The New Zealand Film Festival was launched in Shanghai on Thursday 21 April. Jointly hosted by the New Zealand Consulate General and the Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Association, the festival opened with a screening of Roger Donaldson's 2005 NZ box office hit, The World’s Fastest Indian. Donaldson was guest of honour as director of the opening night film.
Joining Donaldson at the event were New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key, Chinese-Canadian superstar Shawn Dou and a number of other high-profile guests such as leading Hong Kong actor, director, producer and martial artist, Sammo Hung and writer/director, Sherwood Hu.
In place of formal speeches, the Prime Minister and Donaldson were joined by Shawn Dou for a bi-lingual Q & A panel focused on current collaboration between China and New Zealand and new opportunities to explore.
The festival, which runs 21-30 April, is the first New Zealand film festival in Shanghai to be officially hosted by the New Zealand and Shanghai governments and to be supported by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC).
Seven films representing a wide range of genres and styles will screen at the festival. These are, The World’s Fastest Indian, Taika Waititi’s Boy and Eagle vs. Shark, Roseanne Liang’s My Wedding and Other Secrets, Jane Campion’s An Angel at My Table, Christine Jeffs’ Rain and Brad McGann’s In My Father’s Den.
The New Zealand Film Festival in Shanghai is sponsored by the Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Association, the New Zealand Consulate General, Tourism New Zealand, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Vista Entertainment and Air New Zealand.