The organiser of the the Pacific Documentary Film Festival, Miriama Bono, says the top winning film about nickel in New Caledonia is timely, as people there prepare to vote on their independence.
About 25 thousand people attended the festival, which had fourteen films in competition, with 'Nickel - the treasure of the Kanaks', made by Anne Pitoiset and Laurent Cibien, taking out the top prize.
The film tells of the way Kanaks in the north managed to take control of the area's main resource, nickel.
Miriama Bono, says it is the first time a New Caledonian film captured the grand prize of the jury.
"The story is a big issue for New Calendonian people because they have to vote and to decide after that if they want to stay French or not, and the nickel is one of the most important economic deals for them so because of the subject and because of the situation in New Caledonia, it was important for the jury to have this film as the winner."
Miriama Bono says a local film about a famous local reggae group in the Marquesas Islands won the popular vote of the public.
