UIP and Fox were the most high profile distributors at last night'sAustralian International Movie Convention's box achievement awards.

UIP won six of the 18 awards which are given to films that grossed morethan $7.5m (A$10m) in the previous 12 months.

Top of the list for UIP was Meet The Fockers but it just missedout on being declared the highest grossing film of the year. That honourinstead went to Star Wars Episode III - The Revenge Of The Sith, whichwas released by 20th Century Fox. Fox also screened one of the mostpopular films of the convention, In Her Shoes.

Star Wars also earned the inauguralaward for the highest-grossing film in New Zealand, where the film took $4.1m(NZ$5.9m). For the first time at the convention New Zealand also had its own presentation,during which the New Zealand Film Commission showcased such films as TheWorld's Fastest Indian, River Queen and Perfect Creature. Indian wasalso shown in its entirety by Becker.

The highest grossing foreign film award went to BVI for Hero, whichgrossed A$5.7m, and the Australian award went to Hopscotch for Somersault,which grossed A$2.1 million. The Val Morgan prize for the best pre-showpresentation went to the Reading Cinemas at West Lakes in South Australia.

Hoyts programming head Noel Collier, who retires on September 30, wasawarded a lifetime achievement award. During many filmed tributes he wasvariously described as "one of the best judges of film in the country", "agreat contributor to the character of the industry", a mentor to many, someonewho gets inordinate delight from meeting stars and a lover of red wine.

The films honoured were.

UIP - Shark Tale(A$15.3m), The Bourne Supremacy (A$15.8m), Bridget Jones: The Edge OfReason (A$18.5m), War Of The Worlds (A$21m), Madagascar (A$25.2m),Meet The Fockers (A$35m).

20th Century Fox - Garfield(A$10.5m), Fantastic Four (A$11.6m), Robots (A$13.9m), Mr& Mrs Smith (A$20.3m), Star Wars Episode III - The Revenge Of TheSith (A$35.3m).

BVI - Shall We Dance(A$10.1m), The Pacifier (A$11.5m), The Incredibles (A$26m).

Roadshow - Batman Begins(A$15.6m), Oceans Twelve (A$15.8m).

Sony Pictures - TheLongest Yard (A$10.8m), Hitch (A$14.2m).