Peter Jackson has chosen an Argentinean film maker as winner of Tourism New Zealand’s Your Big Break film competition.

The win has been announced over the internet and at the Independent Spirit Film awards in Los Angeles.

The competition was designed to grab the attention of both film makers and audiences. It is a different way of marketing New Zealand and has generated plenty of international interest.

The competition aimed to capture the spirit of 100% Pure New Zealand and the winner, Andres Borghi, starred in his own three minute film.

Tourism New Zealand says its internet marketing campaign took on a life of its own with over 1000 amateur filmmakers sending in their screenplays – double the numbers expected.

The five finalists were brought to Queenstown and given the use of a crew. They also had a mentor in the form of Barrie Osborne and the Lord of the Rings producer loved the concept.

“Trying to attract people to New Zealand by using the internet and getting young people that are interested in NZ and film, and reaching out to the net and trying to stimulate interest through these two interest groups and it worked amazingly well. So I was excited,” says Osborne.

So too was Jackson who judged the finalists.

“What I would be expecting is ultimately to be entertained and whatever that word means… that’s really all you’ve got to achieve.”

Getting the attention of top film makers was the amateur filmmakers’ big break and the films – each promoting New Zealand even by pictures alone – continue to be viewed in cyberspace by the millions.