This year’s NZIFF has closed its doors. Its reduced programme, playing in a reduced number of centres, racked up over 90,000 admissions. Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s festival opener (in most centres) and now-on-release We Were Dangerous was the festival’s best box office earner. The festival reported that admissions had exceeded expectations in several centres, but Auckland and Wellington weren’t among the centres named.
83 feature films and 17 short films screened in this year’s programme, including a strong contingent of NZ titles.
Seven held world premieres and five domestic premieres at the festival. Lucy Lawless’ Never Look Away and Jonathan Ogilvie’s Head South joined We Were Dangerous among the festival’s top 10 performers. The festival also held a 30th anniversary screening of Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures in major centres.
The festival introduced two competition line-ups and strengthened its non-screening programme with its Film Focus Weekend in Auckland and other events elsewhere.
Numbers are still due in from four provincial centres – Hamilton, Tauranga, New Plymouth and Masterton – so final information isn’t available just yet to complete a review and inform planning for 2025.
