Richard Falkner keeps wanting to pinch himself to ensure he never dreamt winning the top spot in one of the country's fastest film-making competitions.
The former Wairarapa College student, director Dean Hewison and writers Sam Dickson and Aidee Walker, known together as the Traces of Nuts, won the Rialto Channel48Hours Furious Film-Making Challenge. They also took home $16,000 cash and post-production money and Best Director and Best Actress titles for their 4 minute 58 second short-film entitled The Sleeping Plot.
Mr Hewison's 10-year-old daughter, Nova Waretine-Hewison, played the lead role with all adults in the film shot from the neck down.
When spoken by the Times-Age Mr Falkner said he was stoked with their success for their ninth entry in the film challenge. The crew took a break from last year's competition.
"It's fantastic. We are absolutely stoked. I have to keep pinching myself to make sure I'm awake," he said.
The Sleeping Plot is a crime story about a young girl who would do anything to find her missing best friend.
It had been a crazy 48 hours writing and making the short-film, Mr Falkner said.
"We stayed up late. We never got to bed before 5am ... we knew things might get crazy as they do ... it's like a nice chocolate bar - delicious and nutty."
It's not the first time Mr Falkner has had success with writing movies. He helped write and acted in How to Meet Girls From a Distance - a low-budget film written in two weeks.
It won't be his last either, the Traces of Nuts crew, already have another film in the making. They are keeping mum about it though with Mr Falkner only saying it will be a "comedy about a father and son".
