International Talent Arrives In Auckland For Doc Edge Festival

Doc Edge is delighted to host a group of international representatives in Tāmaki Makaurau from the May 24 to June 2 for selected films making their World and Asia/Pacific premieres in the 18th annual festival.

Guests arriving for world premieres are:

American Director David Novak, Producer Janice Englehart and subjects of the film All Static & Noise Jewher (Juer Yilihamu) & Abduweli (Weli Ayup) are available June 1 – June 9. This powerful film exposes the mass atrocities committed by the Chinese government against the Uyghur and Kazakh minorities in Western China. The film highlights the moral dilemma faced by those who want to speak out against the state-sponsored oppression but fear the safety of their families. TRAILER HERE

Oscar and BAFTA winning Director Carol Dysinger is available May 29 – June 12. Dysinger spent 15 years in and out of Afghanistan capturing stories of America’s longest war. An investigation into the shooting of a young boy in Kabul triggered the making of One Bullet, an intimate exploration of one civilian casualty. What begins as procedural turns into something more intimate as Dysinger and the boy's mother become friends, despite everything that should divide them. But then come the Taliban. TRAILER HERE

Irish co-Director Stephen Gerard Kelly spent six years living with, understanding and cinematically filming issues facing vulnerable communities in Beirut. He is available on May 31 – June 5 to talk about his film In the Shadow of Beirut. The film is a portrait of modern-day Lebanon as seen through the eyes of four families living in the impoverished Sabra and Shatila neighbourhoods of the city, the scene of an infamous massacre in 1982.

Danish Director Thor F Jensen & Producer Dr Sophie Pascoe are available 28 May – 10 June. Jensen’s film Sailau follows his adventure with three Papua New Guinean master sailors as they set off on a world-first circumnavigation of the island of New Guinea in a traditional Papuan sailing canoe. TRAILER HERE

Guests arriving for Asia/Pacific premieres are:

Esteemed Australian director Celeste Greer arrives 24 May for the opening night screening of her film The Endangered Generation? Narrated by Laura Dern this visually stunning film explores the impact of climate change on cultural heritage and traditions. Through interviews with scientists, environmental activists, and cultural leaders, Geer delivers an urgent plea to reconsider our actions. Subjects in the film New Zealanders Joseph Michaels and Dr Daniel Hikuroa (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Whanaunga, Pākehā) are also available for interviews alongside the director. TRAILER HERE

Romanian director Tunde Skovran is available May 24 – June 3. Her debut documentary is titled Who I Am Not. The film gives voice to the long ignored and mostly silent two percent of the world’s population: the intersex community. She says “Who I Am Not is born out of a long research period, during which I worked with people living different intersex experiences. They took the risk to embark with me on a challenging, emotional journey. TRAILER HERE

US Director Matthieu Rytz is available From May 31. Produced and narrated by Jason Momoa, Deep Rising delves into the pressing issue of deep-sea mining and its destructive impact on the environment. Rytz provides a rare insight into the secretive world of the corporations that are extracting valuable metals from the ocean floor, with the help of cutting-edge technology. TRAILER HERE

Producer Margie Bryant is available 1-4 June. She has worked alongside Director Janine Hosking on Knowing the Score. The film follows the career of trailblazing Australian conductor Simone Young who has broken barriers and conquered the most male-dominated profession of conducting opera and classical music. Young has achieved many firsts in her career but is now tired of being constantly labelled as a "woman" conductor. TRAILER HERE

Samoan & Chilean street dancer Gabriela Quinsacara is available Friday 2 June and can do in-studio performances of her unique combination of popping and Samoan traditional dance movements. Gabi is one of the main subjects in Luke Cornish’s documentary, Keep Stepping. The film provides a view into the world of street dance, a gruelling mix of athleticism and artistic expression, often marginalised by the mainstream as a mere curiosity. TRAILER HERE

Manish Chauhan, the subject of US directors Leslie Shampaine and Pip Gilmour’s film Call Me Dancer is available May 31 – June 5 (Also available for in-studio performances on wooden/sprung floors). The film follows this talented street dancer from Mumbai whose parents' insistence is that he follow a traditional path. While he is determined to be a professional dancer, the odds are stacked against him. 

TRAILER HERE 

ENDS

Tickets for the festival are on sale now and can be purchased through the festival’s website. For more information and updates, visit docedge.nz and follow Doc Edge on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

2023 KEY DATES
Auckland Festival: 24 May – 5 June, The Capitol Cinema
Wellington Festival: 7 – 18 June, The Roxy Cinema
Virtual Festival Nationwide: 19 June – 9 July