NZ Film Festival goes regional....

NZ Film Festival goes regional

The New Zealand International may have finished in the main centres for 2012 but it continues to roll out to the regions. I caught up with festival director Bill Gosden to get his thoughts on the year just gone - and also to see what the regions can look forward to this year - and what they shouldn't miss out on.

1)      So that’s the end of Auckland and Wellington (and Dunedin) for another year, how’s the festival been - both in terms of sales and experience?Sales exceeded 101,000 in Auckland and we’ve got to be happy about that. We were down 1,000 in Wellington which we attribute largely to the exact coincidence of the Olympics and a general air of caution pervading the capital. Dunedin has been great this year, 2,000 admits ahead of 2011.

2)      What have been the highlights for the main centres?Moonrise Kingdom, West of Memphis, Cabin in the Woods, The Angels’ Share, No, Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Marley, From Up on Poppy Hill, and in Auckland, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra Live Cinema.

3)      Which films do you think these audiences missed out on and that the regional centres shouldn’t miss out on?
In the Fog, the Imposter, Sleepless Night, Pictures of Susan, Shut Up and Play the Hits and The Red House have proven completely engaging – to smaller audiences than we felt they deserved.


4)      How do you think audiences differ as the festival tours the country?Because attending the festival there requires so much more effort than elsewhere, the Auckland audience is the most intensely focussed. Many Wellingtonians take a more nonchalant approach. The Dunedin audience is our most unnervingly spontaneous, rarely booking and turning up en masse (or not at all) from ten minutes before the advertised start. Elsewhere we can see small venues sell out in advance and schedule extra screenings, but never in Dunedin. This year we’ve had to turn away 100s from Dunedin Rialto screenings of Tatarakihi and The Last Ocean.

5)      Do many of the regionals have the DCP technology – and will people really notice the difference?They certainly will: in Tauranga, Masterton and Hawkes Bay we have no DCP at our disposal and the programme is much, much smaller. The Kiwi content is still strong as we are touring our own HDCAM player.

6)      What’s been your personal highlight so far?There have been many. The first DCP screening at the Civic, Beasts of the Southern Wild  got things off to a stunning start – and the finale with the APO was extraordinary. The response everywhere to such a large and varied New Zealand programme has been very gratifying.

 7)      What do you think will do well around the country?Cabin, Marley, Angels’ Share, Amour, The Last Ocean

8)      What plans do you have for the 2013 festival?Carlos Reygadas has already confirmed his Post Tenebras Lux… We are hoping DCP will be the standard medium by next year and that there will be no more fussing with myriad digital formats.

9)      What’s been the best audience reaction to what you’ve programmed this year?
The big receptions for Beasts and Tatarakihi pleased me the most. Ant gets the credit for orchestrating Cabin in the Woods euphoria.

10)   Just finally, how do you intend to spend the downtime after the regional tour finishes – is there any film or TV you’re desperate to catch up on? Or will you be hoping for a glorious summer to live alfresco and out of the cinema?It’s true that, despite my professional calling, summer is my favourite season, but I am very tantalised by the forthcoming release of 50s and 60s Hitchcock classics on Blu-Ray. 

For all the details of where the NZ Film Festival is hitting around the regions and what's playing, head to www.nzff.co.nz for more!