Filmfest Hamburg's first Digi@ward in recognition of the use of digital technology in film has gone to Henrik Danstrup, producer of Danish filmmaker Martin Schmidt's psycho-thriller KAT.

Described as a cross between Cat People and Nightwatch, KAT received the first prize worth $30,652 (DM 65,000) and the promise of additional services and facilities worth the same amount from Hamburg companies.

The second prize - worth $16,505 (DM 35,000) plus services and facilities worth the same amount - went to UK producer Ben Woolford for Andrew Koetting's drama This Filthy Earth.

The prize-money is specifically for the use of digital technology in a film project and can be called up when the producers place an order of this nature with companies based in Hamburg.

The Digi@ward competition featured eleven films from nine countries including Sogo Ishii's Electric Dragon, Dom Rotheroe's My Brother Tom, and Brian Avenet-Bradley's Freez'er, which are showing in the film programme of this year's Filmfest Hamburg (24-30 September).