The New Zealand International Film Festival team have got their work cut out for them this year, if they are to top last year’s incredible programme. But they’re off to a great start with the first six films announced, four of which are from New Zealand.
The four Kiwi documentaries – Antartica: A Year on Ice, The Deadly Ponies Gang, Gardening with Soul, and Soul in the Sea – will all have their world premieres at the 2013 fest. NZIFF Director Bill Gosden comments “Once again we can only be humbled by the immense commitment of local filmmakers who have dedicated vast swathes of their time to getting the world on film, and have done it so persuasively.”
The two other films announced are American indies Dirty Wars and Upstream Colour – both having their New Zealand premieres. Shane Carruth‘s Upstream Colour is particularly exciting, given back in January we hoped that NZIFF would screen the film after the brilliant first trailer came out – we sure can spot a winner. If you’re a fan of indie sci-fi you’ll probably remember Carruth’s last film, the superb 2004 micro-budget sci-fi thriller Primer.
So a cracking way to kick-off this year’s programme. Can’t wait to hear the announcements from Cannes in a few weeks. Please, please, let Only God Forgives be one of them – likely given Nicolas Winding Refn‘s Drive had its New Zealand premiere at the 2011 fest.
Here are details of the six film announcements:
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ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE
New Zealand | 92 minutes | Documentary
Director: Anthony Powell
Featuring: Anthony Powell
Director Anthony Powell has spent nine winters in Antarctica. A self taught photographer, Anthony has built his own equipment to survive the harsh conditions and capture stunning time-lapse imagery. A Year on Ice shows us a part of the world most will never discover, in breath-taking hi-definition.
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DIRTY WARS
USA | 87 minutes | Documentary
Director: Rick Rowley (The Fourth World War)
Featuring: Jeremy Scahill, Abdul Ghafoor, Raouf Hikal, Mohammed Tahir, Mohammed Sabir, Hugh Shelton, Jerome Starkey, Sheikh Saleh Bin Fareed, Abdul Rahman Barman
Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill has produced this explosive documentary with director Rick Rowley about the secret ‘wars’ of the US’s Joint Special Operations unit. Scahill’s book of the same title is being released this week.
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GARDENING WITH SOUL
New Zealand | 95 minutes | Documentary
Director: Jess Feast (Cowboys and Communists)
Featuring: Sister Loyola Galvin
Director Jess Feast joins Sister Loyola at the Home of Compassion in Island Bay, Wellington. Sister Loyola, a NZ Gardener of the Year, continues to tend to the community garden she established, now in her 90s, whilst providing refreshingly candid reflections on life and religion.
(No trailer yet)
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SOUL IN THE SEA
New Zealand | 64 minutes | Documentary
Director: Amy Taylor
Featuring: Kirsty Carrington, Errin Hallen, Grant Duffield, Peter Cavanagh, Jamie Quirk, Martin Williams, Dr Ingrid Visser, Pouroto Ngaropo
Director Amy Taylor travelled to Whakatane after seeing media reports of a friendly lone dolphin named Moko. She spent the next six months documenting Moko’s time with the community, getting to know his friends and detractors.
http://youtu.be/f1YnmppH7Fc
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THE DEADLY PONIES GANG
New Zealand | 74 minutes | Documentary
Director: Zoe McIntosh
Featuring: Clint Rarm, Dwayne Sissions, Kody Rowe, Sophie Musgrove, The Rhymestone Cowboy
Director Zoe McIntosh has found the Flight of the Conchords’ long-lost country cousins in Clint and Dwayne, the two members of the Deadly Ponies Gang, who talk of picking up ‘chicks’ on their blinged-out horses. Auckland’s legendary Golden Dawn stars as the venue for Dwayne’s false teeth fundraising gig.
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UPSTREAM COLOUR
USA | 96 minutes | Drama
Director: Shane Carruth (Primer)
Cast: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins, Kathy Carruth, Meredith Burke, Andreon Watson, Ashton Miramontes, Myles McGee
A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.
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The 2013 New Zealand International Film festival is currently confirmed to screen in the following locations:
Auckland: 18 July – 4 August
Wellington: 26 July – 11 August
Christchurch: 1 – 18 August
Dunedin: 8 – 25 August
Gore: 14 – 25 August
Palmerston North: 15 August – 1 September
Hamilton: 22 August – 15 September
Nelson: 28 August – 15 September
Tauranga: 12 – 29 September
Masterton: 16 – 30 October
Hawke’s Bay: 16 October – 3 November
New Plymouth: 24 October – 6 November
The programme for NZIFF Auckland will be released Tuesday 25 June, with the Wellington programme released 28 June. Auckland tickets will be available from 28 June, with Wellington tickets available from Tuesday 2 July.
As always, for more information head on over to the official NZIFF site (here).
Which of these six films would you most like to see?
