Every year, making a film festival is a challenge. No matter how successful the previous edition was, you can never guess how rewarding the films for the new edition will be. There is excitement and anticipation while putting together a line up. There are films that everyone loves, films you like and no one else does, or some that others like and you don't.
Then, the moment comes when you look at the harvest, before sharing it with audiences. Then, you realise the funny or revealing ways films speak to each other, or the overall design they seem to communicate. Connecting those dots feels like watching the stars in search of constellations; some are there by tradition, some you make them up yourself.
Looking at our 2026 constellation of films, two words entered my spirit: difference and resistance. And the two are bound together. Cinema observes the world around us and provides us with tools to understand it, but also to resist to it, be it with critical thinking or with that smile that chases demons away. Hence, the large presence of queer films at NZIFF 2026 is a testament to how difference is an act of resistance.
The two films that bookend the festival, Big Girls Don't Cry and Coward, make powerful statements about accepting one's own self and resisting conformism. That’s what we hope our audiences will experience through the love, laughter and a few tears on offer at this beautifully different NZIFF 2026.
Paolo Bertolin – Artistic Director
Ngā mihi nui kia koutou katoa!
Nau mai haere mai e hoa mā.
We are proud to bring you over 130 films which include our largest exhibition of films made in Aotearoa New Zealand in many years. And, as you will see, our Artistic Director and his team of programmers has really pushed the boundaries to inspire, to entertain, to thrill, to provoke and ultimately transport you with some of the best films from home and from around the world.
The New Zealand Film Festival Trust, the Festival team and all of our patrons, supporters and friends also congratulate the New Zealand Federation of Film Societies for reaching an incredible milestone as we celebrate 80 years. This year also marks the 50th presentation in Christchurch and Dunedin of what we now know as Whānau Mārama NZIFF – we look forward to celebrating this mammoth milestone in style.
We loved meeting so many new faces last year, it's great to see so many of you back this year. The Festival belongs to you, it is for you and it only exists because of you. So, from us, to you – thank you. And, enjoy!
Kaine Thompson – New Zealand Film Festival Trust Chair
