It hasn’t been since 2019 that Academy Cinemas have been able to host NZIFF.

Understandably, after that three-year hiatus, anticipation amongst the team at Academy reached fever pitch. Previously, in those pre-2019 years NZIFF had been informally known as ‘Academy’s Christmas’ and judging by the first week of the festival in 2023, there was no reason to change that moniker. Why? Well firstly, there is that Xmas-like hustle and bustle with the sheer amount of people passing through Academy like a mall in the middle of a gift-shopping frenzy. Secondly, the level of giddy excitement amongst Auckland’s cinephile scene–very reminiscent of Xmas morning when kids are discovering their shiny new gifts. Thirdly–my favourite part–the sense of community and coming together of people, that has been sorely missed over the peak pandemic years.

I have always seen Academy as a “community” venue. We have a particularly loyal customer base, the type of venue where the same people come at least once a month (or multiple times a week in some particularly committed cases!) We have personal connections with many of these customers, trading film recommendations, discussing new projects from favourite directors and big events coming up on our collective cinephile calendar. With the film festival these interactions have only intensified and expanded; regulars are coming through almost daily, bustling from one venue to another to pack in as many films into their schedule as possible. I particularly enjoy getting a sense from these anecdotes what films are emerging as festival favourites for punters (after the first weekend? Many mentions of Petzold’s Afire, Wenders’ Perfect Days and Sainsbury’s Loop Track). Academy is perfect for helping breed this kind of cinema culture. We are a more intimate underground venue than your usual arthouse cinema, with a more youthful staff and audience that are always happy to share a spicy film opinion or two. Many of Auckland’s young filmmakers and film-lovers started their cinephile journey coming to Academy. One of those young people, who regularly came to our screenings from age 13 is now part of the team five years later! As you would expect, our staff therefore love the chance to get stuck into the festival themselves! They are all avidly exploring the programme and organising screenings to attend together. Part of our promotion of the festival means channelling this organic excitement by advertising our staff’s personal recommendations! Amongst the screenings at Academy that our crew are particularly keen on: the retro-horror Late Night with the Devil, the wicked-looking sub-dom comedy Sanctuary and Jafar Panahi’s acclaimed, award-winning drama No Bears.

The film festival extends for a couple of days of encore days at the Academy with Beyond Utopia tonight plus Little Richard: I am Everything and EO tomorrow.