New Zealand Film Awards 2006: Roger Donaldson’s real-life-inspired The World’s Fastest Indian is the big winner
The World’s Fastest Indian was the big winner in the film categories at this year’s Air New Zealand Screen Awards ceremony held in Auckland on Aug. 24.
Writer-director Roger Donaldson’s film about an aging bike racer who set the land-speed world record at a bike competition in Utah won seven awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins).
Other winners include American actress Ruby Dee, for her role as a Fijian matriarch in No. 2, and cinematographer Alun Bollinger for his work on River Queen, the tale of an Irish family caught on both sides of the British-Maori war of the 1860s.
This year, only four titles were in competition in the 13 feature film categories of the Air New Zealand Screen (Feature Film) Awards. Besides the previously mentioned three films, the romantic comedy Sione’s Wedding was also in the running. All four titles were nominated for the Best Picture Award.
According to Stuff, earlier this year The World’s Fastest Indian became the highest-grossing New Zealand film production ever.
Below is the list of winners and nominees in the Film categories.
New Zealand Film Awards 2006: Winners & nominations
FEATURE FILM
Best Picture
No. 2 – Tim White, Philippa Campbell & Lydia Livingstone
River Queen – Don Reynolds & Chris Auty
Sione’s Wedding – John Barnett & Chloe Smith
* The World’s Fastest Indian – Gary Hannam & Roger DonaldsonBest Director
* Roger Donaldson – The World’s Fastest Indian
Toa Fraser – No. 2
Chris Graham – Sione’s WeddingBest Actor
Cliff Curtis – River Queen
* Anthony Hopkins – The World’s Fastest Indian
Shimpal Lelisi – Sione’s WeddingBest Actress
Teuila Blakely – Sione’s Wedding
* Ruby Dee – No. 2
Samantha Morton – River QueenBest Supporting Actor
Xavier Horan – No. 2
* Rene Naufahu – No. 2
Rawiri Pene – River QueenBest Supporting Actress
* Mia Blake – No. 2
Miriama McDowell – No. 2
Madeleine Sami – Sione’s WeddingBest Screenplay
No. 2 – Toa Fraser
Sione’s Wedding – James Griffin & Oscar Kightley
* The World’s Fastest Indian – Roger DonaldsonBest Cinematography
No. 2 – Leon Narbey
* River Queen – Alun Bollinger
The World’s Fastest Indian – David GribbleBest Film Editing
No. 2 – Chris Plummer
Sione’s Wedding – Paul Maxwell
* The World’s Fastest Indian – John GilbertBest Original Music
* No. 2 – Don McGlashan
The World’s Fastest Indian – J. Peter RobinsonBest Production Design
River Queen – Rick Kofoed
Sione’s Wedding – Iain Aitken
* The World’s Fastest Indian – J. Dennis Washington & Rob GilliesBest Costume Design
* River Queen – Barbara Darragh
Sione’s Wedding – Jane Holland
The World’s Fastest Indian – Nancy Cavallaro & Jane HollandBest Sound
No. 2 – Tim Prebble, Mike Hedges & Dave Madigan
Sione’s Wedding – Tony Johnson
* The World’s Fastest Indian – Tim Prebble, Gethin Creagh & Michael Hedges
OTHER CATEGORIES (partial list)
Best Digital Feature
Banana in a Nutshell – Roseanne Liang
* {Dream} Preserved – Stephen Kang
Squeegee Bandit – Rhonda Kite & Sandor LauBest Short Film
Blue Willow – Veialu Aila-Unsworth
* Nature’s Way – Jane Shearer
Us – James Blick
“New Zealand Film Awards 2006: Fastest Indian” notes
Anthony Hopkins The World’s Fastest Indian image: Becker Group | Magnolia Pictures.
*last modified in April 2026.