NZIFF programme launch

The New Zealand International Film Festival has announced a mix of international and local filmmakers that will visit this year’s festival, starting on July 14. The Festival also confirmed this year’s Live Cinema event.

US documentary maker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) will attend Auckland screenings of his latest film POM Wonderful presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Spurlock’s film explores the phenomenon of product placement in film, with the film itself funded entirely by product placement.

“Last year Entourage star Adrian Grenier, visited New Zealand with his film Teenage Paparazzo creating immense buzz and excitement. Morgan Spurlock’s presence at the screening of his film POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold will undoubtedly also prove to be one of the liveliest Q&A events at the Festival this year. I would book early for this one.” says Festival director Bill Gosden.

Also travelling from America is Ti West, director of The Innkeepers, which features in Ant Timpson’s Incredibly Strange section of the Festival programme.

Expat director, Sally Rowe, will be presenting her documentary A Matter of Taste: Serving up Paul Liebrandt, which she filmed over a 10 year period. Paul Liebrandt was the youngest chef ever to receive a three-star review from the New York Times.

Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel and lead actor Daniel Henshall will be present for Q&As at their screenings of Snowtown. The film is based on the true story of Australian serial killer John Bunting, who committed 11 gruesome murders between 1992 and 1999. Snowtown received a Special Distinction prize at the Critic’s Week at Cannes.

Local filmmakers, Florian Habicht (Love Story), Annie Goldson (Brother Number One), Costa Botes (Daytime Tiger) and Park Kiyong (Moving) will all be in Auckland for their World Premiere screenings.

One of the big announcements at the Auckland programme launch held last night was the Live Cinema event, Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horrors. Marc Taddei will conduct the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra on July 31, the final day of Auckland leg of the NZ International Film Festival.

“To see F.W Murnau’s Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horrors, at the mighty Civic theatre with Timothy Brock’s beautiful score performed live by the APO is a rare treat. The film may be 89 years old but Max Schreck’s performance as Count Orlok still counts as one of the most iconic horror performances of all time.” says Gosden.

Media Release: NZIFF