NZIFF Preview - 2018 - it all begins tonight!

NZIFF Preview - 2018 - it all begins tonight!

It's finally here - the 2018 New Zealand International Film Festival kicks off tonight.

Selections from around the world, as well as homegrown premieres, animation and film-maker Q&As all mingle into one for the next few weeks as the Auckland leg kicks off, before heading around the country.

There's much to sample - and below are just a few to factor into your choices.

Slick and surprising, Three Identical Strangers benefits from the less-you-know approach going in.

Opening with a talking head saying "When I tell people my story, they don't quite believe it", there's very much the feeling of a shaggy dog approach as it first begins. Essentially, it's the story of how Bobby a freshman at a US college in 1970 showed up on his first day and was told he was someone else - repeatedly by other people on campus.

Deciding to meet with this "other person", a world opens up to Bobby he could never have expected -and it gets stranger from there.

It has the feel of a viral tale writ large, a hoax gone mad, and a truth long buried with implications from the beginning - but in the latter stages of the piece, there's more to chew on than the headline-grabbing opening, a sense that something is dreadfully unfinished. The less you know is weirdly the better for enjoying this.

Some may not be familiar with Australian musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, but this doco Gurrumul may look to change some of that.

Paul Damien Williams' piece follows the history of the Australian artist, whose use of soulful Aborigine tunes and definitive voice captivated a generation back in 2008. Mixing Indigenous languages and simple music, Gurrumul's success was guaranteed, but what came with it was something more than perhaps blind musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu actually wanted.

Williams' piece is somewhat confined by the fact that the reclusive Gurrumul was no fan of talking to the media - not out of arrogance or indignance, but more out of discomfort. Gurrumul's background, his life on Elcho Island and why his sense of community and connection to the land was more important than the possibility of fame.

The end result is humbling and while it may be frustrating to some given how the usual biographical documentaries handle their subjects, this spiritual piece talks of tolerance, tradition and offers treats.

An icy debut from Danish director Isabella Eklöf, Holiday's message is kind of clear - power corrupts.

Victoria Carmen Sonne is Sascha, who finds herself in an Aegean holiday, complete with all the trappings. That is to say, if the trappings come from the dirty money world of gangsters. Bling, Bodrum and bodies may shimmer in Holiday, but there's an iciness to this film which is maintained throughout. The sun may shine, and everyone may appear to be having a good time, but nastiness is never far away, implied often more than an implicit.

Ruminating on the corrosion of criminals and the tentacles of ugly despair wrapping around them all, Holiday is trippy at times, sickening in others. The wallops don't come till near the end, with Eklöf maintaining the dread as much as is necessary, but never holding back.

Placing the psycho among the psychotropic, Panos Cosmatos' Mandy is a curious beast, likely to satiate an Incredibly Strange audience, but unlikely to burst out of its cult bubble.

Starting with Nic Cage in full lumberjack mode felling a tree (not a euphemism), Cosmatos's under siege piece takes its 80s vibe and fully runs with it.

Cosmatos makes his piece a masterclass in lighting, soaking many scenes in red and backlighting the fight scenes with spotlights - it's a visual lunacy that's worth embracing.

Mandy may drag a little in parts, a fever dream that's extended beyond need, but Cage's fans will be happy to see their hero, in his tighty-whiteys, doing what he does best - chewing up the scenery (and doing a large amount of cocaine at the end of one scene).

It's possibly fair to say that Bing Liu's debut documentary film Minding The Gap was never planned to be anything more than capturing stolen moments of boys-being-boys, skateboarding and shooting the breeze in small town America.

But what emerges from the film, once it settles from its initial shots of kerb-hopping and open-road boarding and divests into life, is a fascinating, maddening and saddening portrait of what it means to be a boy, and how it is to grow up a man these days.

It may sound gimmicky but what occurs organically in this film is a wealth of paradigm shifts, each more subtle than the last, but each with more resounding consequences than are to be expected

Minding the Gap is a human take on where boys struggle with being men, and where toxic masculinity resides ; poignant, powerful and prescient, it's a documentary that lingers long after.

Stay tuned to this website during the festival for reviews from the Auckland leg and also for director Q&As.

The Equalizer 2: Film Review

The Equalizer 2: Film Review

Cast: Denzel Washington, Melissa Leo, Bill Pullman, Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders
Director: Antoine Fuqua

Denzel's back with a sequel to the surprisingly effective at times, but under-the-radar The Equalizer about a vigilante roaming the streets, showering justice on those who need it.

This time, Denzel's Robert McCall is on the case after a crime becomes a little too personal - how far will he go to exact justice when his past comes calling?

The sequel to the 2014 film sees Washington carrying on his zen-like turn as McCall - but whereas the first granted him a victim who was a child, this second sees his familial edges pushed by the crime he's investigating and also a budding mentorship of Ashton Sanders' Miles, a resident teen in his building on the edge of making a wrong decision.

Like the first film, the sequel feels like a self-contained episode of the 1980s series it was spun off from, with brutal action sequences that are not elongated or extended, merely sharp and to the point.

Denzel channels again his measured approach to McCall as he puts out an intensely brooding version of his Man On Fire routine, with each take down he enacts being characterised by a gloomy stare as he visualises how it'll all go down and an over-reliance on choreographed slow-mo shots. Fuqua's really followed the template of the first in parts, and it shows, with the action impressive, but certainly not feeling fresh. Washington has the necessary charisma to carry it throughout, but occasionally his dead-eyed stare is perhaps reflected in the audience watching this play out.

Once again, there's little call for Washington to be anything other than emotionless and completely invincible throughout; and unfortunately, this time round the lack of subtlety is jarring, with inserted exposition or overly used hints of what's ahead repeatedly being jammed down the viewers' throats. It helps little that the plot feels rote in some ways, and McCall never feels anything like a from-the-projects superhero, and there's rarely any chance he's on the backfoot.

But that said, there are a couple of brutally impressive and tautly executed set pieces, unswervingly put in motion by Fuqua.

From a great inside-a-taxi fight as McCall's Lyft driver is menaced by a goon to a final set piece inside a hurricane (that again taps some of the trappings of the warehouse confined conclusion of the first), the action works well when it flies.

The problem with the at times grim and dour The Equalizer 2 is that its plot feels uninteresting and unengaging, a conspiracy that feels tenuous more than intriguing and which doesn't really push much on even when the connection is personal.

The Equalizer 2's commitment to brutality and the pushing of the older man as a superhero makes it feel different, but Fuqua's almost templated retreading of the first in this sequel-not-sequel makes the case for a return outing (3Qualizer anyone?) difficult to justify.

While the TV Series followed an inevitable pattern, it's to be hoped any further outings may see this vigilante pushed to the edge a bit more, and the stakes made to feel a little more uncertain.

Otherwise, bizarrely, The Equalizer risks becoming the geriatric version of a superhero franchise.

NZIFF Q&A - Amanda Millar, Director of Celia

NZIFF Q&A - Amanda Millar, Director of Celia

My film is....
To honour the life, death and work of  outspoken social justice campaigner and author, Celia Lashlie whose vision was for a better New Zealand. It was Celia’s dying wish that her messages in this film would get New Zealanders talking and  doing – rather than relying on government agencies or politicians to solve our biggest and ugliest social issues.


The moment I'm most proud of is....

Seeing and hearing Celia’s voice and image on the Big Screen. It gets me every time. God! We’ve missed the clarity, pragmatism and power of her messages – not to mention her humour.  There’s been a vacuum since she left us so suddenly in February 2015 and New Zealand still needs her to guide us. Now this film will provide a platform for others to connect and respond.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....
Celia asked me to make this film when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. How could you ever say no to  a dear friend and colleague when they ask you to fulfil their dying wish? She wanted others to carry on her work after she’d left us and  this film was to provide the catalyst for that work.  Her dying wish propelled me in times when I wondered if I was going to be able to honour her request. She had told us she thought she had 12 – 18 months. However,  three days after we recorded her one significant interview, she passed away. I was left with the responsibility of making a cinematic documentary that revolved around one last conversation with her.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......
Every time Celia says something! There are constant powerful ‘moments’ in this film that will resonate with people on so  many different levels. Her insights cover domestic violence, vulnerable women and children, poverty, relationships, child abuse, raising teenage boys, alcohol and her personal reflections about her life and how we can protect ourselves against the consuming demands of life in the 21st Century.

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........ Celia! Every thing she says is compelling and insightful – especially when  you know this was the last chance she had to give her messages.  Every one who watched the film as I was editing it said, “We can’t get enough of Celia”. True. She is like a powerful drug… highly addictive. She always leaves you craving more.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ......
That they can do something as individuals to make a difference. We know that our prisons are full;  families are living in poverty;  domestic violence is happening in every suburb and we top the world for the number of teenage boys who are killing themselves. Stop expecting others to fix these crises and  get involved. Celia believed individuals and communities – especially mothers have the power to change the outcomes for vulnerable families. For every one that could be simply being more understanding and supportive. When you see a young woman struggling to pay for her groceries at the supermarket, help her.  Stop judging. Start supporting.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......That it has offered me the wonderful privilege and opportunity to bring Celia back into the lives of New Zealanders.  It’s a prestigious festival that has placed me on a platform with some of the world’s most creative film-makers.  Best of all, I’m amongst an impressive line up of the most celebrated story-tellers in Aotearoa and that’s such an honour and a buzz!


What the 50th NZIFF means to me is......
That Celia is part of an auspicious milestone in the cultural and social history of New Zealand. I’m very proud and humbled to be included in this year’s festival when there is such an abundance of the world’s best films on show for  New Zealanders.

NZIFF 2018 Preview - It all starts this week

NZIFF 2018 Preview - It all starts this week

With just days before the 2018 New Zealand International Film Festival kicks off in Auckland at the mighty Civic Theatre before heading around the country, it's time to take a look at some of the offerings.

The 50th anniversary of the festival has brought all manner of treats, and plenty of fresh offerings from around the world.

Taut, terrific and twisty, The Guilty's captive setting and lead man make director Gustav Möller's claustrophobic call centre flick one of the most compelling dramas of the festival. 

Jakob Cedergren's policeman Asger Holm is a call centre worker, at the emergency services. A series of calls come in - each more mundane than the next in his eyes, but each vital to those dialling for the help. Then a call comes in that sets his senses off - an apparent kidnapping.

Clever, compelling, and character-led, The Guilty is a festival must-see - a stripped back, pared down character piece that's almost Shakespearean in its tragedy. See it now, preferably Hollywood miscasts its lead in its remake.

Director Paora Joseph's Maui's Hook clearly has an agenda - and in the current world we live in in New Zealand, that's no bad thing at all.

The psychologist's piece mixes both a drama and a documentary to get the discussion on suicide in our youth up and running. And while the drama is reasonably well acted and in parts, strong, it has nowhere near the power of the heart-wrenching true life stories.


Four Maori families and one Pakeha family join a hikoi around parts of the north of country, visiting marae to discuss the impact and the reality of suicide on families. To be frank, it doesn't really matter what race these families are, these are stories which have a human universality that's relatable throughout.

It's clear that for Maori, this is a real issue, an underlying cancer that's ripping through society and which goes unspoken even though its effects are utterly devastating and the ramifications live on for decades. Whether it's the simplicity of having 10 family members sat on mats discussing the effect the death of their mother had on them, or a final set of sequences atop a cliff at Cape Reinga, laying photos and reflecting, there's a power here unable to be denied.

Carrying on the trend ploughed by Florian Habicht et al, Ryan Heron and Andy Deere's Bludgeon is a small treasure on the NZIFF programme, a doco that has elements of the Office and the heart of an against-the-odds competition.

It follows a group of modern knights looking to represent NZ in the sport of 'medieval combat', something one competitor intones should be an Olympic sport.

Packed with humour and heart, with a genial outlook and large swathes of humanity, Bludgeon is yet another celebration of what truly makes New Zealand tick, and another demonstration that all walks of life deserve celebration, even when their unswerving devotion to their cause bemuses and amuses.

A doco that's as much about showing the balletics of ice skating as it is interested in delving into its protagonist's torture, James Erskine's The Ice King celebrates John Curry.

To be frank, he's possibly a name that's less familiar to some, but Erskine's fulsome piece could ensure that changes - and Curry becomes known more about his ice-capades than being thrust into the spotlight after securing a gold medal at the 70s Olympics and coming out "off the record."

Using voiceover interviews, rather than endless talking heads, and with letters from Curry himself helping to sell and tell the story, The Ice King is not really your traditional documentary and also not really your traditional sports story.

It's a muted piece, that enlightens and enthralls occasionally, but never fully grips when the spotlight shifts from what Curry could do on the ice - at the end, he still remains an enigma to the audience. But it's interlaced with some splendid footage of Curry's moves on the ice, which are just incredible to behold.

If you ever wanted a reason to delete your social accounts and reassess your life, documentary The Cleaners is that film.

Distinctly terrifying and definitely a sign of our depressing online times, The Cleaners turns its eye on those who police Facebook and other social channels by following five content moderators who reside in the Philippines and whose job it is to moderate what is out there.

Bleak in many ways, psychologically depressing for anyone who uses social media or deals with communities, The Cleaners maybe goes a little too skin deep on the implications for free speech and lets off the moderators who strongly believe "Algorithms can't do what we do."

A sobering story of electronics and social media over-taking the world we inhabit and the morals we should hold dear, The Cleaners is perhaps one of the most terrifying portraits of 21st Century online life.

The New Zealand International Film Festival kicks off in Auckland on Thursday July 19th before heading around the country. More details at nziff.co.nz

Stay tuned to this website during the Auckland leg of the festival for reviews from the films and also director Q&As.

NZIFF Q&A - Paora Joseph, Maui's Hook

NZIFF Q&A - Paora Joseph, Maui's Hook

Director Paora Joseph – Maui’s Hook

My film is.... Māui’s Hook is an experience. It is a real slice of humanity, ordinary people who are extraordinarily brave, willing to share their vulnerability in order to help save lives.

The moment I'm most proud of is...

When we showed the film for the first time to the NZFC and stakeholders and there was absolute silence following the screening. The CEO was in tears and that’s when we realised that we had a film worthy of sharing with the world.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....
The belief in my Tupuna and the fact that the whānau involved were prepared to share their vulnerability with the world in order to save lives.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......
When the character playing Tama discovers his mortality

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........
We had to cut the reported methods of suicide from the film in order to ensure that it did not have a negative effect for some viewers. This was part of the honest kōrero shared by whānau members.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ......
We do not need to hurry death, and that through genuine sharing we can find a way through turbulent times.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......
It provides a platform in which heartfelt stories about humanity can be shared with the world.

What the 50th NZIFF means to me is...... It is a hallmark, we should be all proud as New Zealanders to have this taonga.

Talking the NZIFF's Incredibly Strange 2018 with Ant Timpson

Talking the NZIFF's Incredibly Strange 2018 with Ant Timpson

The world of the Incredibly Strange returns to the 2018 New Zealand International Film Festival - and with it, a chance to settle some scores with director curator Ant Timpson.

So, let's get into it.

We have a combative approach to these Q&As Ant - are you feeling more mellow in 2018 as we roll this dice again?
I am as mellow as the recommended dosage on the box allows me to be.

So, The Field Guide To Evil has a "Ant Timpson" credit - any relation, and how is this film worthy of inclusion?

Field Guide To Evil

The Strange side-bar this year has been "NEPOTASTIC" by myself this year to ward off any accusations that I use the festival as my own vehicle to screen films I have made or am associated to
the filmmakers in some form.  THE FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL is a global anthology film about dark folklore from each country. We hand selected some phenomenal filmmakers that we felt were perfect for the project. It's very much in the arthouse horror vein - and a long way away from the anarchy of the other series I did -THE ABCS OF DEATH. 

Climax seems like Gaspar Noe's reputation continues - why should this escape the censor?Well the only hubbub at Cannes about Noe's new film CLIMAX was really about how brilliant it was and a real return to form for the provocateur behind IRREVERSIBLE and ENTER THE VOID.

Climax

Anyone who saw those at the CIVIC can remember them being experiences first and foremost and that's what you get with Noe on form. The censor or classification office are probably too busy
watching CAPTURED BY EWOKS 11 to worry about CLIMAX.  
It is the only film I have programmed sight and unseen - that is how confident I am in the filmmaker delivering.

I'll hold my hands up and say Mega Time Squad is the best thing I've seen at the NZIFF this year - sell it to those who don't care about my opinion (not many people in that bracket, I can tell you,)
Well anyone who just gets off their arse and goes and makes an entire feature in NZ without waiting for a handout deserves some applause first and foremost. And its even worth celebrating more when the actual film is good.
I've known Tim Van Dammen for awhile and at one stage he was bouncing some wild ideas for a low budget feature that maybe we could make together - it didn't happen but he did get to Thames for a bit and managed to work and knock out a feature there. And it's very much all TVD - he's a natural visual filmmaker - he has a good ear for the vernacular and he manages to pull in solid folks to help out. The film is a deliriously low-fi loopy crime comedy with the added attraction of featuring some time-loop hijinks - which I think audiences love seeing played with in films. 

This is going to win over local audiences very easily but I also see its small time parochial charms
playing offshore just as well. It's a love letter to small town NZ in many ways... it's mad and anarchic and silly and everything you want from a filmmaker throwing everything they had at it - everything except a shitload of money which probably would have resulted in a film with better FX but a lot emptier in spirit.

Mega Time Squad

Liquid Sky - nice to have something from the past in there?Well this was a seminal film for our fest director Bill - it was the film that kind of caused a shift in the structure of the festival. That would be enough on its own for inclusion. It was also a film that cinephile cult heads like myself were drawn to around that period. I saw the film on a late show as it played many times after its premiere. It's hard to describe how other-worldly it seemed at the time. The incredible thing is that it still does feel a bit like that - it's dated, but it's also dated so much that it now feels timely.

Psycho and Psychotropic, Mandy seems to have real appeal for the Hollywood Theatre crowd - why should we see Nic in his tighty whities?
Mandy for some will be one of those films experiences that you will remember exactly when and  how you saw it for a long time. Especially if you take any edibles before arriving. Actually don't do that - the Hollywood staff don't want to deal with morons leaping off the balcony screaming CAGE IS CHRIST!

I don't have to hard sell this demonic ride into instant cult stardom - those who know about it have booked already and those who miss out - were never supposed to see it in the first place.

An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn seems destined for cult appeal - and a certain Conchord's there too - why's it the best?
This is the follow-up film from the wonderful Jim Hosking who I made The Greasy Strangler with.  His sophomore film is nothing like Greasy and yet it still could easily inhabit an area of the same universe. It may also play divisively like his first which is a shame but just the nature of someone
uninterested in making films to appeal to mass audiences - he makes things that he thinks are funny. Unlike his debut film, this is chockfull of memorable faces and yes there's Jemaine Clement stealing the film from Aubrey Plaza, Craig Robinson and Emilie Hirsch.  It's a peculiar love story much like Greasy was as well but I think more accessible - the comedy not as grotesque and there are a few surprising touching moments to boot. 

Blue My Mind, Let the Corpses Tan - are these pieces of prestige premier Incredibly Strange?
You do realise all your questions could be pretty much crunched into one question - tell me about this year's lineup - yet you insist on dragging this thing out so much longer than necessary. 
It's just lazy - you don't even try to ask anything more indepth than tell me about 'X' film - I should just put wiki links next to each question. Actually I am going to do that but use RT which is basically if Satan operated a review aggregation site it would be Rotten Tomatoes. 
That's giving it as much effort as you have so far. I really tried to be positive with my responses to you but fuck me man - how do you even call yourself a film writer in any capacity?  
The only way this interview could be lazier is if you got the fest PR team to write your inane
questions and email it through.. oh wait - you DID DO THAT.??

What Keeps you Alive

I am so busy overseas - I've had to leave the NZFF for work this year and it's painful but nowhere near as painful as having to respond to this garbage interview.
I am looking at the hotel window right now and seriously thinking.....thinking about THROWING YOU OUT OF IT..

BLUE MY MIND - 100% 
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blue_my_mind/
LET THE CORPSES TAN - 95%
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/let_the_corpses_tan

My old friends Bruno and Helene who made LET THE CORPSES TAN - they are truly special people. Incredibly talented filmmakers who will be in NZ to do Q&As...  Darren if you want to live - make sure everyone know about their visit and their film.  Or else.

Piercing, Terrified, What Keeps You alive - I've got a gun to your head, tell me which of these you choose as your death row film and why?
Remember I have tossed you out of the 22nd floor of this hotel we're in so the gun is hitting the ground just as your brains splatter and slither across to the curb below.

PIERCING - 83%
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/piercing
WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE - 86%
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/what_keeps_you_alive

TERRIFIED - no one knows about this film. Just go see it. It's something quite special in a demented way. 

What's been your favourite question this year in the Q&A - and the one you wish I'd asked?
10) Would you be happy if I was thrown out of the 22nd floor of a hotel?
A. YES.

Generally, how has the IS genre been for choices this year?Generally brilliantly curated on all accounts.

You're in Canada now, I believe, any chance you could pick me up some duty free?
Let me guess.  A giant Toblerone right ?

You can get even more information on the Incredibly Strange section at nziff.co.nz.

Thanks, Ant Timpson for your time from abroad; very much appreciated - and the police will be in touch about your violent tendencies toward me.

NZIFF Q&A - Costa Botes

NZIFF Q&A - Costa Botes

My film is...
Angie. It’s the story of a woman who is trying to understand and heal from past traumas. The film is really about the consequences of love denied, thwarted, betrayed, or exploited; and the power of love to restore even the most broken of souls.

The moment I'm most proud of is....
Every moment when my camera was in the right place and turned on. One such moment comes very early on. A dove, trapped in a room, beats against a window trying to get out. A perfect metaphor for my subject. Any moment captured as it’s happening, without any warning or preparation, always feels special.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....
I felt like there was something to say that was important and interesting.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......
I think there will be several such moments, but I wouldn’t presume to tell anyone what they might be. We all bring our own emotional and intellectual baggage into the cinema. A film is only completed when it meets an audience, and every person will see a different film.

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........
Nothing. I’m pretty ruthless. Anything that’s not in the film was left out for a good reason.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ......
A sense of hope. And empathy for others.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......
I’ve been to a lot of film festivals round the world. For lovers of film, ours is right up there amongst the very best. They’re also respectful and supportive of film-makers.

What the 50th NZIFF means to me is......
Five years making Angie weren’t wasted. I’m looking forward to sharing it.