NZ feature film Russian Snark has won the top prize at the 38th International Festival of Independent Film in Brussels.
 
The award is doubly thrilling for writer/director Stephen Sinclair and producer Liz DiFiore because the film was only invited to screen in competition at the festival two weeks ago. The late inclusion was thanks to a glowing recommendation from Bernard Bories, director of the St Tropez Film Festival, where Russian Snark screened in mid-October.
 
Two other NZ features – Matariki and Predicament – screened in competition at the Belgium fest, with a third – My Wedding and Other Secrets – screening outside the competition.
 
Matariki won two awards – Best Director for Michael Bennett and Best Actor for Iaheto Ah Hi.
 
Also playing at the festival were five NZ shorts: Blue, Ebony Society, Hauraki, Munted, and Preferably Blue.
 
The prizes for the Kiwi filmmakers were collected on their behalf by UK-based NZ actress Celeste Wong, who appears in My Wedding and Other Secrets and was an official guest of the festival.
 
Russian Snark, which enjoyed a critically acclaimed NZ cinema release earlier this year, has just been released on DVD.