A maximum of 12 picks obligatorily narrows down the list of the many films that have wowed me over the past 12 months – starting with Maiden, Amazing Grace, and most recently Portrait of a Lady on Fire and La Belle Époque (the latter two from our fab Cannes line-up). I don’t want to exclude any of them. Faced with this dilemma, my picks, listed in alphabetical order, are an opportunity to highlight a few titles striking for their formal approach or content, or their freshness, which may not be so obvious in our line-up, along with documentaries and an animated film that have left a lasting impression. These are complemented by two features from New Zealand and Australia I’m very much looking forward to seeing (but this is no indication that I’m not looking forward to also seeing Judy & Punch and so much more). And a delirious tale involving a murderous dress. — Sandra Reid, Programmer
Films — by Collection
- Film Talks: Jane Ross
- Flicks.co.nz
- Letterboxd Community
- Letterboxd Crew
- Lumière Cinemas
- Staff Picks: Bradley Pratt
- Staff Picks: Charlotte Underhill
- Staff Picks: Daniel Burger
- Staff Picks: Emma Carter
- Staff Picks: Ina Kinski
- Staff Picks: Jessica Hof
- Staff Picks: Lauren Day
- Staff Picks: Lauri Korpela
- Staff Picks: Lynnaire MacDonald
- Staff Picks: Michael McDonnell
- Staff Picks: Nick Paris
- Staff Picks: Rebecca McMillan
- Staff Picks: Sandra Reid
- Staff Picks: Sharon Byrne
- Staff Picks: Tim Wong
- Wellington Film Society
Staff Picks: Sandra Reid
Adam
Set in Casablanca’s Old Medina, this nuanced tale of female solidarity transcending temperamental difference captivates through the richly detailed performances of two superb actresses.
Bellbird
Marshall Napier, Cohen Holloway and Rachel House shine in Hamish Bennett’s beautifully judged, poignantly funny drama of life and community on a struggling Northland family dairy farm.
In Fabric
A cross between Suspiria and an old Farmers catalogue, the latest from retro genre stylist Peter Strickland, centring on a demonic dress at a posh department store, gleefully satirises fashion and consumerism.
The Nightingale
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, Jennifer Kent’s brutal revenge saga is an unrelenting reckoning with white male oppression – and not for the faint of heart.
Ruben Brandt, Collector
Ruben Brandt, a gyűjtő
Boasting batshit surreal imagery, fist-pumping action sequences and a wall-to-wall shrine of art and cinema references, Ruben Brandt, Collector is a new milestone for animated invention.