Whale Rider wins at Toronto Film Festival

Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Helen Clark today said that the success of the New Zealand film Whale Rider at the Toronto Film Festival was a wonderful boost for the local film industry.

Whale Rider has been awarded the People’s Choice Award at the festival.

Helen Clark said it was the first film to be financed and completed out of funding provided through the Film Production Fund established by the government through the Cultural Recovery Package of May 2000.

“This success is everything we could have wished for from the assistance the fund has been able to give to New Zealand film makers.

“Whale Rider is based on the novel of the same name by Witi Ihimaera, and this represents a double success for its author and for those who have made the story into a world class film.

“My congratulations go to all those responsible for this cinematic success,” Helen Clark said.

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