NZ International Film Festival set to go ‘out wide’ in Auckland

Two new venues will be among the eight cinemas to show films at the New Zealand International Film Festival this year.

Traditionally held in the central city, festival director Bill Gordon announced that this year organisers are set to “take the festival out wide” in Auckland.

With funding and support from ATEED, blockbusters and Bollywood features will this year screen at Event Cinemas in Manukau and Westgate, a move which Mr Gordon says will encourage inclusivity in the festival community.

“It’s really exciting to be able to spread the festival outside the central city and away from its really well established constituency.”

The announcement came last night at the launch of the 2016 festival programme held at Auckland’s Rialto Cinemas.

With three films from the festival screening in separate cinemas for the occasion, industry insiders could choose from comedy Everybody Wants Some!!, thriller Green Room and documentary Life Animated.

Ant Timpson, programmer for the festival’s Incredibly Strange selection, took the opportunity to pay tribute to Green Room star Anton Yelchin, who passed away yesterday, prior to the screening.

“My morbid sense of humour, the first thing I thought of was, 'Why can’t horrible accidents happen to people like Trump instead of really gifted actors taken before their prime?'

"Tonight’s screening is going to be rather emotional for some people, but I highly recommend the film.”

With 23 films confirmed, 11 titles come straight from the Cannes Film Festival, including Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake.

The full NZIFF Auckland programme will be available on the website from today, and tickets are on sale from Friday, June 24 from Ticketmaster.