Organisers of the Southern Hemisphere's largest environmental film festival, Reel Earth, today announced its pick of nominations for its best of 2010 film awards. The Palmerston North-based annual festival also announced the selected programme of films to screen in the city's Downtown Cinemas, from 23 May to 5 June 2010.

More than 200 film entries from over 40 countries have been rigorously scrutinised by our New Zealand-based jury panels, says festival director Warren Jones. 'Our independent selection panels have chosen 78 films for this year's festival programme. The best 18 have been nominated to Reel Earth's juries for awards to be announced at the festival gala opening evening on 22 May.

Reel Earth's sixth season opens with a 'Green Carpet' gala night at Palmerston North's Regent on Broadway Theatre. The gala programme will have a weekend of 'green activities' free to the the public in Civic Square, as well as free workshops for filmmakers and photographers whose focus is the world around us.

Common themes in this year's festival cover the environment, social justice, natural history, biodiversity and sustainability issues. The award nominee classifications are: short films of up to 15 minutes; short films of 15 to 45 minutes; feature-length movies; and New Zealand-made movies, with several craft awards also.

Reel Earth was founded in Palmerston North by a group of like-minded, environmentally-aware film enthusiasts in 2005. 'Our film festival is firmly based here in the Manawatu, with growing interest from all over the region. Today it has expanded to capture the attention of environmentally-focused filmmakers around the world,' says Mr Jones.

The festival programme and ticket information are on Reel Earth's website www.reelearth.org.nz Tickets for films and sessions can be purchased online from TicketDirect and Downtown Cinemas or at their respective box offices from 17 April .

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