Organisers atthe Taos Talking Picture Festival have announced the five finalists in line forwhat is arguably the most bizarre prize in the festival world - five acres ofland on Taos' Cerro Montoso in New Mexico.

The winner willbe announced at the awards presentation on Apr 12 along with the winner of theinaugural BAFTA/LA Taos Award for Excellence in Short Film.

The main prize will go to the film-maker who, in the opinionof the jury, 'demonstrates a passion and inventiveness in using themoving image to tell our stories'. The finalists are:

- Anne B Real (US), a young girl's hip-hopjourney directed by Lisa France

- Never GetOutta The Boat (US), atale of rehab in Los Angeles directed by Paul Quinn

- Off The Map, Campbell Scottís third picturethat explores a patriarch's depression

- TheStonecraft (US), amagical realist story set on the Iberian peninsula, adapted from a NobelPrize-winning novel by Jose Saramago and directed by George Sluizer

- Wild Dogs (Canada), an account of post-communismBucharest directed by Thom Fitzgerald.

The finalists inthe short film section are:

- AConversation With Harris(US) by Sheila Sofian

- Deep Down (UK) by Christin Cockerton

- FataMorgana (Canada) byAlexandre Franchi

- Journeyman (UK) by Dictynna Hood

- The Show (US) by Cruz Angeles