A film by a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has been nominated for Best Short Film in this year�s Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Matt Nie, (pictured at left) N6633 Leicht Road, Black River Falls, will fly to New York at the end of April when his short documentary, "Good Stuff: The Story of a Man, a Dream, and a Whole Lotta Kites," will be shown at the festival.

Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 by Robert DeNiro and has rapidly grown to be a top ranking festival in the world. It encompasses several specific categories of competition in which films are nominated and judged by a panel of celebrities. "Good Stuff" has been nominated in the Trigger Street Short Film Competition to be held on Thursday, April 28.

"Good Stuff" is a short documentary film about Ray Bethell, a 79-year-old man who holds a multitude of kite-flying records. The film chronicles Bethell�s experiences, focusing on his optimism and humor despite the trials and tribulations of life. The film has already been recognized as Best Short Documentary Film, 2004 Cinequest Film Festival, San Jose, Calif.; Best Short Film, 2004 Canadian International Film Festival, Toronto, Canada; and Best Midwestern Film, 2004 East Lansing Film Festival, East Lansing Mich.

Nie, a graduate of De Forest High School, is pursuing a master�s degree in communication from UWSP. He also holds a degree from Vancouver Film School, Vancouver, British Columbia. Prior to attending UWSP, he worked as a high school teacher in Barrow, Alaska. "Good Stuff" is one of several short films that Nie has created as a filmmaker.