Movie buffs rejoice! The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) is back in select cinemas around Auckland from 29 July to 9 August. Expect more than 130 films from every corner of the world, including documentaries, dramas, horror, heartbreak, history, comedy, and a healthy dose of the unhinged.
Here are a few of our top pics, see nziff.co.nz for more.
Big Girls Don’t Cry
NZIFF’s Opening Night film is a poignant and beautifully observed Kiwi coming-of-age story from exciting new filmmaker Paloma Schneideman. Set during the summer of 2006, Big Girls Don’t Cry follows 14-year-old Sid as she navigates the awkward, exhilarating territory between childhood and adulthood while holidaying near Ōmaha Beach. Featuring a breakout performance from Ani Palmer alongside Noah Taylor, the film captures the intensity of first crushes, shifting identities and the desperate desire to belong. Premiering at Sundance this year to rave reviews, this tender, funny and authentic debut announces a major new voice in Aotearoa cinema.
Body Blow
A wild, neon-lit ride through Sydney’s queer nightlife, Body Blow is a bold Australian thriller packed with style, suspense and irreverent humour. Tim Pocock stars as a police officer who goes undercover to take down glamorously evil drag queen Fat Frankie, only to find himself seduced by the freedom and temptation of the world he’s meant to expose. Blending crime caper, romance and dark comedy, the film revels in its larger-than-life characters, dazzling drag performances and high-energy atmosphere. Funny and provocative, Body Blow is a fearless crowd-pleaser that turns familiar genre conventions delightfully upside down.
Bucks Harbour
Set in a remote fishing community on the rugged coast of Maine, Bucks Harbor is a beautifully observed documentary about work, resilience and modern masculinity. Photographer-turned-filmmaker Pete Muller captures a stunning and empathetic portrait of lobster fishermen and lifelong locals navigating lives shaped by the sea. The film quietly immerses viewers in the rhythms, hardships and understated humour of a community often overlooked by the outside world. It’s an evocative snapshot of a community rich in atmosphere and humanity.
Comédie-Française
What could possibly go wrong before opening night? In this fast-paced French comedy, the answer is: absolutely everything. Set behind the scenes at the legendary Comédie-Française theatre in Paris, and featuring members of the renowned troupe playing versions of themselves, the film follows a director struggling to stage Macbeth as mishaps come thick and fast in the hours before curtain-up. Originally conceived during the pandemic, this affectionate backstage farce delivers a steady stream of laughs while celebrating the chaos and camaraderie of theatre life.
Father Mother Sister Brother
From US indie film legend Jim Jarmusch comes the Winner of Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion for best film. Father Mother Sister Brother is a collection of three stories about the awkward, often strained relationships between adult children and their parents. The absorbing triptych boasts brilliant performances from a star cast including Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling and Cate Blanchett, alongside an ensemble of up-and-comers. Known for his character-driven rather than plot-heavy storytelling style, Father Mother Sister Brother is Jarmusch’s first feature film since 2019.
Minotaur
A marriage in crisis becomes a chilling window into life in Putin’s Russia, in this acclaimed Cannes Grand Prix (second prize) winner from exiled Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev. A successful businessman finds his privileged existence under threat when he discovers his wife’s infidelity, just as local officials pressure him to help meet military recruitment targets for the Ukraine war. Inspired by a classic French thriller (The Unfaithful Wife), Minotaur blends psychological suspense with sharp political commentary, revealing how authoritarian power and corruption seep into the most private corners of everyday life.
Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant
What if an unexpected pregnancy came with tentacles, slime and an extraterrestrial father? Premiering at Sundance, Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant is a wildly inventive Kiwi comedy-horror that turns the anxieties of pregnancy and parenthood into a gloriously grotesque sci-fi adventure. Hannah Lynch stars as a directionless young woman whose life is thrown into chaos after an alien encounter leads to a rapidly developing pregnancy. Packed with practical effects, outrageous body horror and a distinctly New Zealand sense of humour, the debut feature from directing duo THUNDERLIPS is weird, funny and impossible to forget.
The Beloved
Javier Bardem, in his native Spanish, delivers one of his most powerful performances ever in this gripping drama from acclaimed Spanish director Rodrigo Sorogoyen. Bardem plays a celebrated but deeply troubled filmmaker attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter, persuading her to star in his latest film despite a history marked by anger, manipulation and abuse. As old wounds resurface, the line between artistic genius and personal cruelty comes under intense scrutiny. Anchored by Bardem’s magnetic and deeply unsettling presence, The Beloved is tense and emotionally charged.
