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Real New Zealand experiences including the story of the daughter of a Nazi war criminal, one man’s struggle to reignite his sex life, and the quintessential tale of a Kiwi bach will air on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge this year following five successful submissions by New Zealand’s young producers.

The short-form documentaries are in production for the factual entertainment network following a joint initiative between ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge and NZ’s Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA).

The films will have their television premieres on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge NZ later this year, with a screening in Australia to follow.

To celebrate its February 2011 launch, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge NZ sought five true stories that reflected the essence of the channel – intelligent, informative, innovative and sometimes irreverent. New Zealand factual producers under the age of 30 were invited to submit concepts for five short-form grants of NZ$5,000 each.

Deirdre Brennan, Director of Television, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Worldwide Australia said, "We are so proud to showcase the young creative talent that exists in New Zealand. The winning entries demonstrate a fantastic diversity of philosophy and viewpoint across the spectrum of factual entertainment and they’re all a brilliant fit for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge."

SPADA Chief Executive Penelope Borland added: "It's great to have this initiative come to fruition, resulting in a fantastic and rare opportunity for these short-form documentaries by these young filmmakers to be screened on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge both in New Zealand and Australia."

David White, producer of one of the winning entries, Lex, commented, "There are so many wonderful people in New Zealand that you never get to see, nor document, but with the help of ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge we can bring a little more of New Zealand to the world."

The full list of winners is as follows:

Amy O'Connor, Wellington
Strawberries with the Führer
Positive Pattern Films Ltd.
An 80 year old Canterbury woman breaks her silence about growing up in Nazi Germany and her father’s involvement in the notorious Waffen SS.

Simon Burgin, Wellington
Porn and Piety
The battle between 'good' and 'evil' is getting intensely personal for campaigners on either sides of New Zealand's moral divide.

Claire Clements, Dunedin
A Bach Somewhere
The story of a New Zealand bach, told through the eyes of Don, a permanent bach dweller who’s the epitome of what it means to live in and love New Zealand.

Emma Conroy & Catie McDonald, Auckland
Getting It Up
Cameo Productions Limited
A personal journey following one man’s struggle to get his sex life back on track.

David White, Wellington
Lex
White Balance Pictures
A trebuchet, some cannons and a grizzly bear. A story about a Hawke’s Bay farmer who doesn’t care what the neighbours think.

NOTES TO EDITORS
About ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge is a revolution in factual entertainment. Through a breathtaking mix of factual and non-fiction programming we inspire viewers to see life through captivating new perspectives. We thrive on variety and diversity which is why we offer the broadest range of revealing programming from natural history to science, technology, adventure and history. Through the passion and charisma of our world-class presenters we spark amazing conversations that explore big ideas and open minds to incredible experiences. We believe knowledge is a fascinating journey of shared discovery, and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Knowledge never fails to surprise, inspire and spread wonder about our universe and our unique place in it.

Louise Alley