Gaysorn Thavat’s debut feature, The Justice of Bunny King, will have its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in the Viewpoints section where it will compete for the Nora Ephron Award for Best Female Filmmaker, and for the Best New Narrative Director Award for first time filmmakers.
Viewpoints is a section for narratives and documentaries, recognising distinct voices in independent filmmaking by creating a home for bold directorial visions and embracing distinct characters or points of view.
Starring Essie Davis and Thomasin McKenzie, The Justice of Bunny King tells the story of Bunny King, a mother of two, a rough-cut diamond with a sketchy past. While battling the system to reunite with her children, a confrontation leads her to take her niece Tonyah under her wing. With the world against her and Tonyah, Bunny’s battle has just begun.
Written by Sophie Henderson, directed by Gaysorn Thavat and produced by Emma Slade, The Justice of Bunny King is one of three films funded through Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission’s (NZFC) 125 Fund which offered $1.25M to films led by women.
"I’m incredibly proud to share the news of our Tribeca premiere with the amazing actors, crew and collaborators who believed in this film and poured so much creativity and love into it. Films like this simply do not get made without the generosity and passion of many. The Justice of Bunny King is a film that celebrates the courage of ordinary women facing extraordinary struggles, and I look forward to bringing it home for the women of Aotearoa who inspired it,” said director Gaysorn Thavat.
“Firefly Films is thrilled to have its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca film festival. We are so proud of the entire cast and crew who brought Bunny King to life. In particular, our sincere gratitude goes to Essie and Thomasin for gracing this project with their immense talent and tenacity. The best stories make us feel less alone; and our hope is that people will find resilience, strength and even have a little chuckle, when watching this powerful story that was so passionately brought to screen,” said producer Emma Slade
“It is wonderful to see The Justice of Bunny King have its world premiere at such a prestigious festival,” said NZFC CEO Annabelle Sheehan. “The 125 Fund was designed to encourage ambitious women’s voices and to bring meaningful representations of women to the screen. The Justice of Bunny King does both with its assured, authentic and unflinching portrayal of the struggles faced by many women.”
The Justice of Bunny King was made with financing from the NZFC and its 125 Fund, and with assistance from the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant and Screen Production Recovery Fund.
Madman Entertainment will distribute the film in Australia and New Zealand with world sales handled by Protagonist . The Tribeca Film Festival runs 9-20 June 2021, both online and in person at select cinemas across New York City.