NZ movie wins major awards at St Tropez Film Festival

12.00pm

Just two days after his film won major awards at the St Tropez Film Festival, New Zealand director Larry Parr flew to Germany today with hopes for more awards in another competition.

Fracture was voted the most popular film at the annual St Tropez Film Festival on Tuesday, and Auckland actress Kate Elliott won the prize for best actress for her portrayal of a solo mother struggling to bring up her baby son when her family is falling apart.

Parr was at St Tropez in southern France to pick up the awards.

Fracture will have its German premiere tomorrow at the Hof Film Festival in southern Germany.

Based on the best-selling novel Crime Story by Maurice Gee, the film was written by the director and produced by Charlie McClellan.

NZ Film spokeswoman Kathleen Drumm said the awards boosted the film's chances for distribution in the fiercely competitive US market, where it will be pitched next week.

"We are delighted by Fracture's success. These awards have substantially increased its chances of being picked up by a US distributor in Los Angeles next week," she told NZPA.

"The US film market is very tough. The awards have been great timing."

Fracture has just completed a five-week run in Wellington cinemas.

- NZPA