A SOUTH African movie named after freedom icon former president Nelson Mandela has received top international honours, consolidating the country's increasing influence on the international movie market.

Called Dear Mandela, the documentary, which is about shack dwellers' fight against mass eviction - a scenario ironically reminiscent of the apartheid era in democratic South Africa - was given the thumbs up at the Brooklyn Film Festival in New York on Tuesday.

Produced by Sleeping Giant and Fireworx Media, Dear Mandela was awarded the top prize, the Grand Chameleon Award, as well as Best Documentary category at the closing night ceremony of the Brooklyn Film Festival on Tuesday.

This cinematic triumph follows in the footsteps of other locally produced movies that continue to shine internationally, including Tsostsi, which has the distinction of being the only South African movie to have received the prestigious and elusive Oscar statuette.

This latest honour for Dear Mandela follows another honour it received earlier this year. The movie was declared the best documentary by the jury of the Durban International Film Festival earlier this year at its world premiere.