Leading international film directors and curators feature in two masterclasses during Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival 2020.

The masterclasses, which this year will take place online, are designed for film industry practitioners and presented thanks to an Artistic Development Partnership with Creative New Zealand.

The two masterclasses are:

Saturday 1 August 11.00am: An Artist’s Journey from The Babadook to The Nightingale and Beyond Celebrated Australian film director Jennifer Kent in conversation with Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival Director Marten Rabarts discusses her creative process through development and production of her landmark films.

Sunday 2 August: 11am: Archives and Film Museums. Treasure Chest or Mausoleum?

Film Archives play an essential role in preserving and restoring (inter)national film heritage but increasingly they also contribute to the creation of new films made from archive material such as They Call Me Babu and State Funeral in this year’s festival selection. Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, New Zealand National Film Archive Chief Executive – Tumu Whakarae Honiana Love, with international guests Sandra Den Hamer, Director EYE Film Museum, The Netherlands, and Rajendra Roy, Chief Curator – Film, MoMa, Museum of Modern Art New York, in conversation with Marten Rabarts.

Festival Director Marten Rabarts said he was pleased to expand the Festival’s commitment to the development of the film industry in New Zealand. “We’re delighted to be able to present two masterclasses to provide New Zealand filmmakers and cinephiles with opportunities to engage with trailblazers in the world of film.”

In An Artist’s Journey on The Babadook, The Nightingale and Beyond, Jennifer Kent (The Babadook, NZIFF14 and The Nightingale, NZIFF19) will discuss her entire creative journey. She will speak about making a landmark film in horror genre filmmaking, and tackling the all too real horrors of brutal Australian colonialism. During the session she will reveal how she develops scripts and characters, how she approaches cultural sensitivities, works with cast to create iconic performances and above all how she deploys a woman’s gaze in everything she does.

The second masterclass, Archives and Film Museums. Treasure Chest or Mausoleum? will feature a live conversation on the creation of an active living archive with Marten Rabarts and Hiniona Love (Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, New Zealand National Film Archive Chief Executive – Tumu Whakarae), with pre-recorded contributions from Rajendra Roy (Chief Curator Film, MoMa, New York) and Sandra Den Hamer (Director, EYE Film Museum, The Netherlands). EYE Film Museum collaborated on NZIFF20 film They Call Me Babu, part of EUROPE! Voices of Women in Film.

The masterclasses are free and will be run on Zoom. Registrations are limited. To register, visit www.nziff.co.nz