Festival Programme

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

Building Bridges: Bill Youren's Vision of Peace

John Chrisstoffels

Farmer, family man, and—unlikely leftist organiser. Director John Chrisstoffels has compiled a gentle portrait of an ordinary New Zealand farmer capturing extraordinary changes in global twentieth century politics.

Grant Sheehan: Light, Ghosts & Dreams

Robin Greenberg

Filmmaker Robin Greenberg celebrates the life and art of avant-garde New Zealand photographer and publisher Grant Sheehan and his creative Artificial Intelligence (AI) explorations

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.