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After delivering a sparkling programme comprising the best in local and international film to tens of thousands of cinema-goers in ten cities across Aotearoa over five weeks, the 2024 Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has closed. More than 90,000 admits were recorded nationally, with festival opener We Were Dangerous topping the box office.

A total of 83 feature films and 17 short films screened in this year’s programme, with the festival’s diverse international programme bringing some of the most acclaimed films in the world to New Zealand audiences. Cannes-premiered favourites included Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of The Sacred Fig, Indian director Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light and Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis’ animated gem Flow, all of which drew overwhelming responses from audiences and required additional screenings in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The newly-christened Māhutonga section, which celebrates the dynamic diversity of New Zealand films, also performed well. Director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s feature debut We Were Dangerous was the Festival’s opener and quickly became a widely celebrated film with reviews describing it as, “a soaring celebration of misfits and girlhood” and a “short, sharp debut feature [which] packs a powerful punch.”

Lucy Lawless’ directorial

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Following successful screenings in Wellington and Auckland, we are pleased to announce that two screenings of the mesmerising animated film Flow, from Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis, have been added to the 2024 Ōtautahi Christchurch schedule.  

Flow will screen for two sessions only at Lumière Cinemas

About Flow: In a world free of humans, a staunchly independent cat narrowly survives a severe flood by teaming up with a sleepy capybara, a lemur obsessed with shiny objects, an overly friendly Labrador, and an enormous, crane-like bird. The unlikely menagerie has no choice but to stay together on a rickety boat as they navigate the strange and rapidly changing new environment they find themselves in.  

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Flow began its film festival journey at Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard earlier this year, where it amazed audiences with its game-like animation style, deft characterisation, and moving narrative. The film itself has no human dialogue, but instead leans into the language of movement, facial expression, soundtrack, and magical scenery to evoke all the emotion required to understand the story.

Junior Programmer, Huia Haupapa, says: "Flow is one of those films for everybody, everywhere. Without dialogue, nothing gets lost in translation, and the

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On Sunday 18 August, at the Closing Night of NZIFF 2024 in Auckland, the winners of the inaugural Fresh Competition and Frames Competitions were announced. These competition strands were created to draw attention to some of the best narrative feature and documentary debuts of the last 12 months.

The ten films in the Fresh Competition were judged by a jury comprising of Pulkit Anora (Filmmaker, New Zealand/India), Anu Rangachar (Producer and Programmer, India) and David White (Filmmaker, NZ).

The Main Award was awarded to Truong Minh Quy for his film Viet and Nam.

The jury said, "The Jury wishes to recognise Viet and Nam for its multi-layered ability to seamlessly merge political and personal narratives, while maintaining its stunning visual poetry and emotional depth."

A Special mention went to Mo Harawe for The Village Next to Paradise.

The jury said, "The jury wishes to recognise the film's ability to capture the grace and beauty of human resilience and its triumph of cinematic artistry against formidable odds."

The Audience Award was awarded to Oceans Are the Real Continents by Italian filmmaker Tommaso Santambrogio.

The eight films in the Frames Competitions were judged by a jury comprising of Donsaron Kovitvanitcha (Producer and

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We're delighted to announce Encore screenings for some of the most popular films in this year's programme!

Monday 2 September
11.30am Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus Lumiere Cinemas Bernhardt
1.00pm Evil Does Not Exist Lumiere Cinemas Bardot
2.00pm In Restless Dreams Lumiere Cinemas Bernhardt
3.15pm Paris, Texas Lumiere Cinemas Bardot
8.30pm Never Look Away Lumiere Cinemas Bardot

Tuesday 3 September
10.00am The Monk and the Gun Lumiere Cinemas Bardot
12.15pm Agent of Happiness Lumiere Cinemas Bardot
3.15pm The Beast Lumiere Cinemas Bernhardt
4.00pm Days of Heaven Lumiere Cinemas Bardot
6.00pm My Favourite Cake Lumiere Cinemas Bardot
6.15pm The Outrun Lumiere Cinemas Bernhardt
8.00pm Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line Lumiere Cinemas Bardot
8.30pm Head South Lumiere Cinemas Bernhardt

Wednesday 4 September
10.00am The Mother of All Lies Lumiere Cinemas Bardot
10.15am Green Border Lumiere Cinemas Bernhardt
1.15pm Never Look Away Lumiere Cinemas Bernhardt
3.00pm No Other Land Lumiere Cinemas Bernhardt
3.30pm Black Dog Lumiere Cinemas Bardot
7.45pm The Seed of the Sacred Fig Lumiere Cinemas Bardot

Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival is pleased to announce the winners of New Zealand’s Best and Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts awards for 2024.

The five finalists for New Zealand’s Best were selected by Guest Selector Gerard Johnstone and the six finalists for Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts were selected by curators Leo Koziol (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka) and Craig Fasi (Niue), as announced earlier this year.

The New Zealand’s Best 2024 jury awards were decided by the three-person jury of film producer Philippa Campbell, filmmaker Judah Finnigan and film critic Liam Maguren and were presented following the Auckland screening at ASB Waterfront Theatre, as part of the festival’s Aotearoa Film Focus Weekend on Sunday 18 August.

The New Zealand’s Best 2024 award winners are:

The NZIFF Patrons Award for Best Film and the $7500 cash prize: Director Vea Mafile’o for the film Lea Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue

The Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award and $4000 cash prize: Awanui Simich-Pene for the film First Horse.
A previous recipient of this prestigious award is director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu, whose debut feature We Were Dangerous opened the festival this year.

The Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award and cash prize

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