Film acclaim for Christine, 10

Rotorua's Christine Edwards, 10, won the Best Actress Audience Award at this year's Wairoa Maori Film Festival for her role in Ahi Ka. Photo/Supplied

A Rotorua girl is the star of a locally made film which will screen at the upcoming New Zealand International Film Festival.

The film, called Ahi Ka, or The Long Burning Fires of Occupation, will screen at the festival's opening in Auckland on Saturday.

The star of the film is 10-year-old Christine Edwards,who had never acted before.

Shot on the banks of Lake Rotoiti, the story is set in the early 1900s during government land confiscations. It tells the tale of a courageous young girl who helps protect the land for future generations.

The film, written and directed by Richard Curtis, was shortlisted by the festival as one of New Zealand's top 12 short films and was chosen for the Nga Whanaunga Maori Pasika Shorts Programme.

The role won Te Kura o Te Whakarewarewa student Christine the Best Actress Audience Award at this year's Wairoa Maori Film Festival.

"The film was a really good experience for me and I now know for sure that I want to be an actress in the future," she said.

The film is based on one of the stories of the Ngati Rongomai, Ngati Hinekura hapu of Rotoiti, Ahi Ka.

"Christine played the role of our kuia as a young girl. She had to endure the cold, wind and rain, it was not pretty. She carried the entire film and we made sure all the elements where in place to capture that," he said.

Mr Curtis said he owed a special thanks to the film's heads of departments, in camera, lighting, sound and production.

His cousin, Rotorua-born actor Cliff Curtis, is the executive producer and said he was thrilled by the positive reaction the film had received so far.

He said he believed short films were one way to foster and develop the New Zealand film industry at a local level.

"Christine is yet another discovery of talent, which is the value of short films to discover and develop new talent," he said.

The film's producer Jillian White said the film was "definitely a labour of love" as low budget films often were.

"We hope that it resonates on a meaningful level with its audience."

The film was supported by The New Zealand Film Commission - Fresh Short Initiative, the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust, Destination Rotorua, Amora Lake Resort, Hikoi NZ, Rotoiti 15, Paehinahina Mourea Trust and Waione Incorporation.