Nine films will have their world premieres at the festival this year – one of the largest collections of world premieres NZIFF has seen in many years. Feature films with world premieres are Tom Sainsbury’s Loop Track, Home Kills directed by Haydn Butler, Michael Duignan’s film The Paragon, and NZ Opera film The Strangest of Angels, directed by Rebecca Tansley.

Five enlightening documentaries have their world premiere screenings: Ms. Information directed by Gwen Isaac; John Chrisstoffels’ Building Bridges: Bill Youren's Vision of Peace, Robin Greenberg’s documentary Grant Sheehan: Light, Ghosts and Dreams; Annie Goldson’s film Red Mole: A Romance; and music documentary King Loser, directed by Cushla Dillon and Andrew Moore.

Alice Englert’s Bad Behaviour which premiered at Sundance in January, a special 4K restoration of Gaylene Preston’s (Titless Wonders NZIFF 2001, Mr Wrong NZIFF 1985) 1993 WWII drama Bread and Roses, and the filmed music performance, Tiki Taane in Session with CSO round out the Aotearoa New Zealand films in the NZIFF 2023 programme.

“We’re proud to have secured such an incredible line-up of homegrown films and it’s an honour to share this world-class line-up with audiences around Aotearoa this winter,” says Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival General Manager Sally Woodfield. “We encourage New Zealanders to experience these beautifully crafted films on the big screen and support local filmmakers.”

NZIFF opens in Auckland on 19 July, followed by Wellington on 27 July, Dunedin on 3 August and Christchurch on 10 August. The remaining centres will span August and September.