NZIFF 2026: Previewing what's ahead for the NZ Film Festival

The 2026 version of the New Zealand International Film Festival is back, kicking off in Auckland at the end of July before heading around various centres.

As usual, there's a smorgasbord of cinema ahead for cinephiles - including some of the big hitters from Cannes 2026.

Here's just some of what you can see - for more, visit nziff.co.nz

This year's opening night film is coming of age tale Big Girls Don't Cry.

Big Girls Don't Cry.

It’s the summer school holidays of 2006 and stormy 14-year-old Sid (Ani Palmer) is desperate to reinvent herself. She lives with her dad (Noah Taylor) and older sister (Tara Canton) in a rural town near Ōmaha, New Zealand, the usually-sleepy beach destination that, during the summer, brings an influx of holidaymakers — a fresh audience for Sid’s performance of her ideal self. 

Another centrepiece film is Lomu, the tale of Kiwi rugby legend Jonah Lomu.

Born in South Auckland as a first-generation Tongan and son of a minister, Jonah would transcend his humble beginnings and become rugby's first real international superstar.

However, it was his childhood in the Kingdom of Tonga that was his foundation, and the film brings looks at his formative years, with personal photos and videos, as well as interviews with his mum Hepi and brother John, to trace his origin story.

The big winner from Cannes, Fjord, also receives its New Zealand premiere.

Fjord

A divisive talking point at the festival even before it took its top award, Cristian Mungiu’s story of a conservative immigrant family under institutional suspicion is a barbed interrogation of liberal Nordic attitudes.

The Gheorghiu family have relocated from Romania, the homeland of the father Mihai (Sebastian Stan), to a village in Norway, where the mother Lisbet (Renate Reinsve) is from. The devout evangelical couple are soon questioning the move after they fall under the scrutiny of neighbours and care workers who suspect them of child abuse after their daughter turns up at school with bruises. 

The film draws on real-life custody cases that sparked intense international debate and protest over whether Norwegian child protection services were doing a model job in harm prevention, or whether intolerance cuts both ways and can be a blind spot for progressives.

The long-awaited Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, a sure-to-be cult classic for horror fans. 

American director Jane Schoenbrun's latest flick opened the prestigious Un Certain Regard section at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and went on to win the coveted Queer Palm.

A surreal meta-slasher that blends horror, romance and film-industry satire, the film stars Hannah Einbinder as a young filmmaker tasked with reviving the Camp Miasma franchise, and Gillian Annderson as the reclusive actress who played the ‘final girl’ in the original movie. Along the way, expect blood splatters galore, teenage horniness, and a killer wearing a ceiling vent mask. 

Stephen Graham's shocking The Good Boy also plays. It's a twisted tale of an obnoxious teen who’s taught some unconventional lessons and is not to be confused with Good Boy, the tale of a dog trying to save its owner from a haunting. Alpha is a pandemic dystopia from celebrated French body horror maestro Julia Ducournau, and Sydney’s neon-soaked queer underworld comes to light in Aussie crime thriller, Body Blow. 

The Good Boy

Also on the list so far, Indonesian horror-comedy Ghost in the Cell turns a prison block into a splatter fest, adult animation Jim Queen and the Quest for Chloroqueer pokes a stick at queer gym culture, and I Want Your Sex, the sizzling latest from indie director Gregg Araki, explores the dark side of the LA art world as a fresh-faced young intern is sucked into a wicked and murderous power game.

And there are also some films for the young-at-heart, as well as the younger members of the audience.

Kiri and Lou Go Raaa!

After seven years of friendship captured across 104 episodes, Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! takes us back to the very beginning, telling the story of how Kiri, a feisty little dinosaur, and Lou, a gentle and sensitive ‘palorchecie’, became the unlikeliest of best friends – in their biggest adventure yet.  

Featuring the voices of Jemaine Clement and Olivia Tennet, with music by Don McGlashan, Kiri and Lou is quietly one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most successful franchises. From Nickelodeon to the BBC, the series has broken into children’s programming lineups alongside shows like Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, and Bluey, picking up a BAFTA nomination along the way.  

Murray Ball's iconic Footrot Flats gets a 40th anniversary outing.

40 years ago, New Zealand’s most loved cartoon strip was adapted into our first-ever animated feature and the result broke the box office and captured the hearts of a far more innocent nation.

The 4K remaster is set in the fictional rural town of Raupo, Ball’s film (from a script he co-penned with fellow cartoonist Tom Scott) focuses on establishing the origins of fan-favourite characters Dog and Wal’, along with a host of other recurring characters from the cartoon strips, including nature-loving neighbour Cooch Windgrass, farmhand Rangi, Wal’s niece Pongo, the villainous Murphy’s from an adjacent farm and of course Dog’s animal companions – love interest Jess, Major the pigdog, and Horse (Wal’s seemingly indestructible cat.)

There are also a raft of international and local guests attending the event.

International guests

Abinash Bikram Shah

Director of Elephants in the Fog

Screenings:

Auckland – Sunday 9 August, 3:45 p.m. at Academy Cinemas

Christchurch – Wednesday 12 August, 5:45 p.m. at Lumière Cinemas (Bernhardt)

Christchurch – Thursday 13 August, 10:00 a.m. at Lumière Cinemas (Bardot)

Wellington – Friday 14 August, 6:00 p.m. at Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Cinema

Wellington – Saturday 15 August, 3:55 p.m. at Light House Cinema Cuba

James J. Robinson

Director of First Light

Screenings:

Auckland – Thursday 6 August, 1:15 p.m. at Rialto Cinemas Newmarket

Auckland – Friday 7 August, 6:00 p.m. at Academy Cinemas

Sophie Hyde

Director of Jimpa

Screenings:

Auckland – Saturday 1 August 2:45 p.m. at The Civic

Auckland – Sunday 2 August, 1:15 p.m. at Bridgeway

Kai Stänicke

Director of Trial of Hein

Screenings:

Auckland – Saturday 8 August, 6:00 p.m. at Academy Cinemas

Christchurch – Thursday 13 August, 6:00 p.m. at Lumière Cinemas (Bernhardt)

Christchurch – Friday 14 August, 10:30 a.m. at Lumière Cinemas (Bardot)

Wellington – Saturday 15 August, 5:30 p.m. at Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Cinema

Wellington – Sunday 16 August, 8:15 p.m. at Light House Cinema Cuba

Warwick Thornton

Director of Wolfram

Screenings:

Auckland – Thursday 30 July, 6:30 p.m. at The Civic

Auckland – Friday 31 July, 11:00 a.m. at Academy Cinemas

New Zealand guests

Gwen Isaac

Director of Be Merry

Screenings:

Auckland – Sunday 2 August, 10:00 a.m. at SkyCity Theatre

Wellington – Saturday 22 August, 3:30 p.m. at Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Cinema

Wellington – Sunday 23 August, 12:30 p.m. at Light House Cinema Petone

Paloma Schneideman

Director of Big Girls Don’t Cry

Screenings:

Auckland – Wednesday 29 July, 7:00 p.m. at The Civic

Auckland – Friday 31 July, 3:45 p.m. at Academy Cinemas

Christchurch – Thursday 6 August, 7:00 p.m. at Lumière Cinemas (Bernhardt)

Christchurch – Thursday 6 August, 7:30 p.m. at Lumière Cinemas (Bardot)

Wellington – Wednesday 12 August, 7:00 p.m. at The Embassy

Wellington – Thursday 13 August, 4:00 p.m. at Light House Cinema Cuba

Dunedin – Friday 14 August, 7:00 p.m. at Regent Theatre

Pietra Brettkelly and The Critics

Directors of Crocodile

Screenings:

Auckland – Sunday 2 August, 6:15 p.m. at SkyCity Theatre

Wellington – Monday 24 August, 6:15 p.m. at The Embassy

Wellington – Tuesday 25 August, 4:00 p.m. at Light House Cinema Cuba

Pat Cox

Producer of Footrot Flats: The Dog’s Tale

Screenings:

Auckland – Saturday 1 August, 6:30 p.m. at SkyCity Theatre

Kieran Charnock and Jonathan Watt

Directors of In Search of My Moehau

Screenings:

Auckland – Friday 31 July, 9:00 p.m. at Hollywood Avondale

Wellington – Thursday 20 August, 8:00 p.m. at Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Cinema

Masterton – Wednesday 9 September, 8:00 p.m. at The Screening Room

Harry Sinclair

Director of Kiri and Lou Go Raaa!

Screenings:

Auckland – Saturday 8 August, 10:00 a.m. at The Civic

Wellington – Saturday 15 August, 10:00 a.m. at The Embassy

Christchurch – Sunday 23 August, 10:30 a.m. at the Isaac Theatre Royal

Gerd Pohlmann

Director of Last Man Standing

Screenings:

Auckland – Saturday 1 August, 3:30 p.m. at SkyCity Theatre

Christchurch – Friday 14 August, 2:00 p.m. at Lumière Cinemas (Bernhardt)

Christchurch – Saturday 15 August, 3:00 p.m. at Jack Mann Theatre

Wellington – Sunday 16 August, 2:15 p.m. at The Embassy

Wellington – Monday 17 August, 10:30 a.m. at Light House Cinema Petone

Vea Mafile’o

Director of Lomu

Screenings:

Auckland – Saturday 1 August, 5:30 p.m. at The Civic

Wellington - Saturday 15 August, 5:45 p.m. at The Embassy

Sean Wallace and Jordan Mark Windsor known as THUNDERLIPS

Directors of Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant

Screenings:

Auckland – Friday 7 August, 8:45 p.m. at The Civic

Wellington – Friday 21 August, 8:15 p.m. at The Embassy

Mark Papalii

Director of My Humble Friend, Fonoti Pati Umaga

Screenings:

Auckland – Saturday 1 August, 10:00 a.m. at SkyCity Theatre

Wellington – Saturday 15 August, 3:00 p.m. at Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Cinema

Peter Terry

Producer of Nambassa Festival

Screenings:

Auckland – Sunday 2 August, 9:00 p.m. at SkyCity Theatre

Robert Sarkies

Director of Out of the Blue

Screenings:

Auckland – Friday 31 July, 6:15 p.m. at Hollywood Avondale

Dunedin – Sunday 16 August, 7:30 p.m. at Regent Theatre

Wellington – Monday 17 August, 8:30 p.m. at The Embassy

Conor Bowden

Director of The Ungrateful Tenant

Screenings:

Auckland – Thursday 30 July, 7:00 p.m. at Hollywood Avondale

Wellington – Friday 21 August, 6:15 p.m. at Roxy Cinemas

Ryan Alexander Lloyd

Director of Uncle

Screenings:

Auckland – Saturday 1 August, 8:45 p.m. at SkyCity Theatre

Christchurch – Tuesday 18 August, 5:45 p.m. at Lumière Cinemas (Bernhardt)

Wellington – Wednesday 19 August, 6:15 p.m. at Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts Cinema

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Donald Glover, Brie Larson
Director: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

The sequel to The Super Mario Bros Movie from 2023 is finally here.

One of the biggest animated films of all times in terms of box office gross, the latest has a lot riding on it. Once again, Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt appears as Mario and Charlie Day is the mustachioed brother Luigi.

When Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) is kidnapped by Bowser Jr (Safdie) and whisked away to the Space Junk Galaxy, Princess Peach (Joy), Mario and Luigi - along with newcomer Yoshi (Glover) and the shrunken original Bowser (Black) head off to rescue her - and for Bowser to reunite with his son.

There's very little that really happens in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a film that seems to exist to expand the Mario universe and to pay homage to some of the Mario nostalgia.

In fairness, a few of those "remember this?" heavy moments land pretty well, and there's a nice robot riff on Zootopia's sloth DMV workers, but much of this feels like soulless frenetic box-ticking for Nintendo fans.

Despite some incredible animation here, there's certainly not the emotional edge you'd be expecting and despite the two Princesses looking like Elsa and Anna from Frozen, there's no real feeling of history here at all. It's a disappointment to say the least and it all ends up feeling distinctly "meh" rather than "Mario".

Dune: Awakening details revealed

Funcom Releases Dune: Awakening Console Deep Dive, Announces Physical Edition

With console launch on September 22^nd, Funcom teams up with Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe and Solutions 2 GO Inc. to put the PlayStation 5 release of Dune: Awakening on shelves – yes, with a disc inside

 

Developer and publisher Funcom® has released a new video that dives into the topic of just what players can expect when Dune: Awakening finally releases on PlayStation 5 and XBOX on September 22^nd, including single-player, scalable difficulty and game customization, an epic story finale, and more. 

Already out on PC, Dune: Awakening is an Open World Survival game inspired by Frank Herbert’s Dune and Denis Villeneuve and Legendary Entertainment’s blockbuster franchise. The PlayStation 5 version will be available in Physical version in retail stores across Australia and New Zealand.

 

Funcom is also excited to announce that the PlayStation 5 version of Dune: Awakening will be available as a physical edition from September 22^nd. The studio is teaming up with Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe for a retail release across Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, and with Solutions 2 GO Inc. for North and South America. The game will also be released in retail in Japan, with a publisher to be announced later.

“September 22^nd isn’t just putting the game on consoles. It’s a major milestone for us, the second launch of Dune: Awakening across PC, PlayStation 5, and XBOX,” said Funcom CEO Rui Casais. “For more than a year now we have expanded and enhanced Dune: Awakening on PC and all these additions, as well as several new ones, will be available on all platforms on day one. This is the best version of Dune: Awakening yet and we’re excited to open it up to a much larger audience across platforms. Teaming up with strong partners around the world to put it on shelves everywhere is another great way for us to bring more survivors to the dangerous sands of Arrakis.”

The digital PlayStation 5 and XBOX versions of Dune: Awakening have been available for pre-order on the PlayStation Store and XBOX Store since June 2^nd. Starting today, you can also pre-order the physical PlayStation 5 version from select retailers including Amazon, GameStop, EB Games, and more. In Japan, the game is expected to release in October, with pre-orders commencing soon.

With the third installment in Denis Villeneuve’s epic Dune saga will hit theatres on December 18^th, the physical PlayStation 5 edition is also the perfect holiday gift for Dune fans everywhere. 

 

Console editions and pre-order incentives:

• Physical: PlayStation 5 base game edition. For a limited time only, it includes the exclusive Terrarium of Muad’Dib that you can place in your base and a global color swatch.
• Digital: Base game, Deluxe Edition, and Ultimate Edition available on PlayStation Store and XBOX Store. Pre-ordering any edition includes the Terrarium of Muad’Dib and the global color swatch, and pre-ordering Deluxe or Ultimate also provides a 5-day head start. The Deluxe and Ultimate Edition includes a slew of in-game content including DLCs, armor, and building pieces.

 

Highlights of what’s coming with the September release:

• Console: Same experience as on PC, with controls and UI optimized for console. 60fps target for both PlayStation 5 and XBOX Series X (Performance Mode).
• Single-player: The full game can now be played entirely in single-player, with scalable difficulty and a wide range of gameplay customization settings.
• Story complete: The grand finale of Book One, offering a dramatic conclusion to Dune: Awakening’s cinematic storyline. Play it from start to finish.
• Scalable difficulty: Tweak everything from harvesting rates to experience gain and combat difficulty. In single-player and private servers, you’re in control.

New players on PC and console will also get to enjoy all the additions and improvements that have been rolled out on PC since launch, including fully optional PvP, a bigger and better late game loop, new content including new locations and missions, and countless quality of life improvements.

 

For a full overview of everything coming in the September release, and what has been added and improved since PC launch, please check out DuneAwakening.com.

At its core, Dune: Awakening is an Open World Survival game, where you must rise from survival to greatness through exploration, combat, crafting, and building. But it’s also so much more, incorporating an epic, cinematic storyline, adventure and RPG mechanics, and several ways to play whether it’s in single-player, on a private or self-hosted server with friends, or in large-scale multiplayer on official servers. How you play is up to you.

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Elvis Presley

Director: Baz Luhrmann

There's no denying the electricity of Elvis Presley in director Baz Luhrmann's latest attempt to continue the King's legacy.

It's clear he's not left the building as Luhrmann mines some 50 hours worth of footage of Presley playing a series of concerts in Las Vegas in what feels like the perfect companion piece to the 2022 biopic which starred Austin Butler.

Cross-cutting performances, throwing together backstage rehearsals and just generally mining the 1970s popularity of Elvis works wonders - up to a point.

Beginning with a quick run-through of where the King came from, the energetic doco format seems to be the traditional winner at the start of this. Elvis is decried by those who believe he's Satan in a jumpsuit because of his dance moves, he narrates his own boredom at the tedium of his Hollywood career that became a cookie-cutter version of his first-ever success and he promises to shake up his career with his Vegas residency in the 1970s.

It's all very familiar fare - and yet, when Luhrmann simply lets the camera capture the sheer charisma and presence of Presley, it becomes something that's a singular concert experience - even if it does appear to want to be spliced together by modern technology, close-ups and cross-cutting between some 10 concerts that were recorded for posterity - and then lost.

Granted, there's a technical adeptness in the way Luhrmann switches effortlessly between appearances, and he even gives the backing band time to shine, but he can't help himself from some editorialising, which detracts from the overall feeling.

The first mention of Colonel Parker, Presley's handler, is a voiceover that stands atop footage of someone holding a gun to Elvis' head in a film; and footage of his wife Priscilla is set to a live rendition of Always On My Mind. There's a clear bias here, which isn't really needed.

And yet, cynicism aside, this is a very real, very impressive and just a joyous musical experience that seems in keeping with what the King would have wanted. Along with comedic asides and genuine banter backstage and on stage itself, Presley proves here why he still has the power and sway.

From the white-jumpsuit version of Suspicious Minds that's become infamous to the speeded-up Hound Dog and plenty of other hits like Burning Love, you'd have to be dead to not tap your toes to this.

EPiC is an enjoyable enough experience; and if you're a King fan, it's essential viewing. But Luhrmann's desire to be a little too clever occasionally takes you away from the spotlight of the King - and that's a crying shame.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy: HBO Max Review

Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, with Veronica Falcón.
Director: Lee Cronin

The latest iteration of the horror franchise takes on new meaning with the director of Evil Dead Rise at the helm.

The young daughter Katie of a journalist disappears into the Egyptian desert without a trace. Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

There's a vicious nastiness in Lee Cronin's vision for the return of The Mummy and its something that's as insidious as it is upsetting.

But Cronin deploys a devilishly slow build-up to events that uses a plethora of nightmarish imagery, tropes and ancient mythology to create an atmosphere of extreme unease throughout.

From child-catcher grooming to Exorcist moments and Evil Dead homages, the film revels in its horror edges and its desire to take things seriously and studiously pays off in swathes.

Creaking, cracking sounds, a teeth-chattering husk of a seemingly locked-in child - this is a movie that employs a soundscape that's at another level in setting you om edge.

Yet once again Cronin uses the fracture between sisters (as he did in Evil Dead Rise) to make for truly upsetting moments and tensions throughout.

With dry, arid vistas and an oppressive palette mixing with extreme close-ups, there's no way to escape the claustrophobia of what's on screen. And thankfully, the film stays away from the camera excesses of the Brendan Fraser boys' own style romps that spawned a swathe of nostalgia.

It's not all perfect - a wake teeters very closely on going OTT rather than using chills and Jack Reynor's performance as the dad who was the last to see his daughter isn't quite as compelling as it could be.

But for the large part, the 'We need to talk about Katie' mentality works terrifically well and the idea of how a family curse manifests is fascinating and horrifying to behold.

Dark, disgusting and devilish, Lee Cronin's The Mummy is an absolute frightfest that will haunt your early morning hours long after you've seen it - whether you want it to or not.

Project Hail Mary lands on Prime Video on July 3

After a record-breaking run in cinemas and with audiences, the Ryan Gosling-led Project Hail Mary finally lands on streaming on Prime Video from July 3.

Science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction… but an unexpected friendship means he may not have to do it alone.

 

Directed by: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Screenplay by: Drew Goddard

Based on the novel by: Andy Weir

Produced by: Amy Pascal, p.g.a., Ryan Gosling, p.g.a., Phil Lord, p.g.a., Christopher Miller, p.g.a., Aditya Sood, p.g.a., Rachel O’Connor, p.g.a., Andy Weir

Executive Producers: Patricia Whitcher, Lucy Winn Kitada, Nikki Baida, Ken Kao, Drew Goddard, Sarah Esberg

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, Priya Kansara