Strap in and get ready to fill your winter days with fabulous films on the big screens! Seventy-eight feature-length films and seven short film collections from 21 countries across 18 days at four venues in Ōtautahi Christchurch.
Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival is a national event to enhance the appreciation of, and engagement with, global art and culture by providing access to a diverse range of high-quality film.
We’re immensely proud of this year’s programme. What better way to open than with Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall, followed by an incredible collection of films from around the globe. Get ready to be inspired, provoked, entertained, delighted and transformed by the stories which will unfold on the big screen during NZIFF 2023.
We love cinema, and we’re passionate about the collective experience of watching films together —being in a room with others where individual stories contribute to a collective tapestry of life.
We’re immersed in stories that transport us beyond our immediate reality; sharing laughter that ripples around the room, tears and sobs (and the rustle as your neighbour reaches for the tissues), and the gasps of astonishment that remind us of our capacity for wonder.
Coming together for the film festival connects us, transcending language, culture and backgrounds and bridges the gaps between us, erasing boundaries that often separate us in our daily lives—we share smiles, a nod or a gasp, and for a short time we are bound together.