It’s official – cinephilia is growing in Christchurch with the New Zealand International Film Festival attracting record numbers in the city. The festival has just closed, with a record 23,620 seats filled.
NZIFF Director Bill Gosden says that’s the highest number to ever attend the festival in its 39 years in Christchurch.
“Our new venue, the Isaac Theatre Royal, has proved popular and the $262,000 worth of digital cinema equipment we installed in there has made for a superb viewing and audio experience.”
“Hoyts Northlands, our venue since 2011, remains a vital part of the festival and hosted over 8,000 of our admissions.”
Of the 112 films that were screened in Christchurch, two homegrown documentaries were among the most popular.
The Art of Recovery, by Christchurch filmmaker Peter Young, captures the creative revival in the central city and questions the ‘top-down’ government-led approach to the recovery. And Greenstone TV production, The Women of Pike River, tells the story of six women who lost loved ones in the 2010 disaster offering new insight into the tragedy.
NZIFF’s Christchurch festival host Nick Paris says it’s not surprising these films attracted 1,500 viewers between them.
“Both these films touch Cantabrians deeply and the screenings were very moving. Tears flowed during The Women of Pike River and the women, who were there for the screening, received two standing ovations from those there. It was incredibly heartfelt.”
Another New Zealand-made hit was Act of Kindness, which tells the story of Christchurch’s Sven Pannell as he returns to Rwanda to find a man who helped him after he was released by hostage takers there in 1999.
Other films that drew big crowds were Amy, Sherpa, The Wolfpack, The Lobster, The Assassin and a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid, accompanied by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.
Bill Gosden says the festival’s been asked to look at screening more films in the Isaac Theatre Royal during the year.
“The answer to that is… watch this space. We’ll certainly be back in Christchurch next year and aiming to set an even higher record. In the meantime… thank you Canterbury your response was amazing, and certainly vindicates the good faith of the many funders who helped us pay for the equipment. The revitalised NZIFF in Christchurch could not have got off to a better start.”
