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River Queen is an original story by director Vincent Ward (Vigil, The Navigator, What Dreams May Come), who wrote the screenplay with Toa Fraser (Bare, No 2).    The film stars double Academy Award-nominated Samantha Morton (In...

THE TATTOOIST was made by Singaporean and New Zealand co-production partners, from a New Zealand-originated script on locations in New Zealand and Singapore. The story centres on Samoan spiritual beliefs, in which the barrier between our world and the...

It's 1903: South African farmer Arjan can Diemen has lost everything - his wife, children, farm and home - in the brutal Boer War in which he fought against the colonising British.  Arriving in New Zealand, he is immediately hired by Major...

Kimi lives inthe country with her grandmother and her Uncle Tau. One day at the end of summer, the big bus from the city gobbles up Uncle Tau and takes him away. Before he leaves, he promises to return when the watermelon is fully grown. The...

Director’s Notes - Peter Burger "In this film I wanted to capture the complexity of the idea of turangawaewae. For those Māori today, who no longer live in the place where their ancestors have lived for centuries, it becomes important to...

DIRECTOR’S NOTES - Michael Bennett “Making Kerosene Creek was both a great honour and a significant challenge for me. As a Māori writer and director, this film provided a unique opportunity to explore one of the most significant...

The terms of reference for the NZFC's Diversity and Inclusion Committee

Bunny King (ESSIE DAVIS) is a mother of two, who is best described as a rough cut diamond with a sketchy past. Attempting to leave this past behind, she works intersections as a squeegee bandit using her quick wit to charm money from motorists....

A young girl battles an arcade claw machine over the fate of a cute plush toy. Unbeknownst to her, the machine houses a dark entity, hell-bent on harvesting the disappointment from any child that accepts the challenge of the alluring claw machine.

When a proudly-stubbled College student, Amon, is sent home to shave, he instead chooses to bunk indefinately. While chasing his own sexual-education, over one long afternoon, Amon is confronted by the complications, and repercussions, that come with...

In January 1981, US President Ronald Reagan swept into power with a mission to out-develop and out-spend on nuclear technologies against the Soviet Union – the Cold War ideological foe of the West. That September, in response to the growing East-...

A mother tries to comfort her grieving son, but on each attempt her son’s silence becomes more and more deafening. An outing to the local aquarium places further strain on their troubled relationship - until her son finds a reason to let his mother...

Adapted by Alan Sharp (Rob Roy), Dean Spanley is directed by UK-born, NZ raised Toa Fraser (No.2). A truly impressive international cast is led by eight-time Academy Award nominee Peter O’Toole (Venus, Lawrence of Arabia) and also features...

"Pelorus is a personal story that I have grown up with. I’ve been friends with the Sigglekow family since the mid 1980’s, when Chris Sigglekow was at the height of his bungy jumping development. Now he is my father-in-law. To tell...

Even stray dogs remain elusive to Little Man, a nine-year-old boy who seeks to understand the remote world around him.  He finds refuge with Kid, his younger, autistic sister who provides Little Man with a brief glimpse of another world. When Kid is...

Ralph Hotere is hailed as one of New Zealand's greatest artists, having exhibited throughout Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, England and Australia.  In New Zealand he has executed a number of large public works, designed theatre sets,...

When Freddy loses his job delivering pizza, he and his best buddy Marvin find work with a small-time crook Spiggs. After they botch a straightforward job, Spiggs sends them on a fool’s errand - to kill gangster Donny Kong who's been sleeping...

DIRECTOR’S NOTES - Ainsley Gardiner & Catherine Fitzgerald “There are a few moments in childhood that have a lasting impact. Not because they change the course of your life, or because they arrive with any great fanfare, in fact...

Intricately handmade from paper and cardboard, this stop-motion animated tragicomedy follows Danny, a university Geography tutor, as he and his students stray from the syllabus in order to break new academic ground. After managing only to break some...

Will Bastion (Temuera Morrison) returns from 20 years service in the New Zealand Army to Raukura, his hometown, to face the biggest challenge of his life. His father has died, leaving a sacred greenstone patu, the symbol of leadership, to him. He doesn...

6 months’ pregnant Rose celebrates her son Jaden’s 6th birthday. Amongst the new presents is a strange clickity-clack wooden toy - Vaspy. While cleaning up the next day, Rose unknowingly gets “stung” by it, and starts to crave...

Amaia is a young girl living with her depressed mother in an inner-city apartment. With no family or friends close by, she desperately seeks out her absent father. Believing that a mysterious woman can reconnect them, Amaia goes to extreme lengths to win...

D I R E C T O R ’ S N O T E S “The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees” -J. Williard Marriott “When I began writing the little things I knew from the outset that I wanted it to be a story that whispered and didn’t...

Part of the British Film Institute’s Century of Cinema series in which some of the world’s most respected directors investigate their national cinema. Cinema of Unease examines the cultural and historic context from which the New Zealand...

Solo, a young Samoan interpreter for a Native Court in Colonial, New Zealand Samoa, does what he thinks is best for his people and at times lies as he translates. However, High Chief Nua who's charged with trespass, understands and speaks English....

Lynn discovers her 16-year-old son, Shaun, is having a secret relationship with a woman, Amanda, fifteen years his senior. Although Lynn subjects Shaun to a disciplinary lifestyle, he remains hell-bent on being with Amanda and intends to live with her...

Por likes to daydream. He dreams about all the cool things he and Sonny do, Swimming and climbing trees. When Sonny gets a hiding Por makes the decision to help his older brother with his chores as well.

The NZFC has identified the following groups as underrepresented: Māori, Pacific peoples, Asian communities, MELAA (Middle Eastern, Latin American and African), women, gender diverse, LGBTQIA+ communities, people with a disability,...

This information sheet outlines the minimum detail required in your Audience Engagement Plan. Every project is different, and will have different audience appeal. However, we expect everyone seeking our investment to have a clear understanding of who...

In 2032, a pandemic has killed most of the world’s population. Zealandia is the last territory to remain virus free. Everything arriving from the outside world is submitted to intensive biosecurity checking, including humans. Refugees flock to...

Te Puhi prepares herself for the toughest day of her life. Her father, Tui prepares a boil up for his girl. The two share a traditional meal when the harsh reality of her father's dementia forces Te Puhi to face the painful truth that she must let go...

Some stags get all the birds. But not Lone Stag. He lacks a certain something on the antlers front: antlers.  And without them he has little chance of getting any birds to help him make music for the spring jam. So far Lone Stag has recruited one...

Frank is 11, and he's a stuntman. At least in his imagination. He's decided to pull off a death-defying leap, and he can probably do it. The trouble is, his little sister has been following him around all day, and she's determined to keep up...

DIRECTOR’S NOTES I intend this film to challenge audiences – the story is tense from the get go, the meeting of the characters is fraught with emotional strain, but Martin and Renee, while not always sympathetic, have charm. They are both...

Do No Harm explores the first corruption of a woman’s moral code. It is the short film prequel to a feature film project, Black Lotus. The strand pulled under pressure in Do No Harm leads to a more dangerous unravelling of humanity in the larger...