Documentary Scoops Two Major Awards

Documentary Scoops Two Major Awards

Taipei - New Zealand film maker Valerie Reid's short documentary, Sand Dancer, about the life of Christchurch iconic sand artist Peter Donnelly, has received two major awards this month – scooping The Audience Choice Award at the Golden Horse Film Festival's 7th International Digital Shorts Competition in Taipei and the Excellence in Documentary Film Making Award at the Magma Film Festival in Rotorua.

A record 717 works worldwide were submitted this year at The Golden Horse in Taipei. Sand Dancer ( a 10 minute short) was a nominee with 43 shorts at the Golden Horse Festival. The film was the only New Zealand nominee after being spotted at the short film corner in Cannes. The Golden Horse Festival is regarded as the Asian equivalent of the Oscars.
Other winners were
Israel -Best short drama
Japan -Best short animation
Luxemburg - Best short

Director Valerie Reid: said "Winning the Audience Choice Award in Taipei confirms that Sand Dancer crosses all languages and cultures and winning 'Excellence in Documentary Film Making' at Magma in New Zealand for was a huge honour. I think that audiences and film makers alike have enjoyed Sand Dancer because the film's message of following your heart applies to us all." Cliff Curtis won the Audience Choice award for Tama Tu at the Magma Film Festival.

Sand Dancer is Valerie Reid's fifth short film.

Sand Dancer screens in NZ at Hagley Open Stage in Christchurch - Dec 14, The Arts House Rotorua Dec- and The Wet West International Film Festival in Hokitika - Jan 2007. A longer version of Sand Dancer starts production next year.

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