NZ Short Film Grabs Overseas Success

NZ Short Film Grabs Overseas Success

A New Zealand short film described as 'a rock'n'roll funeral road trip complete with fast cars, penile dysfunction and small town scandal' has been accepted to the Sydney and Commonwealth International Film Festivals.

Dead End was written and directed by Mark Albiston, (Best Director Factual/Entertainment - New Zealand TV Awards 2003) and Louis Sutherland, (Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School Graduate) and features the entire 2003 graduating class of Toi Whakaari acting students.

"Basically Dead End is a black comedy delivered straight from New Zealand's rural underbelly that'll have you reaching for your seatbelt," says Albiston.

In addition to the Sydney and Commonwealth Film Festivals Dead End has also been chosen by Fuji Film as a feature on its DVD show reel.

"This is great exposure for all the actors and crew as Fuji shows their show reel to lots of Directors and production houses," says Sutherland.

The pair is also excited by the fact that the Film Commission have agreed to include Dead End with the rest of their short films when sending off entries to some overseas film festivals.

"Even though the Film Commission don't normally promote films they're not involved with, they think Dead End is a strong film and want to support Toi Whakaari, and their generosity is helping us take the film to an international audience," says Albiston.

Set in the back blocks of Wairarapa, Dead End follows a diverse group of friends and family as they descend on an isolated rural church for a funeral. The journey uncovers unsettling truths about their own lives and those of the young deceased. Skeletons are thrown out of the closet and onto the picturesque Wairarapa Landscape.

Highlights of the short film can be downloaded from www.stickypictures.co.nz

ENDS

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