Aotearoa lost a giant of our national culture last week when Bill Gosden, the decades-long director of the New Zealand Film Festival, died at 66. The illustrious NZ film-maker Dame Gaylene Preston pays tribute He walked around like he was some ordinary person. Understated. But if you were paying attention, you could notice that his … Read more
Merata Mita created groundbreaking films during some of the most divisive moments in New Zealand history, earning her a reputation as a pioneer overseas and a trouble maker at home. Nine years after her death, her son Hepi Mita has made a documentary about the immense legacy she left behind. Hepi Mita (Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāi … Read more
Film is a powerful influence in our lives that shapes how we see the world, and how we see ourselves. So it’s pretty important that we see people that look like us up on the big screen. New Zealand has an incredible film history – dark, funny, innovative, evocative of our past and peculiar worldview. … Read more
Inspired by the screening of Leto at this year’s International Film Festival, Auckland-based Moscovite Anastasia Doniants presents a guide to the first wave of rock from the USSR. It’s been almost a year since Russia’s acclaimed theatre and film director Kirill Serebrennikov was confined to a house arrest – banned from talking to media, accessing … Read more
In our reviewers’ final sweep of the NZ Film Festival splendour, titles include a David Attenborough documentary without David Attenborough and a Nick Hornby adaptation Happy As Lazzaro Chalk one up for strategic ignorance. I’ve had mixed results this year with my favourite film selection method, the one where if I loved a director’s previous films … Read more
The good, the bad, and the unexpected in our latest film festival reviews. [CENSORED] Not quite what I was expecting – although, in some ways, more than I expected – [CENSORED] is the fruit of filmmaker-cum-archivist Sari Braithwaite’s time spent holed up alone in an archive screening room with a fascinating and difficult collection of … Read more
The eighth installment from our team film critics swarming the cinemas of Auckland and Wellington for the 2018 NZ International Film Festival. See also: Birds of Passage, First Reformed, Disobedience, 3 Faces In the Aisles, The Image Book, Apostasy, Brimstone and Glory You Were Never Really Here, Kusama – Infinity, Transit, Yellow is Forbidden, Piercing, Terrified, The … Read more
The seventh installment from our team film critics swarming the cinemas of Auckland and Wellington for the 2018 NZ International Film Festival. See also: Birds of Passage, First Reformed, Disobedience, 3 Faces In the Aisles, The Image Book, Apostasy, Brimstone and Glory You Were Never Really Here, Kusama – Infinity, Transit, Yellow is Forbidden, Piercing, Terrified, … Read more
The third installment from our team film critics swarming the cinemas of Auckland and Wellington for the 2018 NZ International Film Festival. See also: Birds of Passage, First Reformed, Disobedience, 3 Faces In the Aisles, The Image Book, Apostasy, Brimstone and Glory You Were Never Really Here Not everybody likes Lynne Ramsay’s brand of cinematic … Read more
The NZ Film Festival opens in Auckland on July 19, a week later in Wellington, and then through the country. David Larsen and a team of obsessive cinephiles will be filing capsule reviews for the Spinoff once we’re under way. But first, David offers his advice on navigating the programme A few years ago my … Read more
Last month, David Farrier discovered a mysterious film festival that was confusing the hell out of people. In part 2, Farrier slowly went crazy trying to find out who was actually behind the festival. Now, the mysterious AIFF has finally come to pass. OK, so where were we? That’s right. A man called Mitesh Patel, … Read more
David Farrier has slowly been going crazy trying to get an answer about who’s actually behind the odd film festival that might not even play your stupid film anyway. Sometimes when you write something saying something is possibly a little bit bad, people get in touch saying you are bad. “Well, y’know, once it’s published … Read more
The “Auckland International Film Festival” is Definitely Not the “New Zealand International Film Festival”, mmmkay? David Farrier attempts to work out what’s going on. Another year, another film festival or film awards. But it all gets a bit confusing when you live in Auckland, New Zealand. Last year, it was the “New Zealand Film Awards” that … Read more
Ready for the last weekend of the Film Festival in Auckland? Chris Davis introduces his movie about Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) and chooses another film he also wants to see. Part seven of our filmmaker’s choice series. A friend recently told me about a conversation she overheard. Three women were debating the significance of Mike … Read more
Finlay Macdonald talks to Julian Boshier, the director of Swagger of Thieves, a documentary about notorious ’90s rock band Head Like A Hole. At one point in Julian Boshier’s riveting, candid documentary Swagger of Thieves about legendary rock beasts Head Like A Hole, guitarist Nigel Regan asks no one in particular, “Can someone lift the … Read more
Each year the New Zealand International Film Festival brings gay-themed movies to an audience. David Herkt explores this history, what it means, and one of this year’s featured movies. A personal history is also, inevitably, a history of movies seen. Exploration of one’s own sexual desires will often occur through movie characters and movie plots. … Read more
Philippa Campbell introduces the second series of Jane Campion’s Top of the Lake and Hugh Macdonald gets outdoors in a different way. Part six of our Film Festival filmmaker’s choice series. Producer Philippa Campbell on Top of the Lake: China Girl and her recommended movie, We Don’t Need a Map Top of the Lake: China Girl screened … Read more
Director Annie Goldson introduces her Dotcom documentary and the one she calls its antithesis; and Julian Boshier talks about working with Wellington band Head Like a Hole for 15 years. Welcome to part five of our Film Festival filmmaker’s choice series. Kim Dotcom director Annie Goldson recommends Waru I’m really keen to see Waru, possibly because it’s … Read more
Who doesn’t like a bracingly funny bit of satirical social politics? Who doesn’t admire an arts troupe that astounds its audience show after show? With the Film Festival upon us we asked filmmakers to choose a favourite movie from the lineup and also tell us about their own films in the festival. Here’s the fourth … Read more
We asked filmmakers to choose a favourite from the Film Festival lineup and also tell us about their own films. This third instalment of the series features Gaylene Preston, Renae Maihi, Paul Oremland and Jackie van Beek. Gaylene Preston, director of My Year with Helen, recommends Faces Places Faces Places is the film I most want … Read more
We asked filmmakers to choose a favourite from the Film Festival lineup and also tell us about their own films in the festival. In this second instalment of the series, Florian Habicht explains his scary movie with ‘more heart than horror’, Nic Gorman ties his sub-Antarctic thriller to the dystopian Russian classic Stalker and Simon … Read more
With the Film Festival now underway we asked we asked a whole bunch of filmmakers to tell us about a film they’re specially keen to see, and about their own film too. Here’s the first instalment: Paul Wolffram, Katie Wolfe and Robin Greenberg. What Lies That Way director Paul Wolffram recommends Maliglutit I’m looking forward to … Read more
The film festival starts in Auckland on Thursday and follows soon after in other centres. Simon Wilson wanted to write about all the films he was keen on seeing but we told him that would fill up the internet, so here’s his restrained response: ten films and five tips. Five good things to do at … Read more
Alex Casey talks to Elijah Wood about producing The Greasy Strangler, the film bound to get the most dry-retches in the New Zealand International Film Festival this year, and wrangles a rare beanie competition for one lucky greaseball to win. “I love it, a beanie set the country on fire, that’s genius. I love New … Read more