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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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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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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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On Monday 12 August we were honoured to welcome Sir Peter Jackson to The Embassy Theatre in Wellington for a special 30th Anniversary Screening of Heavenly Creatures, marking the poignant culmination of another successful year for the New Zealand International Film Festival in the capital.

This special screening took us back to where where we first presented the World Premiere of Peter Jackson’s ground-breaking film in 1994. 

A concurrent screening took place at The Civic Theatre in Auckland, with another special guest in attendance — Production Designer, Grant Major.

Special thanks to Peter Jackson, Grant Major and all at Wingnut Films Productions for making this special double screening possible.

We are proud to be presenting a third screening of Heavenly Creatures at Lumière Cinemas in Christchurch on Monday 2 September. Tickets selling fast. 

Image credit: Josiah Wood 

We're delighted to announce Encore screenings for some of the most popular films in the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland programme so far:

Monday 19 August
The Seed of the Sacred Fig 6.30pm (Hollywood Avondale)

Tuesday 20 August
No screenings

Wednesday 21 August
The Outrun 6.15pm  (Hollywood Avondale)
Never Look Away 8.45pm (Hollywood Avondale)

Thursday 22 August
Oceans Are the Real Continents 6.15pm  (Hollywood Avondale)
All We Imagine As Light 8.30pm (Hollywood Avondale)