NZ short film wins top prize

A New Zealand short film has taken top spot at the Middle East International Film Festival.

The Six Dollar Fifty Man, which was written and directed by Wellingtonians Louis Sutherland and Mark Albiston, won the Black Pearl Award yesterday for best narrative at the Abud Dhabi festival, The Dominion Post reported.

In May, the film received a special distinction in the short film competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and Sutherland and Albiston said they hoped the latest award might push the film towards an Oscar nomination.

The 15-minute film tells the story of Andy, a gutsy eight-year-old boy who retreats into a make believe world to deal with playground bullying and was made with finance from the NZ Film Commission.

- NZPA