Producer Trevor Haysom, casting agent Diana Rowan (pictured)and up-and-coming filmmaker Florian Habicht were all honoured at the close ofthe annual conference of the Screen Production and Development Association ofNew Zealand.

Haysom had something else to celebrate - within two days ofbeing awarded the title of inaugural independent producer of the year: In My Father's Den, which he producedalongside the UK's Dixie Linder, hit the NZ$1m ($712,000) mark at localcinemas, equating to over 100,000 admissions.

The film opened in third position seven weeks ago and hasbeen in the top ten ever since. By this weekend it will have grossed A$500,000in Australia for Icon after four weeks on release - in NZ it is being handledby Hoyts on Icon's behalf.

Rowan, who happened to cast Emily Barclay in In My Father's Den, was recognised asthe industry champion of the year for her "immeasurable passion,commitment, integrity and success in helping NZ drama". She isparticularly known for identifying talented children and cast Anna Paquin in The Piano and Keisha Castle-Hughes in Whale Rider.

She is currently working on writer/director Toa Fraser's No 2, which starts shooting early nextyear, and director Roger Donaldson's TheWorld's Fastest Indian, starring Anthony Hopkins.

The NZ component of the period film based on NZ motorcyclelegend Burt Munro, started shooting this week after some weeks in Utah.

Habicht has been a finalist in SPADA's new filmmaker of theyear category for the past three years. He has made three feature lengthdigital films including Woodenheadand, more recently, the documentary KaikoheDemolition.