New Zealand films coming to 2025 NZIFF

The NZIFF has revealed a clutch of New Zealand movies coming to the 2025 festival.

Among the lineup is Kiwi horror-comedy The Weed Eaters, about a group of carnivorous tokers, shadowy gothic psychodrama Went Up the Hill, comedy-romance in a crumbling theatre, Workmates, and Kaikohe Blood & Fire, a story of how the grassroots combat sports scene is transforming lives in the Northland town.

Also on the Māhutonga strand, TOITŪ Visual Sovereignty follows curator Nigel Borrell on a journey to create a groundbreaking large-scale exhibition of Māori art, and

Notes from a Fish follows a struggling writer on a comic odyssey through the underbelly of Auckland’s rare fish black market.

Kiwi music fan? You won’t want to miss Life in One Chord, a documentary about punk renegade and Dunedin Sound pioneer Shayne Carter. Narrated by broadcaster Carol Hirschfeld (Shayne’s idea), the film takes viewers on a self-deprecating tour of Dunedin suburbs, setting the scene for Shayne’s trademark colourful tales.

And speaking of music legends, Anchor Me: The Don McGlashan Story lets us in on the lesser-known sides of the man behind some of the country’s biggest hits. From Don’s early days playing gigs at student flats, to fronting The Mutton Birds and making it big, this film from acclaimed documentarian Shirley Horrocks delves into the highs, lows, backstage antics and deeply personal insights from the homegrown star.

We’re excited to have two documentary features from pioneer filmmaker Dame Gaylene Preston at this year’s festival! Grace: A Prayer for Peace is a slice-of-life portrait of one of Aotearoa’s greatest living artists, Dame Robin White. Alongside musings on her work from her younger years and scenes from time spent in Japan and Kiribati, much of the film focuses on seventy-something Robin as she is now, at the height of her artistic powers and still moving her practice forward.

As part of the Treasures strand, we’re also featuring War Stories Our Mothers Never Told Us, three decades on from its 1995 debut. The acclaimed documentary includes candid wartime recollections from seven women who navigated life-changing challenges during World War II, as well as stories of resilience and hope.

Bati, the first ever Fijian feature to screen at NZIFF, will premiere at this year’s festival! Beautifully filmed in Suva and the highlands of Namosi, the film tells the story of an aspiring boxer who gets into the ring to support his struggling family. Made with heart and infused with Fijian spirit, Bati also boasts a soundtrack of local faves including InsideOut, Sailasa Tora, Matanibola and the Viwalu Family Gospel.

We've made a change to one of our most important competitions and combined what were previously two separate collections. Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts and New Zealand’s Best have been merged into a single, inclusive competition, Ngā Whanaunga: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Best. This year, we have a stellar lineup of finalists carefully selected from 88 submissions.