Five BAFTA awards a great reward

"Five BAFTA awards is a great reward for all the New Zealanders who have worked on The Lord of the Rings trilogy", said Judith Tizard today.

The Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage praised film director Peter Jackson and all the cast and crew of The Fellowship of the Ring for the film's latest accolades.

The Fellowship of the Ring picked up five British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in London today (New Zealand time).

The film was awarded Best Film, Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup and Hair and the audience-voted Orange Film of the Year, after being nominated for eleven BAFTA awards.

"Every New Zealander should be thrilled for Peter and his cast and crew," said Judith Tizard. "This is a fantastic achievement."

The first instalment in the film trilogy has also received thirteen nominations for the Academy Awards, to be held in Los Angeles on March 24.

For previous Government statements on The Lord of the Rings go to the following web pages:

Prime Minister Helen Clark on securing spin-offs from The Lord of the Rings.

Judith Tizard on Oscar nominations.