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The 62nd Berlin International Film Festival has invited three NZ short films to compete in its prestigious line up. They include the hot new property from Porirua, Lambs.

Alongside Lambs, directed by Sam Kelly, will be Meathead, directed by Sam Holst and Snow In Paradise directed by Justine Simei-Barton and Nikki Si’ulepa.

Meathead carries a prestigious background into Berlin having been one of only nine short films chosen to compete in Cannes last year. The story of a young man’s frightening first day at the meatworks, Meathead has been welcomed at several top line festivals around the world in the last six months. Sam Holst will attend the festival and says of the opportunity “Anyone lucky enough to be invited to Berlin has raved about their experience and I’m looking forward to being at this premiere festival with its large audience and international connections.”

Snow In Paradise will be having its World Premiere in Berlin. Filmed in Aitutaki the film is set in the 1970’s and explores a day in the life of a young island girl – her paradise is shattered by the nuclear testing that changed the Pacific forever. The film will screen in the Generation K-Plus section aimed at children who are between eleven and fourteen. Co-director Justine Simei-Barton said “I’m really looking forward to seeing the film with this young, German audience who are unlikely to have any knowledge of this piece of Pacific history." Co-director and writer Nikki Si’ulepa added “the chance to answer their questions and hear their thoughts as a generation new to this story will be amazing.”

Lambs tells the story of Jimmy, a big-hearted 14 year old who has an impossible choice to make – stay at home and protect his siblings from abuse or leave and start his own life. Cast entirely within the communities of Porirua and Wainuiomata this selection confirms the extraordinary strength and skill of these newcomers, particularly lead actor Waka Rowlands. Sam Kelly will attend the festival with producer Tom Hern from emerging film company Four Knights, and they both intend to leverage this experience in positive ways for their future feature film plans.

NZFC CEO Graeme Mason will be attending along with Sale and Marketing Manager James Thompson.

“2012 is going to be a big year for New Zealand creative talent in Germany and I am delighted to see three short films and their film makers launched onto the international stage by a festival with such commitment to NZ film.”

The Berlin International Film Festival shows about 400 films per year, sells around 300,000 tickets and has more than 19,000 professional visitors attending from 115 countries. A total of 58 short and full-length films from 32 countries have been selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions. “New discoveries and curious discoverers,” remarks section director Maryanne Redpath about the programme. Eleven children from Berlin between the ages of eleven and 14 as well as seven young adults have been invited to be on the Children’s and Youth Juries. They will award Crystal Bears for the best short and feature-length films.

Meathead was funded through the NZFC Premiere Shorts scheme and produced by Stanstrong Production’s, executive produced by Big Shorts, Eyeworks and The Sweet Shop.

Snow In Paradise was funded through the NZFC Premiere Shorts and produced by Tala Pasifika Productions, executive produced by Kura Shorts.

Lambs was funded through the NZFC Fresh Shorts scheme and produced by Four Knights Films with sponsorship from Park Road Post and Panavision.

International sales for all three short films are handled by NZ Film, which is the sales arm of the NZFC.

The 62nd Berlin International Film Festival runs from the 9th – 19th February 2012. More information.