She made history as the first woman to be nominated twice for best director at the Academy Awards. And tonight New Zealand director Dame Jane Campion brought it home.
Her much lauded dark western, The Power of the Dog, was set in Montana but filmed in Central Otago.
It went into the ceremony as favourite with 12 nominations, having already won three Golden Globes for best motion picture, best supporting actor and best director.
But luck wasn't on the film's side tonight with Dame Jane Campion the film's only winner.
Sci-fi film Dune took out six awards and Apple's CODA won three out of three including best picture.
67-year old Dame Jane, who now lives in Sydney, paid tribute to her fellow nominees including Stephen Spielberg whose nomination for Westside Story made him the first director nominated over six decades.
Her win comes 28 years after Dame Jane won best original screenplay for The Piano in 1994.
That year she lost Best Director to Stephen Spielberg for Schindler's List.
New Zealand Film Commission chief executive David Strong told Checkpoint Dame Jane Campion's win, with all the other awards for Power of the Dog recently, have shone a spotlight on the depth of talent, skills and locations in New Zealand for film.
"The government put $8 million into this film, plus the Netflix investment led to around about $28 million being put directly into our economy. And about 60 percent of that money went directly to service industries - accommodation, rentals, building construction, electrics, et cetera.
"We understand that because the film was made over the first COVID period, it actually saved a number of service industries. I think it's a big win for the country."
