Hot on the heels of screening in New York's Rated SR Socially Relevant Film Festival, Kapiti writer and director and WIFT member Linda Niccol's film The Handkerchief has just won a Best Shorts award in the disabilities issues section of the competition. Fellow WIFT member Glenis Giles produced the film which was made by One Car Films.
The US Best Shorts Competition recognises film, television, videography and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film and television industry. Information about Best Shorts and a list of recent winners can be found at www.BestShorts.net.
In winning a Best Shorts Award, Niccol's One Car Films joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this internationally respected award including The Weinstein Company for Market Hours, Disney Interactive for Vinlymation: A Love Story and Oscar winning production Mr. Hublot from Laurent Witz from Luxembourg.
Rick Prickett, who chairs The Best Shorts Competition, had this to say about the latest winners, "Best Shorts is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world from powerhouse companies to remarkable new talent. The Best Shorts Competition helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were pleased with the exceptional high quality of entries. The goal of Best Shorts is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve."
The film took seven years to complete. The script won the Kaos Films British Short Screenplay Competition in 2006. Alan Parker and Kenneth Branagh were amongst the judges. 2,000 writers from around the world entered.
The film was shot in Wellington's Botanic Gardens. Models and VFX were used to create the world inside the hero's head.
The Handkerchief stars Luke Hawker (Avatar) and Claire Van Beek (Bliss)
Niccol co-wrote New Zealand's 2007 box office smash Second-Hand Wedding. She has written, directed and independently funded other short films, most notably Dangerous Ride, which screened at Show Me Shorts, an Academy qualifying film festival, last year. She won at last year's inaugural Rated SR Socially Relevant Film Festival in New York for her feature screenplay Poppy.
The Handkerchief producer, Glenis Giles, has produced numerous award-winning shorts, many accepted into A-list festivals. These include Bitch, Song of the Siren, Shoes, Eau de la Vie, The Grocer's Apprentice, Room Tone and Mokopuna, Ainsley Gardner's directorial debut as well as Niccol's Dangerous Ride.