A few months ago, I wrote about 2015 not being that good of a year for New Zealand film. (Some people got mad at me, and with an eye-poking headline like ‘How Badly Did This Year Suck for New Zealand Films?’, who can blame them?)
In that piece, I mentioned two other things: 1) How superb our documentaries were that year 2) We were about to see a cinematic boom of great films from Aotearoa.
That boom has just arrived.
Below is a list of all the New Zealand films currently playing in cinemas or releasing within the next two months.
Currently Playing In Cinemas
Mahana
Lee Tamahori “made another, if somewhat gentler classic” (quoting ourselves) with this cinematic adaptation of Witi Ihimaera’s novel Bulibasha, set in 1960s East Coast New Zealand and starring Temuera Morrison as the stern patriarch of a sheep-sheering family with secrets that will soon emerge.
Session times for cinemas playing ‘Mahana’ near you | Our Set Visit | Our Interview with Screenwriter John Collee | Our Review
Crossing Rachmaninoff
A real-life examination of the pleasures and pressures of being a world-class pianist, with first-time feature director Rebecca Tansley following Italy-born Aucklander Flavio Villani during the lead-up to a nerve-wracking concert debut performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
Session times for cinemas playing ‘Crossing Rachmaninoff’ near you | Our Interview with Director Rebecca Tansley | Our Review
Three Wise Cousins
The out-of-nowhere indie hit that marketed itself through ‘Poly social media’ has currently made more money in NZ than Zoolander 2. It’s a romantic comedy about a young Samoan-Kiwi lad trying to impress a girl who wants a ‘real island guy’. This prompts him to travel back to his homeland and gain the advice from his real island cousins.
Session times for cinemas playing ‘Three Wise Cousins’ near you
Penny Black
This self-funded feature debut from Joe Hitchcock has been jumping from cinema to cinema on a humble limited run, much like the film’s supermodel lead who ditches Auckland with her superhero-loving sister and bums a ride in a zebra van driven by an anti-capitalism environmentalist.
Session times for cinemas playing ‘Penny Black’ near you
Coming Soon To Cinemas
Hunt for the Wilderpeople – in cinemas 31st March
Taika Waititi’s done the international festival run with his feature adaptation of Barry Crumb’s novel Wild Pork and Watercress. Hollywood Reporter called it a “crack up,” while Screen International said it was both “funny” and “sneakily touching”. We get to call it whatever we want when it hits NZ cinemas nationwide at the end of the month. One thing’s for sure: you can call us excited.
More info and session times near you
Orphans & Kingdoms – in cinemas 14th April
This confined drama set on Waiheke Island follows a young trio with nowhere to call home who decide to break into a flashy modern mansion. But when the middle-aged owner unexpectedly returns, the fun and games stop. Having played to a sold-out crowd at the New Zealand International Film Festival back in 2014, this new cut of writer-director Paolo Rotondo’s feature debut is finally seeing a nationwide release.
More info and session times near you
25 April – in cinemas 28th April
What was the last New Zealand animated feature you saw? The answer is either Footrot Flats or nothing, because there’s only ever been one. With 25 April, director Leanne Pooley (Beyond the Edge) is doubling that number with this true story feature, pulling off a Waltz with Bashir for the New Zealanders who served at Gallipoli during the First World War.
More info and session times near you
Tickled – debuting at NZIFF Autumn Events
Former Newsworthy journalist David Farrier has been battling legal threats for years (and still is) during the process of getting this feature documentary made. The subject? A tickling competition. It leads Farrier down a bizarre rabbit hole that is too juicy to spoil, so if you haven’t been made aware of this story until now, we’re going to refrain from any further explanation. Go into this blind. And bring a tickle buddy.
More info and session times near you | NZIFF Autumn Events Locations & Dates
