Peter Jackson Selects Andres Borghi's Film 'Working Day' as 'Your Big Break' Winner to Air Leading into IFC Film Independent Spirit Awards

Peter Jackson Selects Andres Borghi's Film 'Working Day' as 'Your Big Break' Winner to Air Leading into IFC Film Independent Spirit Awards

Academy Award(R)-winning Director Chooses Winner of 100% Pure New Zealand's Filmmaking Competition to Premiere March 5, 2010

LOS ANGELES and AUCKLAND, New Zealand, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Award®-winning director Sir Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) selected Andres Borghi from Argentina as winner of the 100% Pure New Zealand Presents Your Big Break (www.your-big-break.com) short film competition today. Borghi's film, "Working Day," will air on IFC just prior to the Film Independent Spirit Awards live broadcast on March 5 at 8 p.m. Pacific/11 p.m. Eastern.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/tourismnewzealand/42677/

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100305/MM64457 )

According to Jackson, "The standard of all five films was very high. Any of them deserve to win, but it came down to personal choice. (Working Day) stood out as a fresh and original piece of storytelling. This was an extremely accomplished piece and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Andres' future work."

"100% Pure New Zealand jump started my work and career," says Borghi, who also acted in his film. "I also thank Peter and Barrie for helping me polish my work and gain international exposure."

Jackson selected the film after five finalists traveled to Queenstown, New Zealand, where they shot and directed short films to capture the essence of the world's youngest country with help from Academy Award®-winning producer Barrie Osborne and world class post-production facility Park Road Post Production. The finalists were selected by Osborne and a panel of judges from a pool of over 1,000 screenplays submitted between December 9, 2009 and January 15, 2010.

All five finalists' films will screen in front of hundreds of the entertainment industry's brightest at the 100% Pure New Zealand lounge at the 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards, of which 100% Pure New Zealand is a Principal Sponsor, and on the Your Big Break Web site, www.your-big-break.com.

"'Working Day' captures New Zealand's stunning landscape, diversity of people and richness of culture," says Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler. "With this and the other completed films, we now have five wonderful assets to promote the country to potential visitors."

Useful links:
Your Big Break website: www.your-big-break.com
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourBigBreak
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/YourBigBreakNZ
For inspiration: www.newzealand.com

For information about New Zealand's extensive vacation options, log onto the 100% Pure New Zealand website at http://www.newzealand.com/.

For other media information, log on to http://www.media.newzealand.com/. For high-resolution images, visit http://www.images.newzealand.com/.

ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS The Film Independent Spirit Awards is a celebration honoring films made by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. Televised in millions of homes and covered internationally by the press, the Spirit Awards has become the vanguard event in independent film, recognizing the achievements of independent filmmakers and promoting independent film to a wider audience.

For more information:
Andrew Reynolds
Hill & Knowlton for Tourism New Zealand
949-223-2307
andrew.reynolds@hillandknowlton.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100305/MM64457
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.comVideo: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/tourismnewzealand/42677
Source: Tourism New Zealand

CONTACT: Andrew Reynolds, Hill & Knowlton for Tourism New Zealand,
+1-949-223-2307, andrew.reynolds@hillandknowlton.com

Web Site: http://www.your-big-break.com/

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