AUDREY OF THE ALPS Director Grace McKenzie Wins F4 Award for Outstanding New Australian Doc Talent

Last night at the DocWeek F4 Award presentation Grace McKenzie was announced the winner of the 2013 F4 Award for Outstanding New Australian Documentary Talent.

McKenzie's documentary AUDREY OF THE Alps was chosen out of four films which had been selected as finalists for this year's F4 screening program during DocWeek. In Audrey of The Alps, director Grace McKenzie delivers an honest, unobtrusive and simple portrait of a young Parisian woman's life, who has swapped the big city for the challenges of shepherding sheep in a spectacular and remote French alpine region.

The judging panel consisted of Jury President Kathleen Drum, Head of Marketing Screen Australia; Jane Balfour, Jane Balfour Services; Scott Hicks, Film Director; Kerry Heysen-Hicks, Producer, Kino Films and Ben Tsiang; Co-Founder and CEO of CNEX.

A special commendation was also made to Leonie Blignaut for her documentary FEEL HOME.

On behalf of the F4 jury, Kathleen Drum, congratulated and commended all the four filmmakers.

The F4 Screening and Development Program is presented by Flinders University and showcases first films from 4 Australian emerging documentary film makers. The films represent Australia's most promising emerging filmmakers. Submissions opened in September and over 70 films were entered. The F4 finalists will screen their films during DocWeek in Adelaide, Australia.

Grace Mckenzie - AUDREY OF THE Alps (76mins)
The personal story of a couple in their early 20's who escape societies expectations and become sheep herders for a summer season. Audrey of the Alps is a poetic story about the meaning of life.

Leonie Blignaut - 'FEEL HOME' (12mins)
The story of the local homing pigeon racing club, located in a single industry community in South Africa. A first hand look at this unique race that brings the community together.

Heather Kirkpatrick - 'MARY MEETS MOHAMMAD' (82mins)
A Modern day fairy tale about an unlikely friendship between two people an Afghan Hazara refugee and an elderly pensioner who is an avid member of a knitting club.

Olivier Pollet - 'CANNING PARADISE' (90mins)
A story about human rights violation that is happening only a one-and-a-half hour plane Flight away from Cairns ruthless foreign investment and an environmental and social disaster.

DocWeek, Monday 25 February - Sunday 3 March, Adelaide, Australia.