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Félix Vaunois takes out Berlin Student Film Festival

A New Zealand Broadcasting School student has won the top documentary prize at an international film festival.

Moko: A Film about a Maori Poet

Vaunois was unable to travel to the inaugural annual festival, but received a concrete trophy with copper plating.

He made the film, Moko: A Film about a Maori Poet, for an assignment. It follows the life of Lyttelton poet Ben Brown and highlights the effect words can have on an author and their readers.

Vanouis, who started studying screen production at NZBS in 2015, said he was proud he was able to show a slice of the New Zealand life to an international audience.

"A community like Lyttelton is so off to the side, showing those people have stories that are universal was very important," he said.

masen ma
Screen production tutor Masen Ma says the school is thrilled for Félix Vaunois. NZBS

NZBS screen production tutor Masen Ma said the film's quality was evident from the start.

"It’s always fantastic to see our students do well outside the school and we're particularly proud to see them achieve at an international level."

Felix accepting the award

The film won best film by a tertiary education student during its debut at the New Zealand Doc Edge festival and was selected in the top 25 for the Sundance Ignite Challenge, a competition for 18 to 24-year-old film makers.

Vaunois said Ben Brown should take a lot of credit for the success of the film.