Communication was shown in Italy and the United States last month and is set to appear at many other locations.

"It hasn"t been on the circuit for very long but has already been booked to play in seven festivals," Christopher says. "The international screenings will continue over the next few months."

Auckland audiences will get to check the production out at the Rialto Cinema from May 27 to June 2 when it runs as part of the Out Takes Film Festival, a series of movies that focus on gay issues.

Communication is the third film Christopher has masterminded and his previous two efforts went down well.

The Henderson resident made his debut in 2005 with Quiet Night In and followed that up four years later with the short film Teddy. It received critical acclaim and played at some of the world"s largest gay film festivals. Teddy also won two awards and became the first New Zealand movie to nominated for the prestigious Iris Prize for short filmmaking in the United Kingdom.

Christopher says that success put himself and producer Andy Jalfon under more pressure this time around.

"We knew when we came out with another film a year later that people would be waiting to see what we"d come up with," the Liston College old boy says. "But we"ve been very pleased with the response so far."

Communication is based on a one-act play by Kiwi writer David Blakey and tells the tale of a young Jewish student who inherits the estate of his old university teacher.

"He goes back to the house to try and figure out why he"s had all this property left to him. He thinks back over the time they spent together and starts to realise certain things about his feelings for him and what their relationship meant. It"s basically about two people who can"t communicate and who withhold their feelings from each other for fear of what might happen."

Christopher says the film has not been welcomed everywhere.

"It has a bit of a religious element to it and is not without its controversy. There have been a few festivals that have said: "No, our audience is very conservative and we don"t want to look at your film.""

Christopher"s work is self-funded and he says that has an impact on the films he can make.

"You try and push the boat out a bit further each time. But when you"re working on a limited budget you can"t try and make Avatar on $10. So we make small, character-based dramas where the story is the most important part of the film."