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After delivering a sparkling programme comprising the best in local and international film to tens of thousands of cinema-goers in ten cities across Aotearoa over five weeks, the 2024 Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has closed. More than 90,000 admits were recorded nationally, with festival opener We Were Dangerous topping the box office.

A total of 83 feature films and 17 short films screened in this year’s programme, with the festival’s diverse international programme bringing some of the most acclaimed films in the world to New Zealand audiences. Cannes-premiered favourites included Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s The Seed of The Sacred Fig, Indian director Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light and Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis’ animated gem Flow, all of which drew overwhelming responses from audiences and required additional screenings in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The newly-christened Māhutonga section, which celebrates the dynamic diversity of New Zealand films, also performed well. Director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu’s feature debut We Were Dangerous was the Festival’s opener and quickly became a widely celebrated film with reviews describing it as, “a soaring celebration of misfits and girlhood” and a “short, sharp debut feature [which] packs a powerful punch.”

Lucy Lawless’ directorial

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We're delighted to announce Encore screenings for three popular films in this year's programme: 

Saturday 7 September
6.45pm In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon Regent 3 Cinemas

Sunday 8 September
3.45pm My Favourite Cake Regent 3 Cinemas 

Tuesday 10 September
5.30pm Paris, Texas Regent 3 Cinemas 

On Friday 30th August partner venue Regent 3 Cinemas will be hosting a special dress-up screening of Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person.

Attendees are invited to sink their teeth into this vampire-themed dress-up event and come ready to party in their goriest outifts, as inspired by the film. It promises to be a fun opportunity for film-goers to immerse themselves in the world of the vamps and experience the film in all its bloody glory! 

Anyone who arrives in costume will be in with a chance of winning some great spot prizes. Entry free with cinema ticket. 

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person is screening at Regent 3 Cinemas on Fri 30 Aug at 8pm. The party starts at 7.30pm. 

On Sunday 18 August, at the Closing Night of NZIFF 2024 in Auckland, the winners of the inaugural Fresh Competition and Frames Competitions were announced. These competition strands were created to draw attention to some of the best narrative feature and documentary debuts of the last 12 months.

The ten films in the Fresh Competition were judged by a jury comprising of Pulkit Anora (Filmmaker, New Zealand/India), Anu Rangachar (Producer and Programmer, India) and David White (Filmmaker, NZ).

The Main Award was awarded to Truong Minh Quy for his film Viet and Nam.

The jury said, "The Jury wishes to recognise Viet and Nam for its multi-layered ability to seamlessly merge political and personal narratives, while maintaining its stunning visual poetry and emotional depth."

A Special mention went to Mo Harawe for The Village Next to Paradise.

The jury said, "The jury wishes to recognise the film's ability to capture the grace and beauty of human resilience and its triumph of cinematic artistry against formidable odds."

The Audience Award was awarded to Oceans Are the Real Continents by Italian filmmaker Tommaso Santambrogio.

The eight films in the Frames Competitions were judged by a jury comprising of Donsaron Kovitvanitcha (Producer and

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Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival is pleased to announce the winners of New Zealand’s Best and Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts awards for 2024.

The five finalists for New Zealand’s Best were selected by Guest Selector Gerard Johnstone and the six finalists for Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts were selected by curators Leo Koziol (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka) and Craig Fasi (Niue), as announced earlier this year.

The New Zealand’s Best 2024 jury awards were decided by the three-person jury of film producer Philippa Campbell, filmmaker Judah Finnigan and film critic Liam Maguren and were presented following the Auckland screening at ASB Waterfront Theatre, as part of the festival’s Aotearoa Film Focus Weekend on Sunday 18 August.

The New Zealand’s Best 2024 award winners are:

The NZIFF Patrons Award for Best Film and the $7500 cash prize: Director Vea Mafile’o for the film Lea Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue

The Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award and $4000 cash prize: Awanui Simich-Pene for the film First Horse.
A previous recipient of this prestigious award is director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu, whose debut feature We Were Dangerous opened the festival this year.

The Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award and cash prize

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