July means one thing: saying goodbye to my social life, burying myself in The Civic offices during the day, and trying to squeeze in as many films as possible during the evenings and weekends. Being involved in my 10th festival, I am still blown away every year at the program Bill and the team put together. Documentaries are my preferred genre of choice and have seen some life-changing documentaries over the year at NZIFF – this year being no different. My list is mainly comprised of documentaries I have seen and loved (Music of Strangers, First Monday in May, Under The Sun) and my most anticipated film, I, Daniel Blake.
Films — by Collection
- Cactuslab
- Dominic Corry
- Dunedin Film Society: Raphael Richter-Gravier
- Letterboxd
- Staff Picks: Andrew Harrison
- Staff Picks: Ant Timpson
- Staff Picks: Bill Gosden
- Staff Picks: Caroline Palmer
- Staff Picks: Cianna Canning
- Staff Picks: Collette Wright
- Staff Picks: Felicity Drace
- Staff Picks: Hedda ten Holder
- Staff Picks: Jo Scott
- Staff Picks: Kailey Carruthers
- Staff Picks: Kate McGee
- Staff Picks: Lynn Smart
- Staff Picks: Melanie Rae
- Staff Picks: Michael McDonnell
- Staff Picks: Nic Marshall
- Staff Picks: Nick Paris
- Staff Picks: Rebecca McMillan
- Staff Picks: Rosie Jones
- Staff Picks: Sandra Reid
- Staff Picks: Tim Wong
- Wellington Film Society
Staff Picks: Felicity Drace
![I, Daniel Blake](/assets/resized/sm/upload/ef/8a/y5/5l/KEY%20IDB_DAY_7_248_Katie__Hayley_Squires__Dan__Dave_Johns_-0-520-0-390-crop.jpg?k=c37ee785d8)
I, Daniel Blake
This often funny and ultimately intensely moving tale of the friendship between an out-of-work Newcastle carpenter and a young single mother won for Britain’s Ken Loach a second Palme d’Or for Best Film at Cannes this year.