News

Following NZIFF 2022, we put our big festival pants on and asked you a big question: Do you like us? And if so, how much? And if not, why not? Almost 1000 of you took the time to complete our 2022 survey – THANK YOU! Your feedback is invaluable to us for planning future festivals and we’re grateful to receive it – the good, the bad and the ugly (fortunately for us, there was not so much ugly!).

You said it: Satisfaction

Over 88% of you were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with NZIFF 2022, with only 0.82% of respondents ‘very dissatisfied’ with the festival. It ain’t a perfect score, but we think that’s VERY encouraging, especially following two consecutive years of festivals severely impacted by the Covid pandemic.

“A+ incredible event”

“There was such a buzz at every screening!”

“Brilliant. Highlight of my year. This year the festival felt even more special.”

“I LOVE the FF! It's the one main thing I look forward to every year…I always have interesting experiences and learn something. It's well organised and I've learnt that it's pretty consistent from year to year.”

You said it: Our programme

There was much love for our 2022 programme (tip

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We're pleased to announce the winner of this year's Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts Wellington UNESCO City of Film Award for Best Film ($3000 cash prize) is Smog, directed by Alex Liu.

The award was presented to Liu at The Roxy Cinema, Wellington on Saturday 13 August following a screening of the competition’s six finalists’ films. The competition was judged by a three-member jury featuring broadcaster Claudette Hauiti, screenplay writer Tere Harrison and Māoriland producer Matilda Poase.

The jury said: “A multi-layered non-linear approach to a challenging kaupapa of tukino wāhine, me tukino whenua (domestic violence). The treatment of taiao and wahine were inextricably entwined and to abuse one is to abuse the other.”

The jury also awarded a Special Mention to the film A Morning with Aroha, written and directed by Nicholas Riini.

The jury said: “The joyous spirit of aroha is shared by a kotiro who experiences bullying. But aroha conquers all.”

In addition to Liu and Riini, Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts film competition’s 2022 finalists are Karin Williams (Burning of the Gods), Morag Brownlie (Perfect Storm), Jade Jackson (Raids), and Tajim Mohammed-Kapa (The Difference Between Pipi & Pūpū).

The six finalist films were selected by Ngā Whanaunga

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The winners of our 11th annual New Zealand’s Best short film competition’s jury-awarded prizes were announced this evening, with the accolades presented live following a sold-out screening of the five finalists’ films at ASB Waterfront in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Director Bala Murali Shingade’s film Perianayaki earned him both the Flicks Award for Best Short Film (a cash prize of $7500) and the Creative New Zealand Emerging Talent Award (a cash prize of $4000), an award presented to a fresh voice: filmmaking that gives life to stories of those less often represented in film, or that speaks to new or existing audiences in different ways. Perianayaki actor Jeyagowri Sivakumaran’s performance also earned a Special Mention.

The Auckland Live Spirit of The Civic Award (a cash-prize of $4000), awarded to a filmmaker whose work indicates the possibility of a feature made by them being of the stature and quality to open a Festival at Auckland’s The Civic in the future, was awarded to Trees directors Ben Bryan and Tom Scott. 

The awards were judged by a three-member jury featuring filmmaker and writer Tim Wong, filmmaker and past Best Short Film award-winner Chelsie Preston-Crayford and Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall. 

“As a jury, we acknowledge

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Film directors Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine (Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song) will lead a Masterclass for filmmakers in Auckland and Wellington as part of NZIFF 2022. 

NZIFF is delighted to welcome Dan and Dayna back to New Zealand to present these Masterclasses designed for industry practitioners, thanks to an Artistic Development Partnership with Creative New Zealand and in association with the Directors & Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ).

The Auckland Masterclass will take place on Saturday 6 August and the Wellington Masterclass takes place on Wednesday 10 August and is supported by Wellington UNESCO City of Film.

Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine will take filmmakers inside their craft and uncover how their filmmaking process shifts from project to project.

For more than 25 years, the Emmy-award winning directors-producers have created critically-acclaimed multi-character documentary narratives that braid their characters’ individual personal stories to form a larger portrait of the human experience.

In addition to Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song, their credits include acclaimed The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden (NZIFF 2014), the award-winning Something Ventured (NZIFF 2011) and Ballets Russes (NZIFF 2006). Dan and Dayna were admitted to the Documentary Branch of The Academy

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Tickets for NZIFF 2022 in Auckland are NOW on sale!

Find all the details on how to book your tickets HERE. We recommend you book early to secure your seats.

Ticketing links can be found on the film pages or on the schedule page.

To purchase multiple films in a single transaction, click HERE and load up your shopping cart before checking out.

Note: Due to changes in Ticketmaster's services, we are not able to offer a NZIFF Wishlist to Shopping Cart integration this year.

10-Trips are available to purchase in advance and can be redeemed online. Find out more about how to redeem your 10-Trip pass HERE