First Film Festival Announcements for 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday 16 May

First Film Festival Announcements for 2013

The New Zealand International Film Festival today revealed the first six films confirmed for the 2013 programme.

World premieres of four New Zealand films have been announced, with further titles to be announced in June.

“These four early film confirmations give us great confidence about this year’s New Zealand programme. Once again we can only be humbled by the immense commitment of local filmmakers who have dedicated vast swathes of their time to getting the world on film, and have done it so persuasively,” says NZIFF Director Bill Gosden.

Antarctica: A Year on Ice

Director Anthony Powell has spent nine winters in Antarctica. A self-taught photographer, Anthony has built his own equipment to survive the harsh conditions and capture stunning time-lapse imagery. A Year on Ice shows us a part of the world most will never discover, in breath-taking hi-definition.

The Deadly Ponies Gang

Director Zoe McIntosh has found the Flight of the Conchords’ long-lost country cousins in Clint and Dwayne, the two members of the Deadly Ponies Gang, who talk of picking up ‘chicks’ on their blinged-out horses. Auckland’s legendary Golden Dawn stars as the venue for Dwayne’s false teeth fundraising gig.

Gardening with Soul

Director Jess Feast (Cocaine and Communists) joins Sister Loyola at the Home of Compassion in Island Bay, Wellington. Sister Loyola, a NZ Gardener of the Year, continues to tend to the community garden she established, now in her 90s, whilst providing refreshingly candid reflections on life and religion.

Soul in the Sea

Director Amy Taylor travelled to Whakatane after seeing media reports of a friendly lone dolphin named Moko. She spent the next six months documenting Moko’s time with the community, getting to know his friends and detractors.

Two American films have also been announced to have their New Zealand premieres at NZIFF:

Dirty Wars

USA 2013

Director Rick Rowley

Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill has produced this explosive documentary with director Rick Rowley about the secret ‘wars’ of the US’s Joint Special Operations unit. Scahill’s book of the same title is being released this week.

Upstream Color

USA 2013

Director Shane Carruth

The year’s most tantalising cinematic whatsit comes nine years after writer, director, musician, editor, producer and star Shane Carruth first amazed audiences with his no-budget time-travel riddle Primer. The narrative, which defies detailed synopsis, concerns the uncanny merging of two lost souls, strangers, both utterly contemporary urban figures.

“A vision as vast and as natural as it is reflexively cinematic and fiercely compassionate.” — Richard Brody, New Yorker

NZIFF dates for 2013 are confirmed for the following regions:

Auckland 18 July – 4 August

Wellington 26 July – 11 August

Christchurch 1 – 18 August

Dunedin 8 – 25 August

Gore 14 – 25 August

Palmerston North 15 August – 1 September

Hamilton 22 August – 15 September

Nelson 28 August – 15 September

Tauranga 12 – 29 September

Masterton 16 – 30 October

Hawke’s Bay 16 October – 3 November

New Plymouth 24 October – 6 November

The programme for NZIFF Auckland will be announced on Monday 24 June and for NZIFF Wellington on Thursday 27 June. Tickets will be on sale in Auckland from Friday 28 June, and in Wellington from Tuesday 2 July from Ticketek. For Festival updates visit www.nziff.co.nz and register to receive e-newsletters.
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