The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) will be returning to in-person this year. However, it will be in a reduced format. It will take place in multiple cities from July 28 to Sept. 4, 2022.
Management explained that the downsizing was both a response to COVID-19’s impact and a way to bounce back larger in 2023.
It was first presented as a hybrid festival in 2020, and again in 2021 in cinemas located in 11 towns and major cities. But it was forced to cancel screenings in Auckland and Hamilton due to the last year’s lockdowns. Other venues may have reduced capacity “had a significant impact on our gross revenue.”
The 2022 festival will visit Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Hawke’s Bay, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Masterton, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin and Gore.
The festival’s temporary format allows for fewer films (50-60 movies for the four main centres, with probably a few more for Auckland), fewer venues, shorter durations in each cities, and a smaller team to deliver the festival. There is also less marketing activity above the line.
“While the program of films will be considerably smaller, we will maintain the quality of films for which the festival is known, with a focus on the highest profile festival titles direct from Cannes and other major festivals, and continue our role as a showcase for New Zealand [feature, documentary and short] films,”Organizers agreed.
This year will see the hiring of a new artistic chief to replace Marten Rabarts, who left the New Zealand Film Festival Trust in November 2013.
Michael McDonnell will manage the selection, supported by Sandra Reid (Paris-based senior programmer). They are supported by Nicola Marshall (ant Timpson), Ant Timpson (Nicola Marshall), Craig Fasi, Leo Koziol (animation), Malcolm Turner (animation), and Anu Rangachar(Indian and South East Asian film).
“We’re taking a responsible approach to reduce financial risk and utilize the resources available while continuing to support the cinema industry with a focus on the in-cinema experience, deliver the highest quality experience to our audiences, and maximize the opportunities to provide a solid base on which we can build for 2023,”Catherine Fitzgerald, NZFFT chair.