenstown region by The Piano Oscar-winner Campion, who co-wrote the crime thriller about a missing 12-year-old girl.

It has screened in Britain, the US, Australia and New Zealand to critical acclaim.

At last weekend's technical Emmys, it picked up best mini-series cinematography for its Australian director of photography Adam Arkapaw.

At Monday's 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, Top of the Lake is nominated in five categories including best mini-series/movie, mini-series/movie lead actress for Elisabeth Moss, mini-series/movie supporting actor for Peter Mullan, a joint directing nomination for Campion and Garth Davis and a joint writing one for Campion and Gerard Lee.

"I think it was a huge experience for me and for all of us involved in making Top of the Lake," says Campbell, "I've never been to the Emmys before. I can't predict anything; it's just a really exciting prospect."

The show is up against other television movies and mini-series which include Behind the Candelabra, The Girl and Phil Spector.

"We made a terrific piece of television and we're all proud of it," says Campbell, who adds if they were to win, the first person she would call would be Jackie who plays Tui on the show.

Campbell says the mini-series, which had no local finance behind it, was still beneficial to the New Zealand screen industry.

"It gained attention from people in the industry and also from audiences around the world," says Campbell.