Kiwi wins best actor award for role in Otago-shot film

Kieran Charnock, who featured in the film Stray, was presented with his award by Nastassja Kinski. Photo / Supplied

A New Zealand actor playing a lead role in a film shot in Otago has won the best actor award at the Moscow Film Festival.

Kieran Charnock, who featured in the film Stray, was presented with his award by Nastassja Kinski at a ceremony in Moscow on Friday.

Mr Charnock (26) grew up in Masterton and began acting as a student at Rathkeale College.

He trained in Wales and worked for numerous professional theatre companies before returning to New Zealand in 2011.

His first screen role was as lead actor in the short film Cub which did well at international film festivals.

Since then, he has appeared in the mini-series When We Go To War and in the feature film The Rehearsal.

Stray had its world premiere at the festival - the first New Zealand film to be selected for what is the second oldest film festival in the world, behind Venice.

It tells the story of the relationship between a young man on parole after serving time for attempted murder and a woman released from a psychiatric facility.

The film is set in winter in the Southern Alps and was mostly shot in Central and North Otago.

It was partly financed by $125,000 raised through crowdfunding.