NZ short film Fog, directed by Peter Salmon, will have its world premiere in the 2007 International Critics' Week at Cannes in France next month.

International Critics' Week is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival, which focuses on discovering new talent.

Image: Director Peter Salmon.NZ short film Fog, directed by Peter Salmon, will have its world premiere in the 2007 International Critics' Week at Cannes in France next month.

International Critics' Week is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival, which focuses on discovering new talent.

Image: Director Peter Salmon.Critic's Week was conceived by the French Union of Film Critics in 1962 to showcase first and second feature films by directors from all over the world. Bernardo Bertuolucci, Ken Loach and Wong Kar Wai all started out at Critics' Week.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have another film selected, as Cannes is considered the most prestigious festival in the world. To have two local films premiere is fantastic recognition for our emerging filmmaking talent," says NZFC Short Film Sales & Marketing Manager, Juliette Veber. "Thousands of new filmmakers around the world submit their works for selection, but less than 20 are chosen across these short film programmes."

Written by Nick Mayow, directed by Peter Salmon and produced by Rachel Gardner, Fog is about a teenage boy who dreams of leaving the small fishing village where he lives but is prevented by his father's expectations. He meets an older girl who encourages him to defy his father and escape into the fog. Ricky emerges a young man, but is he ready to face his father?

"At its heart, Fog is a coming-of-age story capturing the simple moments when a boy becomes a man," says director Salmon.

Explains writer Nick Mayow, "The story of Fog was inspired by my own summer holidays in Dargaville. The characters are all based on people I spent time with and reflect a time and place in my personal history."

Fog was shot on location in Ngawi, a remote New Zealand fishing village a few hours drive from Wellington City. Ngawi was chosen for its unique landscape, soaring cliff faces and wild coastline. A sense of the main characters being trapped in a tiny community miles from anywhere was essential to the film's success.

The Critics' Week Grand Prix is awarded by the press. Journalists and film critics are invited to vote after each screening of the selection. Short films can receive the Canal+ Award for best short film and the Kodak Discovery Award.

Fog was executive produced by Nik Beachman and Andrew Bancroft of Short Intercept, who are also the executive producers of Run, the NZFC short selected to compete in competition this year, and Nature's Way which was selected for competition at Cannes last year.

27/4/07