This year’s first NZIFF film revealed…

The Voice of Hind Rajab is joining the festival lineup!

Directed by acclaimed Tunisian director and Academy Award nominee Kaouther Ben Hania, The Voice of Hind Rajab premiered at the Venice Film Festival - where it had the crowd so captivated it received the longest standing ovation in the festival’s history (over 20 minutes!). The film won over the critics too, and scooped the Grand Jury Prize. Recently, the film was nominated in the Best International Feature Film category at this year’s Oscars.

Incorporating real-life elements, the docudrama follows the harrowing story of 6-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who makes a frantic emergency call to Red Crescent volunteers while trapped in a car under fire in Gaza.

“We are immensely proud and excited to announce The Voice of Hind Rajab as our first film for the 2026 edition of Whanau Marama: New Zealand International Film Festival”, says NZIFF Artistic Director Paolo Bertolin. “Kaother Ben Hania's powerful film is a brave cry for justice that will deeply move our audiences”.