The Six Dollar Fifty Man

The NZFC financed short film, The Six Dollar Fifty Man, was selected for competition at the most important film festival in the world, the 62^nd Festival De Cannes. 

It was the second time filmmakers Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland had a short film selected for the revered Festival, with their first short, Run, chosen for the Cannes Official Competition in 2007. Run went on to receive an Honourable Mention there.

Christian Jeune, Festival De Cannes-Director of Film, said that in the history of the festival, New Zealand has had more short films selected for the Official Competition than any other country in the world apart from France.

Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland wrote and directed The Six Dollar Fifty Man, a gutsy short film set in 1970’s coastal NZ. It follows Andy, an 8 year-old boy who retreats into a make believe world to deal with playground bullying.  When Andy gets in trouble with the headmaster, he realises that to save himself and his only friend Mary, he must face up to the real world.

The Six Dollar Fifty Man continues a body of work by the filmmakers exploring the depths of the human spirit.  The inspiration for the film came from Sutherland and Albiston’s experiences growing up on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand. It is based on Albiston’s real attempt as a child to run away from Raumati South school.

The Six Dollar Fifty Man was produced by Wendy Cuthbert. It was executive produced by Shuchi Kothari and Sarina Pearson of Nomadz Unlimited.