While the Autumn Events is still kicking around the nation, the New Zealand International Film Festival continues to treat us by announcing the first five titles of the 2016 programme. Take a gander…
Heart of a Dog
Musician, performance artist and all-round multimedia sensation Laurie Anderson directs this cinematic essay on love that starts with the death of her dog Lolabelle.
See trailer and find out more about ‘Heart of a Dog’
High-Rise
Tom Hiddleston leads this retro-futuristic, dystopic thriller directed by Ben Wheatley (Kill List) about a gigantic high-rise building that descends into primal chaos when a class war breaks out. Co-stars Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller (American Sniper) and Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake). Based on the novel by the awesome J.G. Ballard.
See trailer and find out more about ‘High-Rise’
Midnight Special
Michael Shannon (99 Homes) is a father on the run with his super-powered child in this sci-fi drama from the director of Mud. With religious extremists and local law enforcement hot on their tails, he has only a small window to discover the origins and meaning of his young son’s abilities. Co-stars Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia), Adam Driver (The Force Awakens) and Joel Edgerton (Black Mass).
See trailer and find out more about ‘Midnight Special’
Nuts!
Semi-animated, ultra oddball true story on an eccentric genius who found big success with his goat-testicle impotence cure and a million-watt radio station. Directed by seasoned documentarian Penny Lane.
See trailer and find out more about ‘Nuts!’
Tanna
Venice Film Festival-winning South Pacific romance, based on a true story and performed by the people of Yakel in Vanuatu.
Wawa (Marie Wawa), a girl from one of the last traditional tribes, falls in love with her chief’s grandson, Dain (Mungau Dain). When an inter-tribal war escalates, Wawa is unknowingly betrothed as part of a peace deal. The young lovers run away, but are pursued by enemy warriors intent on killing them. They must choose between their hearts and the future of the tribe, while the villagers wrestle with preserving their traditional culture and adapting it to the increasing demands for individual freedom.
See trailer and find out more about ‘Tanna’
New Zealand’s Best Shorts also makes a return for 2016 with guest selector Lee Tamahori (fresh off directing Mahana) choosing five to six local short films to premiere in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Christchurch. Previous Guest Selectors have included Christine Jeffs (2015), Andrew Adamson (2014), Alison Maclean (2013), and Roger Donaldson (2012).
