Curious to headline seven films
Curious Film is proud to announce it has a total of seven unique films set to screen at the 2013 New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF), which runs from July 18th through to September 29th 2013, in 12 cities including Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Included in the international line up is award winning film The Rocket, a debut feature by Australian writer/director Kim Mordaunt shot entirely in Laos. The story centres on a young local boy who is believed to be a bad luck curse. He aims to prove his family and community wrong by entering a dangerous rocket festival. Curious Film's Luke Haigh was post supervisor overseeing the post production and visual effects on the film.
The Rocket won several awards at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, including Best Feature in the Generation K program. It won Best Narrative Feature, Best Actor and the Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival and also took out the Audience Award at the recent Sydney Film Festival. The director Kim Mordaunt and producer Sylvia Wilczynski will both attend the upcoming New Zealand film festival.
Also set to show is the world premiere of Fantail (pictured), a Kiwi film that revolves around a feisty young petrol station attendant figuring out her place in the world. Directed by Curtis Vowell and written by Sophie Henderson, the film was produced by Sarah Cook and Matt Noonan. Fantail was originally developed from writer Henderson’s one-woman stage piece in collaboration with the director.
The other three films to make the festival cut include this year's winner of Best Screenplay at Cannes A Touch of Sin from Chinese director Jia Zhang-Ke. From official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival is German drama Hannah Arendt, directed by Margarethe von Trotta and staring Barbara Sukowa. And lastly, Paradise, a collective name for a trilogy of films (Love, Faith and Hope) directed by Austrian auteur Ulrich Seidl. Each film from the trilogy will screen individually at the festival.
"We are really pleased to see all seven of these titles making headlines on the festival circuit both in New Zealand and further afield," says Curious executive producer Peter Grasse. "We look forward to celebrating the success of these stories with audiences and with the filmmakers themselves,” he adds.
A premier of The Rocket will be held at The Civic Theatre Auckland on Thursday 25th July 2013 at 6.15pm.
For all NZIFF film screening times, please visit: www.nziff.co.nz/
NZIFF City Guide Times:
Auckland: Jul 18 – Aug 04
Christchurch: Aug 01 – Aug 18
Dunedin: Aug 08 – Aug 25
Gore: Aug 15 – Aug 25
Hamilton: Aug 22 – Sep 15
Hawke’s Bay: Oct 16 – Oct 30
Masterton: Oct 16 – Oct 30
Nelson: Aug 28 – Sep 15
New Plymouth: Oct 24 – Nov 06
Palmerston North: Aug 15 – Sep 01
Tauranga: Sep 12 – Sep 29
Wellington: Jul 26 – Aug 13
