Miriam Smith, co-director with Chris Pryor of How Far is Heaven (NZIFF 2012) and The Ground We Won (NZIFF Autumn Events 2015), carries a torch for NZIFF.
"My love affair with the NZIFF began during my student years, when I worked as an usher. For those many winters, I would get to embed myself in the glowing dark for the precious Film Festival weeks, where after seating people with my flashlight, I too got to travel the world and experience a heart-and-mind-expanding rollercoaster of cinematic discoveries.
I also had my first fun chats with the beautifully eloquent Bill Gosden. I loved those chats and I still do. An usher no longer, the Film Festival is still the cultural highlight of my year. What happiness it is to sit under those Civic Theatre stars, see the shining eyes of those golden lions and settle in for a ride into the unknown. So to you NZIFF, a giant thank you – for so many years of inspiration, happiness and friendship."
Image: How Far is Heaven