The British Film Festival is heading to Auckland and Dunedin this December, sporting a massive line-up of hotly-anticipated feature films alongside some certified British classics.
The 2022 British Film Festival is bringing some of the best big-screen experiences from the British Isles to Dunedin from 1 – 11 December and Auckland 8 – 18 December.
One of the big standouts of the 16-film line-up is The Banshees of Inisherin, which sees Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell reunite with the writer-director of In Bruges. This dark buddy comedy, which sees one lifelong pal suddenly and inexplicably rejecting the other, was a highlight among our writers at the 66th BFI London Film Festival.
Aftersun, another Flicks Recommended feature, returns from the New Zealand International Film Festival to play as part of BFF. “The film feels precious,” we stated, “impeccably crafted, led by fragile characters, threatening to crack at any moment, but who value resilience above all. What happens plotwise isn’t awfully remarkable, what sticks with you are the feelings the story provokes.”
Cliff Richard musical Summer Holiday returns to the big screen as part of BFF’s classics section, as does Helen Mirren in her Oscar-winning performance in 2006’s The Queen. James Bond fanatics will also want to scroll down and take note of all the 007 flicks in the line-up.
Brew a cuppa—you’re gonna want to give this programme a jolly good look.
The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell reunite with the writer-director of In Bruges for this dark buddy comedy following a pair of lifelong friends on a remote Irish island who find themselves at an awkward time in their relationship when one of them no longer wants to be friends.
Joyride
The almighty Olivia Coleman (The Lost Daughter) stars in this British-Irish, feel-good coming-of-age dramedy following the misadventures of an angry mum out of her depth, and runaway 12-year-old Mully (Charlie Reid).
What’s Love got to do with it?
A filmmaker learns more about love than she expected while filming her childhood friend’s assisted marriage in this British rom-com starring Lily James (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery) and Oscar winner Emma Thompson.
The Amazing Maurice
Maurice, a streetwise cat, has the perfect money-making scam in this family-friendly film. During his scheme, he finds a dumb-looking kid who plays a pipe and has his very own horde of rats, who are strangely literate.
Quintessentially British
From the director of Sparkling: The Story of Champagne comes this feature documentary “celebrating everything great and British.”
Aftersun
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father 20 years earlier in this award-winning drama. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between miniDV footage as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.
Rogue Agent
Gemma Arterton leads this depiction of the chilling true story of career conman Robert Freegard who masqueraded as an MI5 agent and fooled people into going into hiding, and the woman who fell for him, and then brought him down.
All My Friends Hate Me
A young man is ready to leave his youthful indulgences behind and settle down with his girlfriend in this dark comedy about social paranoia. When he embarks on a reunion with his immature uni mates, the country weekend away goes from tense to terrifying to surreal.
John Smith: Curated Collection
Artist John Smith is a British avant garde filmmaker, renowned for creating a world from the ‘simple’ experiences of living, breathing and being a filmmaker or artist in a particular place and time. As part of the British Film Festival, John Smith has curated a selection of his short films specifically for an Aotearoa audience. These festival sessions will be the only opportunity to see this feature-length curated selection on screens in Aotearoa.
Rebel Dykes
A feature length version of the 2016 short of the same name, this documentary combines animated scenes, previously unseen archive footage and interviews to show what happened when punk met feminism in 1980s London.
The Queen
Helen Mirren secured an Academy Award for her depiction of Queen Elizabeth II, following her and the Royal family leading up to and following the death of Princess Diana.
Summer Holiday
Cliff Richard and the Shadows feature in this ’60s British pop musical about four London Transport mechanics trying to run a European travel service with a double-decker bus. Along the way they pick up an American girl who is on the run from stardom, her press agent and her overbearing mother.
Dr. No
The first film entry into the James Bond universe, starring Sean Connery as the British Intelligence agent 007. While investigating the disappearance of a missing colleague, Bond discovers the secret island of Dr. Julius No, as well as his scheme to end the U.S. space program.
From Russia with Love
The second cinematic entry into the James Bond universe to star Sean Connery. Here, Agent 007 is on the hunt for a stolen Soviet encryption device. Terence Young returns to the director’s chair after helming Dr. No a year earlier.
Goldfinger
Sean Connery’s third outing as 007 sees James Bond go up against Auric Goldfinger, who is planning an audacious assault on the U.S. gold reserves at Fort Knox. This was the first Bond film to win an Academy Award (for Norman Wanstall’s sound effects work).
Casino Royale
James Bond movie #21, adapting the first of Ian Flemmings’ book series, with Daniel Craig as James Bond #6. A new recruit at the MI6 team, Bond is reckless and careless and on a mission. After just earning his 00 status with his first two kills, he is sent to the Bahamas where he is to verse Le Chiffre in a game of Texas Hold ‘Em Poker. Although Bond must ensure that Le Chiffre’s death comes at the hands of his own people.
