Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland as the perfect Robin and Marian in the adventure cinema classic. "This great 1938 film exists in an eternal summer of bravery and romance." — Chicago Sun Times
Films — by Title
A
Alexandra
Aleksandra
The great Alexander Sokurov (Russian Ark, Mother and Son) has made an eloquent anti-war film in which not a shot is fired. "Dream-like... a timely and humane film." — Sight and Sound
And When Did You Last See Your Father?
Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson and Colin Firth star in this heartfelt adaptation of Blake Morrison's memoir of his uneasy relationship with his country doctor father. "Likely to strike a chord in almost anybody." — Evening Standard
Animation for Kids 2008
Animated short films from around the world to spark the imaginations of our youngest audience. This year's selection is best suited to children aged 5-7.
Animation Now! 2008
Cut-outs, paint-on-glass, puppetry, watercolour on tile, scratch films and hand-drawn work all feature in this year's selection of the best animated shorts from around the world.
Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer
A spirited appreciation and colourful portrait of the great jazz singer and queen of 50s cool. Excellent clips, archived interviews and unseen footage.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
An inspirational rockumentary about an aging metal band, both funny and heart-warming in equal measure. "It's a hilarious, and unexpectedly moving, documentary about the greatest metal band you've probably never heard of." — Entertainment Weekly
Apron Strings
Samoan-born Aucklander Sima Urale brings an ebullient light touch to parallel, richly loaded domestic dramas in two families of cooks: one Sikh, the other dyed-in-the-wool Anglo.
The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins
NZer Pietra Brettkelly's Sundance-acclaimed portrait of controversial art world star Vanessa Beecroft as she attempts to adopt Sudanese twins. "Brutally honest." — LA Times
Ashes of Time Redux
Dung che sai duk
Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung and a who's-who of Hong Kong cinema in a ravishing restored version of Wong Kar-wai's desert swordsman classic, freshly unveiled at Cannes this year.
B
Balaou
A grieving filmmaker takes to the sea and finds quiet transcendence in travel and the elemental allure of the ocean. This strangely calming film is a true original.
Ballast
In the most widely praised debut at Sundance this year, a rural Mississippi family realigns after a tragic death. "Fragmentary, mysterious and poetic." — Village Voice
The Band's Visit
Bikur Ha-Tizmoret
A lost Egyptian band spends the night in a small Israeli town in this charming comedy. "Marries goofy deadpan comedy with a conciliatory spirit... you'll weep with laughter." — LA Weekly
The Banishment
Izgnanie
A family tragedy told with incredible visual power by the Russian director of The Return. Best Actor Award, Cannes, 2007. "Truly something to see." — Time
Barefoot Cinema: The Art and Life of Cinematographer Alun Bollinger
Engaging portrait of Alun Bollinger (Vigil, Heavenly Creatures) whose stunning cinematography has been informing the way we New Zealanders see ourselves for over 40 years.
Be Kind Rewind
When all the tapes in their store get wiped, Jack Black and Mos Def set out to remake every movie. Directed by Michel Gondry. "A hundred minutes of sweet-natured idiocy." — Financial Times
Ben X
Virtual reality meets vérité in a bold and emotionally shocking tale from Belgium of online gaming hero Ben X, who is bullied mercilessly in real life.
Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
Are steroids really a cheaters' drug, or are they as American as Rocky Balboa? Dedicated gym rat Chris Bell weighs the evidence. "Whip-smart, funny and refreshingly honest." — CNN.com
Billy the Kid
Much-awarded and widely loved documentary about a 15-year-old hyper-engaging small-town misfit. "A movie about adolescence unlike any other." — LA Times
Blind Mountain
Mang shan
This searing suspense drama of a young woman tricked into slavery in a country village is a severely critical portrait of China now.
Blockade
Blokada
This staggering record of the 900-day siege of Leningrad is compiled from phenomenal footage found in Moscow's archives. "Eerie and powerful." — Time Out NY
Boy A
Andrew Garfield is mesmerising as a young man starting life anew after growing up in detention. " A poignant realist drama that will leave a big emotional impression." — Time Out
A Brighter Summer Day
Guling jie shaonian sha ren shijian
Edward Yang's magnum opus is one of the greatest films of cinema's first hundred years, a sprawling, intimate coming-of-age drama set amidst gang warfare in 60s Taipei.
Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame
Buda as sharm foru rikht
A young Afghan girl's determination to attend a nearby school becomes an epic quest in this stunningly shot, politically charged film by a 19-year-old Iranian woman.
C
California Dreamin' (Endless)
California Dreamin' (Nesfarsit)
A robust village comedy with satirical bite and a pensive undertow, California Dreamin' personalises American intervention in the Balkans. "It has energy, wit and heart to spare." — IFC News
Caramel
Sukkar banat
This bittersweet comedy drama is filled with insight into women's lives in contemporary Lebanon. "Utterly entrancing and completely brilliant." — Film Comment
Cargo 200
Gruz 200
The end of the Soviet Union is the ultimate horror show in this brilliantly grotesque film from the director of Brother. "A superbly-acted, finely-directed, vision of hell." — Time Out
Christopher Columbus - The Enigma
Cristóvão Colombo – O Enigma
Director Manoel de Oliveira (born 1908) recreates the real-life search of Manuel Luciano da Silva and his wife Sílvia to prove that Christopher Columbus was actually Portuguese.
CJ7
Cheunggong 7 hou
"This utterly beguiling foray into family comedy from Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer) may be the tribute to E.T. the gleefully childlike filmmaker has had up his sleeve forever." — LA Weekly
Clash of the Titans
A lean, mean showcase for Wellington's vibrant underground hip-hop scene, following local rappers and freestylers competing for the title of Wellington's best battle emcee.
A Complete History of My Sexual Failures
A self-confessed loser in love tracks down his numerous exes for interviews in this comedic documentary of humiliation and haplessness.
A Confucian Confusion
Duli Shidai
A densely-plotted satire on the culture of business and the business of culture in modern Taiwan, involving chic businesswomen, pretentious authors and their scurrying functionaries
The Cool School
The emergence and impact of the beat-era LA art scene is examined in this lively documentary. "Smart, jazzy and unafraid to deflate egos... a fast-paced, finely critical study." — Time Out NY
The Counterfeiters
Die Fälscher
Oscar winner, Best Foreign Film. A vividly original concentration camp drama. "Sharp and compelling... delivers on the promise of its astonishing true-life origins." — Empire
Crazy Love
This brash, attention-grabbing documentary recounts a life-long tale of violently obsessive passion that has made numerous headlines over the decades.
CSNY: Déjà Vu
Neil Young's film intercuts concert footage of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 2006 US tour with a frank documentary record of audience reactions to his political activism.
D
Dear Zachary
This heartbreaking doco begins as a loving scrapbook tribute to the filmmaker's dead friend before careening into a harrowing and provocative true-crime drama.
Derek
A moving celebration of the life of pioneering gay filmmaker Derek Jarman (Jubilee, Caravaggio, Blue), featuring copious film extracts and the reflections of former muse Tilda Swinton.
Digital Panorama
A stunning collection of recent international short digital animations from the dark edge of the creative spectrum.
Donkey in Lahore
This documentary tale of a young Brisbane goth's five-year courtship of a beautiful Pakistani woman is a tale of cross-cultural misunderstanding that's simultaneously funny, sad and insightful.
The Duchess of Langeais
Ne touchez pas la hache
Jeanne Balibar and Guillaume Depardieu are superb in this adaptation of Balzac's tale of drawing room passion. "A nearly impeccable work of art – beautiful, true, profound." — NY Times
E
Earth
The spectacular giant screen spin-off from the BBC's Planet Earth series. "Simply matchless... there isn't a moment that doesn't fill one with awe." — Time Out
Eat, for This Is My Body
Mange, ceci est mon corps
This evocation of Haiti is cinema poetry of intoxicating lyricism, a powerful allegory of the racial and sexual politics of colonial heritage.
The Elephant and the Sea
Malaise in the tropics is dramatised with dry absurdist wit and wicked eye for the surreal in this gorgeously shot drama from Malaysia. "Brilliant." — Variety
Elite Squad
Tropa de elite
The biggest hit in Brazil since City of God, and controversial winner of the Best Film Award at the Berlin Film Festival this year, Elite Squad is an incendiary vision of police violence in Rio.
Empties
Vratné lahve
The writer/star of Kolya wrote and stars in this expertly gag-laden comedy about the hyperactive retirement of a charming old rogue. "Exceptionally funny and touching." — The Globe and Mail
Encounters at the End of the World
Film-maker Werner Herzog travels to the McMurdo Station in Antarctica, looking to capture the continent's beauty and investigate the characters living there.
The English Surgeon
Inspiring and dramatic doco about Henry Marsh, celebrated British neurosurgeon who volunteers on the Ukraine. "Unforgettable portrait of a true humanitarian." — Time Out
The Escapist
"The Escapist... not only works as a brilliant, twisting existential expansion of the traditional prison break film; it also works as a crackerjack example." — Cinematical. Starring Damian Lewis, Joseph Fiennes, Brian Cox, Seu Jorge.
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone
Evangelion shin-geki jo ban
Action-packed reboot of the venerable Japanese anime franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion. Best Film and Best Director, Tokyo International Anime Fair 2008.
F
Fear(s) of the Dark
Peur(s) du noir
This French collection of animated shorts enlist the fevered imaginations of six gifted artists to create an inventive take on our primordial phobias of all things dark.
Fighter
Real-life kung fu champ Semra Turan stars as Aicha, the feisty daughter of traditional Turkish immigrants determined to be a contender.
The First Saturday in May
Behind the scenes with six contenders at the 2006 Kentucky Derby. "Compelling, expertly paced... Nothing short of riveting." — Washington Post
Flight of the Red Balloon
Le Voyage du ballon rouge
Taiwanese master Hou Hsiao-hsien delivers a richly layered picture of life in Paris starring Juliette Binoche. "A movie of genius." — Village Voice
Flower in the Pocket
Two small Chinese Malaysian boys are the captivating protagonists in this bittersweet slice of life. "Playful and gently moving." — Hollywood Reporter
FPS - Live Cinema Event
Sam Hamilton and Eve Gordon present an amazing collection of cinema experimentation and live music.
The Freshman
The Festival and the Vector Wellington Orchestra in a single rare screening of one of the popular comedy classics of the silent era.
From Street to Sky
Warm, intimate biography of local roots musician and Rastafarian Tigilau Ness, whose quest for unity in the Pacific has taken him from protest to peace.
Frontier(s)
Frontière(s)
A gang of criminals take refuge in a hotel run by a family of degenerate Nazis. French cinema gets dragged kicking and screaming into the grindhouse in this gore-drenched debut.
Frozen River
A nerve-wracking thriller about two women trafficking illegal immigrants across a frozen river. Winner Grand Jury Prize (Best Dramatic Feature), Sundance Festival.
Funny Games
Michael Haneke (The Piano Teacher) channels his anger with mainstream media depiction of violence into a horrific and highly entertaining piece of cinema. Starring Naomi Watts, Tim Roth.
G
Garbage Warrior
A visionary architect grapples with corporate and political meddling in a bid to build entirely self-sustained, eco-friendly communities in the New Mexico desert. Infectious and inspiring.
A Gentle Breeze in the Village
Tennen kokekko
The latest film from the director of Linda, Linda, Linda is seriously charming, a wryly affectionate not-quite-coming-of-age tale set in a tiny country school.
George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead
Gore-hounds rejoice! The Maestro returns with a new installment in his epic anthology of all things zombie. "An entirely fresh take on the inevitably impending apocalypse." — Cinematical
Gomorrah
Gomorra
Grand Jury Prize Winner, Cannes Film Festival 2008. Riveting adaptation of Roberto Saviano's bestselling exposé of the Camorra, the Neapolitan Mafia. "Thrilling... a modern classic." — The Observer
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr Hunter S. Thompson
Definitive biography of iconic writer, drinker and lunatic Hunter S. Thompson seeks to separate man from myth. Directed by Alex Gibney (Enron, Taxi to the Dark Side).
Great Australian Albums: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' Murder Ballads
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' 1996 album Murder Ballads is treated to a retrospective 'making of' documentary. With Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Kylie Minogue.
H
Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go
Excellent objective documentary about a British boarding school for children with extreme behavioural problems – and a staff to student ratio of 108 to 40.
The Hollow Men
The 'stolen' insider emails of Nicky Hager's best-selling account of National's 2004 election campaign rise again in Alister Barry's (Someone Else's Country) new film.
Homegrown: Programme 1
MIC Toi Rerehiko presents its selection of the best New Zealand short films of the last 12 months. Includes internationally honoured films by Sima Urale, Leo Woodhead and Roseanne Liang.
Homegrown: Programme 2
MIC Toi Rerehiko presents a fascinating selection of recent short films by New Zealand filmmakers.
Homegrown: Programme 3
MIC Toi Rerehiko presents a selection of recent experimental and animated films by New Zealand filmmakers.
Huloo
Robin Greenberg's documentary introduces us to the remarkable life of New Zealand's very own T'ai Chi master, Loo-Chi Hu.
Hunger
British artist Steve McQueen's formidable film about IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands is a searching and provocative deliberation of martyrdom. Winner Camera d'Or for the best debut at Cannes this year.
I
I Just Didn't Do It
Soredemo boku wa yattenai
This gripping courtroom drama provides a hair-raising exposé of the Japanese justice system. "If a film can change Japan's legal system, this is the one." — Japan Times
I Think We're Alone Now
An intimate look into the lives of two stalkers of 80s teen pop one-hit-wonder Tiffany, Sean Donnelly's I Think We're Alone Now is absolutely disturbing, wince-inducing trainwreck viewing of the highest order.
If We Knew
Als we het zouden weten
This powerful film tracks the dedicated staff of a Ducth intensive care neo-natal ward and engages with the ethical issues that confront them daily.
In Bruges
Bloody and brilliantly funny, playwright Martin McDonagh's directing debut brings a black Irish wit to an odd couple/hitmen-on-the-lam comedy. With Colin Farrell, Brendon Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes.
In Search of a Midnight Kiss
In this cool and funny lo-fi romantic comedy, two love-scarred LA 20-somethings meet on Craigslist rather than spend New Year's Eve alone. "The perfect date movie." — RottenTomatoes.com
In the City of Sylvia
En la ciudad de Sylvia
Awash with the sights and sounds of the French city of Strasbourg, this lyrical tale of a young man's search for his lost love is a purely cinematic, virtually wordless treat for romantics and people watchers.
In Your Wake
Nos retrouvailles
This taut, brooding crime drama plumbs the relationship between a dangerously immature, adrift father and his introverted son.
It's a Free World...
Veteran masters of social realism Ken Loach and writer Paul Laverty (My Name Is Joe) return with one of their most involving character-centred dramas. "A movie of great honesty and humanistic inquiry." — The Guardian
J
Jar City
Mýrin
CSI:Reykjavik! Richly atmospheric police thriller from Iceland. "Fans of the genre will thank the film for an infusion of ice-cold new blood." — Time Out NY
Jesus Christ Saviour
Jesus Christus Erlöser
A fascinating record of Klaus Kinski's fiery 1971 stage performance, his highly personal retelling of the New Testament, delivered to a crowd out for blood.
Jinx Sister
Estranged adult sisters are warily reunited in Athina Tsoulis' engagingly acted drama of family secrets and lies. With Sara Wiseman and Rachel Nash.
K
The Kid Brother
The Festival and The Trusts are proud to present the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in a single rare screening of one of the great comedy classics of the silent era.
The King of Kong
"A true gem about rivalry amongst videogamers... a thrilling examination of the human psyche – a hugely entertaining account of good vs evil." — Time Out
King of the Hill
El rey de la montaña
A taut cat and mouse chase in the Spanish wilderness. "A sly, deceptive gut punch of a picture... a brilliant, vicious little piece of work." — Twitch
L
L'Invité
It's business as usual in the polished world of French farce, where it's open season on the tasteless and the clueless; and heartless cads have the best lines. Starring Daniel Auteuil.
La Corona
Academy Award nominated short documentary about the annual beauty contest held by the inmates of Colombia's largest women's penitentiary.
La France
Winner of France's Jean Vigo Award for the year's most remarkable debut, La France mixes genres – period romance, war movie and pop album – to confoundingly pleasurable effect.
La Zona
This expert thriller set in a wealthy walled community in Mexico City packs nail-biting suspense with a scathing broadside on class war. "Riveting." — Hollywood Reporter
Lake Tahoe
This tender deadpan comedy follows 16-year-old Juan as he tries to organise a repair job on the family car he has just crashed. Selected as 'Revelation of the Year', Critics' Week Cannes 2008
Last of the Living
This ingeniously infectious Kiwi riff on Shaun of the Dead sees three bickering layabouts enlisted in a risky scheme to save the world from a zombie apocalypse.
Let the Right One In
Låt den rätte komma in
A striking original vampire movie set in a Swedish junior high school in winter 1982. "Very smart, very sweet, very sick and very special indeed." — Cinematical
Let's Say...
On dirait que...
What do kids think their parents do at work? French filmmaker Françoise Marie gets fascinating, often funny answers by having kids act out their parents' work days. "A real charmer." — Variety
Lorna's Silence
Le Silence de Lorna
Actress Arta Dobroshi is a revelation as a young Albanian woman inveigled into a treacherous scam in acclaimed Dardennes Brothers' new film. Best Screenplay, Cannes Film Festival 2008.
Lou Reed's Berlin
Director Julian Schnabel captures Lou Reed performing his 1973 album live in 2006. "Berlin gets the documentary it deserves: [it] instantly ranks as one of the great concert films ever shot." — Tribeca Film Festival
M
Mahjong
Majiang
In Yang's ferocious satire a young French girl adrift in Taipei descends into a twilight world of petty criminals, con-men, kidnappers and killers.
The Man from London
A Londoni férfi
Cult director Béla Tarr's bizarre, ominous adaptation of a Simenon detective novel unfolds in amazingly choreographed mobile camera sequences. "Mesmeric." — The Guardian
Man on Wire
This thrilling documentary recounts Frenchman Philippe Petit's 1974 attempt to walk a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre. " Exhilarating, ecstatic and toe-curlingly vertiginous... Unforgettable." — Peter Calder NZ Herald
Married Life
Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and Rachel McAdams in a Hitchcockian tale of adultery and murder, 40s style. Slyly ironic film noir by Sundance winner Ira Sachs. "Perfectly acted." — New York Film Festival
Mataharis
The notion of the female spy as glamorous femme fatale is given a reality check in this intriguing and refreshing film. "With a sharp eye for a good story... an excellent exploration of the emotional intelligence of women." — Hollywood Reporter
Max & Co
This extravagantly mounted, endlessly inventive stop-motion puppet animation should appeal to admirers of films like The Nightmare Before Christmas or Wallace & Gromit's Were-Rabbit adventure.
Mechanical Love
Compelling, disquieting and droll doco explores the development in Japan and comsumption worldwide of therapeutic robots: can robots offer a substitute for human affection?
Mongol
The legend of Genghis Khan comes to life in the festival's most lavish spectacle, an old-fashioned, giant-screen-filling epic that's both rip-roaring and romantic.
Munyurangabo
From Rwanda a delicate, poignant film about the friendship of two young men, one Hutu, the other Tutsi. "An authentically beautiful film." — Film Comment
Mutum
A shy, uncannily philosophical country boy's view of a confused grown-up world is rendered with great charm and sensitivity in this beautiful film from Brazil.
My Name Is Albert Ayler
Superb portrait if the legendary saxophonist to whom even John Coltrane yielded the stage. "The ne plus ultra of free jazz.... a cause for rejoicing." — New Yorker
My Winnipeg
Guy Maddin's portrait of his native city is intensely idiosyncratic and hilariously unreliable. " Dazzlingly imagnative, flagrantly absurd and yet clearly very heartfelt." — Sight and Sound
N
Night
This symphony of music and images celebrates life between dusk and dawn. Directed by Lawrence Johnston (Eternity) and superbly shot by legendary cinematographer Laurie McInnes. "A magical mystery tour into the nocturnal." — Variety
Night and Day
Bam gua nat
From Korea's master of irony Hong Sang-soo, this ruthlessly unsentimental comedy of manners follows a feckless Korean painter to Paris, where he screws up the lives of several fellow expats.
No End In Sight
A staggering overview of how America lost the war in Iraq with plentiful testimony from inside the Bush camp. "A mind-boggling litany of mistakes and poor judgements." — Film Comment
The Not Dead
This intense, poetic portrait of three former British soldiers afflicted by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a resounding, deeply moving experience.
Not Quite Hollywood
An affectionate, hilarious sex-and-violence studded celebration of the 'Ozploitation' films the 70s and 90s. With George Miller, Quentin Tarantino and a cast of thousands.
Note by Note: The Making of Steinway L1037
Engrossing step-by-step account of the production of a single Steinway concert grand piano. "A stirring symphony of specialized labor." — Village Voice
O
O'Horten
A Norwegian bachelor faces retirement in this charming comedy, easily the best-loved film to debut at Cannes this year. "A small wonder... luminous and deliciously funny." — LA Times
Obscene
A highly entertaining portrait of Barney Rosset, one of the most adventurous English-language publishers of the 20th century and one of the great unsung heroes of free expression.
One Hundred Nails
Centochiodi
The director of The Tree of Wooden Clogs envisages a Christ-like figure in a contemporary Italian town. "Spellbindingly innocent, magical in its tenderness." — Time Out
The Order of Myths
Filmmaker Margaret Brown find the segregated South alive and well in America's oldest Mardi Gras, in Mobile Alabama. "Vibrant and revealing." — Hollywood Reporter
The Orphanage
"A brilliant Spanish horror film... [it] is what every great horror film should be. A drama first, a fright factory second." — Financial Times. Produced by Spain's master of cinema fantasy, Guillermo del Toro.
P
Paradise
Paradiset
Hans and Kerstin have been happily married for 65 years. But can a lifetime of love stand up to a weekend of interior decorating? This charming documentary is a comic delight.
Paris
From the director of The Spanish Apartment, a mult-character cavalcade of life and death and love and the lack of it in the City of Lights. "A rich and satisfying indulgence." — UrbanCinefile.com.au
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
An intimate, lyrical portrait of punk pioneer Patti Smith. "If Patti Smith has ever mattered to you, you'll remember why when you see Dream of Life." — Film Comment
Persepolis
Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis is one of the wonders of the year, an animated feature that's more richly populated, vigorous, succinct and shrewdly funny than many a flesh-and-blood drama.
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
A rousing, affectionate biographical portrait of singer/activist Pete Seeger, now in his late 80s. "As certain to get audiences singing as the man himself." — Variety
Planet B-Boy
This exhilarating documentary brings us all the excitement of the 2005 break dancing Battle of the Year. Featuring insane performances and impossible choreography from the world's best b-boys.
Pop Skull
Welcome to the fevered dream world of Daniel, 20-something and losing the plot. "Dazzling... its hip sensibility is Lynch before he went into self parody." — Ant Timpson
R
[REC]
Zombies chomp on a reality TV crew (and others) in the horror flick of the year. "Run, escape, survive... but never stop recording."
Rain of the Children
Vincent Ward's deeply personal and incredibly moving film unravels and re-imagines the history-tossed life of Puhi, the elderly Tuhoe woman he first filmed as a young filmmaker in 1978.
The Red Balloon/White Mane
The classic romance of a Parisian boy and his huge red balloon returns with the same director's equally honoured White Mane, the tale of a country boy's passion for a beautiful wild horse.
Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story
An illuminating music-filled history of Stax Records, low-down cousin to Detroit's silkier Motown. "An essential account." — NY Times
The Return
Kathy Dudding's experimental documentary – a poetic portrait of Wellington city – intercuts her grandmother's reminiscence with lyrical images of the city today and archival imagery from the past.
Revue
Predstavlenye
This handsomely presented compilation of immaculately preserved 50s and 60s Soviet propaganda films offers unique insights into the mindset of a lost time and place.
River of No Return
Memorable and revealing encounter with Yolngu woman Frances Daingangan whose part in Ten Canoes took her from traditional tribal life to the red carpet at Cannes.
The Romance of Astrea and Céladon
Les amours d’Astrée et de Céladon
At 87, Eric Rohmer, lifelong connoisseur and satirist of the romantic misadventures of the young and self-absorbed, finds inspiration in a classic Arcadian romance.
Rubbings from a Live Man
Extravagant performing artist Warwick Broadhead recounts, re-imagines and re-enacts a life lived to the full and dogged by personal tragedy. Directed by Florian Habicht (Kaikohe Demolition).
S
Safety Last
In association with the Harold Lloyd Estate, the Festival is delighted to present a Live Cinema screening of one of the classic comedies of the silent era, accompanied on the piano by Tim Dodd.
The Savages
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are in peak form in this American black comedy as brother and sister obliged to care for their estranged father. "Terrific." — Entertainment Weekly
Secret Sunshine
Mil-yang
A young mother is tested to the limits of spiritual endurance in this award-winning Korean drama. Best Actress, Cannes Film Festival. With Song Kang-ho.
Shadow of the Holy Book
Pyhän kirjan varjo
International corporate support for the bizarre and appalling regime that controls Turkmenistan is the subject of this indecently entertaining exposé, made in Michael Mooreish style.
Sharkwater
Ecowarrior Rob Stewart's spectacular film takes us swimming with the sharks, while uncovering the multi billion-dollar shark-fin trade that puts them and the world's eco-systems at risk.
The Silence Before Bach
Die Stille vor Bach
A wonderful, inventive tribute to the great composer. "Brings Bach's music to life with a mysterious, magnificent blend of drama, documentary, and quasi-surrealist whimsy." — New Yorker
Silent Light
Stellet licht
This tale of adultery in a Mennonite community in rural Mexico has the power of a story from the Old Testament. "This is a film of grace and greatness." — Financial Times
The Sky, the Earth and the Rain
El cielo, la tierra y la lluvia
A poetic meditation on solitude, this masterful debut frames its characters within the imposing, rugged setting of a rural coastal area in Chile.
Somers Town
From the director and star of This Is England, the comic exploits of two teenage boys adrift in London. Best New British Feature, Edinburgh Film Festival 2008. "I had a perma-grin from beginning to end." — Premiere
Son of a Lion
Benjamin Gilmour's audacious docudrama was shot undercover in great secrecy and danger in Pakistan's remote Northwest Frontier. "The script hums with credibility." — Financial Times
A Song of Good
After committing a shocking crime, a young man decides to become a good person. Blackly humorous Kiwi suburban crime drama by NZ director Greg King (Christmas).
The Song of Sparrows
Avaze gonjeshk-ha
In this gentle Iranian comedy an ostrich-wrangler is tempted by easy pickings in the city. Best Actor, Berlin Film Festival 2008. "Will raise plenty of charmed smiles." — Screendaily
Sparrow
Man jeuk
A seductive tale of a gang pf hyper-stylish pickpockets and the femme fatale who takes them on, from Hong Kong's genre-twisting Johnnie To (Election, Exiled). Starring Simon Yam, Kelly Lin.
Standard Operating Procedure
Documentary auteur Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War) recounts the fruit of two years of research into events surrounding the notorious photographs from Abu Ghraib.
Stranded: I've Come from a Plane that Crashed on the Mountains
This riveting documentary strips away the sensationalism that has accrued around the survivors of the 1972 Andean air crash to reinstate their experience as one of the great instances of heroic human endurance.
Sukiyaki Western Django
From Japanese maverick Miike Takashi a violent orgasmically gonzo genre mash-up that screws around with Spaghetti Western conventions.
Surfwise
Highly entertaining portrait of 84-year-old surf legend 'Doc' Paskowitz and the nine kids he raised to live the nomadic surfing lifestyle. "Wonderfully engaging." — NY Times
Swedish Tango
Schwedischer Tango
An elderly couple's decision to learn the tango leads them far from their cosy rural village. A delightful, intimate portrait of old lovers trying crazy new things.
T
Taipei Story
Qingmei Zhuma
A young urban couple, caught between the old and new Taiwans, inexorably drift apart. "A masterpiece... the moods it conjures up are potent and indelible." — Chicago Reader
Taxi to the Dark Side
Alex Gibney's Academy Award winning documentary digs deep into the systematised abuse and outright murder of 'enemy combatants' held in American prisons.
Teak Leaves at the Temples
Traditional Javanese song and dance meet European free-jazz at the famous Borubudur Temple.
Teeth
This fiendish, black comedy-horror updates the ancient myth of 'vagina dentata' into a high-concept social satire with a razor-sharp script and outlandish gore.
Terror's Advocate
L'Avocat de la terreur
Fascinating portrait of the enigmatic lawyer who has defended the indefensible: Klaus Barbie, Carlos the Jackal, Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussain.
The Terroriser
Kongbu Fenzi
One of the greatest films of the 80s, Edward Yang's chilling existential thriller charts the havoc wreaked on a handful of lives by a prank phone call.
That Day, on the Beach
Haitan de yitian
Edward Yang's epic about the position of women in contemporary Taiwan heralded a new wave in Taiwanese film. Starring Sylvia Chang.
Three Monkeys
Üç maymun
Timecrimes
Los cronocrímenes
"An incredibly well crafted time-travel story... a tense, unstoppable vision of science and natural law gone awry." — Fantastic Fest
To Each His Own Cinema
Chacun son cinéma
A fascinating, entertaining compilation of short films about movie-going by some of the world's greatest directors: Cronenberg, Lynch, Campion, Kitano, Salles, Kiarostami, Polanski etc etc...
tom thumb
A boy no bigger than a thumb can be a hero! Grimms' fairy tales were never more upbeat that this high-spirited 1958 MGM adaptation starring Russ Tamblyn and Peter Sellers.
Trouble Is My Business
Documentary portrait of the dedicated unconventional former assistant principal responsible for student management and discipline at Aorere College in Mangere.
U
The Universe of Keith Haring
Lively, affectionate portrait of graffiti-influenced 80s artist Keith Haring, who painted on every surface he could find, including cars, walls, T-shirts and the subway.
Up the Yangtze
Beyond the tourist views of life on the soon-to-be-flooded Yangtze River. "An astonishing documentary of culture clash and the erasure of history amid China's economic miracle." — NY Times
Useless
Wu yong
The great Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhang-ke (The World, Still Life) presents an impressionistic, exquisitely shot documentary on China's (and, by implication, the world's) garment industry.
V
Vexille
Bekushiru: 2077 nippon sakoku
State-of-the-art animation and explosive big screen action from the team behind Appleseed. "Anime for the high-def generation." — Empire
The Visitor
A shy, disillusioned university professor retrieves his heart in this quiet, soulful drama from writer/director of The Station Agent. "A heartfelt human drama that sneaks up and floors you." — Rolling Stone
Vogelfrei
Fresh and engaging takes on the four ages of man from the brightest new talents of the newly emergent Latvian film industry. "Beautiful filmmaking." — The Lumiere Reader
W
Waltz with Bashir
This extraordinary animated film captures director Air Folman's struggle to recover his lost memories of what he saw and what he did during Israel's ill-fated 1980s war in Lebanon.
Water Lilies
Naissance des pieuvres
Crisply observed drama of schoolgirl crushes, jealousies and sexual exploration on a synchronised swimming team. "Very provocative and stylish." — The Guardian
The Wave
Die Welle
This cautionary tale set in a German high school outlines how fascism starts and takes hold – quickly leading to violence and devastation. "Seductive and horrifying." — Hollywood Reporter
We Can Not Exist In This World Alone
Two Bens, Ben Rivers from the UK and US-based Ben Russell, converge on the South Pacific to present a programme combining their experimental work making for a vivid varied film experience.
Welcome to the Sticks
Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis
This affectionate satire of an urban trendy transferred to a provincial town is now the most successful French film of all time.
Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell
Celebratory portrait of avant-garde musician and disco producer Arthur Russell. "A long-neglected cult musician gets his well-deserved moment in the limelight." — Screendaily
Wonderful Town
A love affair is at the centre of this haunting picture of life in a Thai coastal village after the tsunami. "A quiet, beautiful film... laden with tenderness." — indieWIRE
Y
Yella
Christian Petzold (Something to Remind Me, Wolfsburg) confirms his status as one of Germany's best young directors with this intense, off-centre thriller.
Yes, That's Me
The music does the talking in Costa Botes' affectionate portrait of Dave Murphy, Wellington blues guitar legend.
Yi Yi
A One and a Two
Young@Heart
A group of elderly choristers performs a repertoire of hipster favourites in this amazingly satisfying British documentary. "A sobering, poetic ode to joy." — New Yorker