Susan Wardell (22) was one of 20 New Zealand film-makers under the age of 24 to be commended at the "Outlook for Someday" sustainability film challenge in Auckland last week.
After sending in her entry, Shopping for Our Future, last month, Ms Wardell and friend Annika Metua (21) opened a fair trade boutique, the Cuckoo's Nest, in Dunedin.
"Doing the film reminded me why I'm passionate about ethical shopping, so we opened up the shop three weeks ago, on November 14," she said yesterday.
The boutique stocks women's clothing, footwear, accessories and jewellery from New Zealand and countries including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Ghana and Thailand.
The judges described the film as "thought-provoking, engaging, clever and original".
"This is a film that provokes you to think about the power of your dollar and how it can make an ethical difference when shopping," judge Nicole Hoey said.
Shopping for Our Future was one of 20 films out of 153 entries by young New Zealand film-makers to be commended at the awards.
Ms Wardell won a clutch of prizes, including a video camera and a worm farm, and will have her film broadcast on national television next week.
University of Otago media studies student Loulou Callister-Baker (19) also had her three-minute silent film, Tight Knit, commended at the awards.
Both films will be broadcast during a five-programme TVNZ 7 series, The Outlook for Someday 2011, at 6.30pm from December 12 to 16.
