Director Jane Shearer's short film, Nature's Way tells the haunting tale of a young girl murdered and left for dead deep in native forest. The film has been selected for competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival in France in May.

Nature's Way looks at the murderer's psychological journey after the event. "I wanted to explore the idea that it all catches up with you in the end, and how karma, conscience or the spiritual ends up being the deliverer of justice," says Shearer, who co-wrote the film with Steve Ayson (The French Doors).

Image: Matthew Sunderland - a murderer's experience in Nature's Way.Director Jane Shearer's short film, Nature's Way tells the haunting tale of a young girl murdered and left for dead deep in native forest. The film has been selected for competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival in France in May.

Nature's Way looks at the murderer's psychological journey after the event. "I wanted to explore the idea that it all catches up with you in the end, and how karma, conscience or the spiritual ends up being the deliverer of justice," says Shearer, who co-wrote the film with Steve Ayson (The French Doors).

Image: Matthew Sunderland - a murderer's experience in Nature's Way.One of only ten short films, Nature's Way will compete for arguably the world's most coveted short film award, the Palme d'Or.

The murderer's first instincts tell him he'll get caught, but as time goes on he thinks he's got away with it. Unfortunately for him, first instincts are usually right as nature aids revenge.

"The tale intends to spook, while inviting the viewer to decide whether the murderer is getting haunted, or is it all in his mind," she said.

The project was conceived and developed while Shearer and Ayson were artists in residence at Chateau de la Napoule in France.

Nature's Way, which is entirely without dialogue, features rising New Zealand actor Matthew Sunderland and child actor Katrin O'Donnell. It was produced by Leanne Saunders and executive produced by Nik Beachman, Andrew Bancroft and Hone Kouka of Short Intercept and produced with finance from the NZFC.

Saunders produced the digital feature film Christmas which screened in official selection at Toronto, Edinburgh, Locarno and Melbourne International Film Festivals in 2003. Saunders also recently spearheaded Headstrong a new digital initiative in association with the NZFC. The first digital film from this initiative The Devil Dared Me To is currently in production.

The film was shot by Australian Cinematographer Andrew Commis, whose short film credits include Blue Tongue, selected to Cannes Critics Week and winner of the Best Australian Short at Melbourne International Film Festival, both in 2005. Editor Jack Hutchings cut the Australian short film Cracker Bag which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2003.

The producer and director of Nature's Way will travel to Cannes with assistance from the NZFC to attend the film's world premiere.

Also screening at this year's festival as part of the short film programme is Jane Campion's film THE WATER DIARY, as well as Australian feature film SUBURBAN MAYHEM which stars New Zealand's Emily Barclay (IN MY FATHER'S DEN). SUBURBAN MAYHEM has been selected to screen in Un Certain Regard.

For more information on the Cannes Film Festival visit www.festival-cannes.org