NZIFF 2023 Te Papaioea Palmerston North 17 Aug–3 Sep 2023

Films — by Strand

Aotearoa

We proudly present a slate of powerful local films that illuminate and challenge our national character. Featuring 10 World Premieres, the 2023 selection includes new documentaries which shine a light on artists, musicians (including a post-screening gig) and personalities, while feature dramas bring distinctly New Zealand stories to the screen.

We continue to celebrate the short film format with two curated programmes collecting the best new shorts from Aotearoa and the Pacific community in New Zealand’s Best 2023 and Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts.

See also Bread and Roses and Billion Dollar Heist

Bad Behaviour

Alice Englert

This whimsical Sundance dark comedy charts the fraught relationship between a former child actress and her stunt performer daughter in a feature debut from Alice Englert.

Ms. Information

Gwen Isaac

As the nation plunges into pandemic, Gwen Isaac’s observational documentary delves into the trenches with Siouxsie Wiles, the fuchsia-haired microbiologist who emerged as a national hero and a satanic witch in the minds of a divided New Zealand.