Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival 2025 returns from 31 July to 10 September, and it’s bigger, bolder, and more accessible than ever!
From star-studded award winners to niche discoveries, dramas and documentaries to horror, comedy, historical fiction and more, the Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival is back in cinemas throughout Auckland. This year’s lineup features more than 100 films from over 40 countries, including more than 30 of 2025’s most talked about movies direct from the recent Cannes Film Festival.
See our highlights below and the full programme here.
Our top picks for the week
-
The Teacher Who Promised the Sea (2023) | The Civic | 6 AUG, 10.45am
-
One to One: John & Yoko (2024) | The Civic | 6 AUG, 1.15pm
-
Angel's Egg (1985) | The Academy | 7 AUG, 4.30pm
-
Splitsville (2025) | The Civic | 8 AUG, 6.30pm
-
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell (2023) | The Academy | 9 AUG, 10am
-
A Useful Ghost (2025) | SkyCity Theatre | 10 AUG, 5.55pm
-
The Wolves Always Come at Night (2024) | The Academy | 10 AUG, 2pm
Sentimental Value NZIFF 2025
A Useful Ghost NZIFF 2025
The Teacher Who Promised the Sea NZIFF 2025
John & Yoko NZIFF 2025
Angel's NZIFF 2025
Splitsville NZIFF 2025
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell NZIFF 2025
The Wolves Always Come at Night NZIFF 2025
The stuff of dreams - or nightmares
The Shrouds (2024) | The Civic: AUG 4, 8.45pm | The Academy: AUG 8, 1.30pm
Directed by David Cronenberg | Strand: Nocturnal
David Cronenberg’s sardonic self-portrait of his own struggle with grief is couched within a chilly and unsettling story of a tech-savant and his morbid invention which brings bereavement into the app age.
Lesbian Space Princess (2024) | The Civic: AUG 8, 9.00pm
Directed by Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese | Strand: Nocturnal
Set in a gay-laxy far, far away this crowd pleasing and proudly queer Aussie adult animation delights with its vivid, candy-coloured palette, kinky sense of humour and catchy, upbeat musical numbers.
A celebration of Kiwi voices
From the treasure trove
Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) | The Civic | 8 AUG, 12.45pm
Directed by Béla Tarr & Ágnes Hranitzky | Strand: Treasures
Frequently singled out as one of the best films of the 21st century, Béla Tarr’s melancholy, mud-deep world of simmering mob chaos foretells of resurgent fascism in the heart of Europe.
Abraham's Valley (1993) | The Academy | 10 AUG, 10am
Directed by Manoel de Oliveira | Strand: Treasures
Workshops, quizzes, panel discussions and more!
Pae Kōrero – Panel Discussions
Don't miss the chance to dive deeper into the themes and issues explored in selected films, through engaging conversations with filmmakers and experts.
Can you tell your Roy Andersson from your Wes Anderson? Your Kiarostami from your Kaurismäki? Get your team together and join the annual NZIFF film quiz.
NZIFF After Dark
Space princess costume parties, themed cocktails, spot prizes, late-night horror and midnight mayhem... you've got it all this year at NZIFF After Dark. Get amongst the festive fun!
Image via nziff.co.nz
Famous faces
Blue Moon (2025) | The Civic | 1 & 10 AUG, 11am & 5.45pm
Directed by Richard Linklater | Cast: Ethan Hawke, Magaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Scott
A washed-up songwriter drowns his sorrows as his former collaborator triumphantly opens Oklahoma! on Broadway. A career-peak performance by Ethan Hawke powers Richard Linklater’s theatrical drama.
The Mastermind (2025) | The Civic | 6 AUG, 6.15pm
Directed by Kelly Reichardt | Cast: Josh O'Connor, Sterling Thompson, Alana Haim, Jasper Thompson, Bill Camp
A perfectly rumpled Josh O’Connor’s criminal ambitions go awry in Kelly Reichardt’s arthouse art-heist film showcasing the American master of cinematic minimalism at her absolute best.
Twinless (2025) | The Civic | 9 AUG, 9pm
Directed by James Sweeney | Cast: Dylan O’Brien, James Sweeney, Lauren Graham, Aisling Franciosi, Tasha Smith
A grieving brother finds an unlikely connection at a support group for siblings who have lost a twin, but his burgeoning bromance threatens to turn into something darker in this uncomfortably sharp-witted comedy.
See the world through film
Kokuho (2025) | The Academy | 9 & 11 AUG | 8.15pm & 5.15pm
Directed by Sang-il Lee | Strand: Visions
The all-consuming dedication of the Japanese Kabuki artist gets its due in an ornate, decades-spanning spectacular of passion and pain that charts the journey of two young trainees.
Abang Adik (2023) | SkyCity Theatre | 10 AUG, 10am
Directed by Jin Ong | Strand: Journeys
Two undocumented brothers live on the edges of Malaysian society, one quiet and law-abiding, the other reckless and furious. Jin Ong’s emotionally powerful debut is a moving story of love, injustice and survival.
Stranger Eyes (2024) | SkyCity Theatre | 10 AUG, 2.55pm
Directed by Yeo Siew Hua | Strand: Journeys
In a world where everyone has a camera in their pocket, the government has cameras on street corners and businesses have cameras in their lobbies, when can you be sure that you're not being recorded and who can you trust?
Kokuho NZIFF 2025
Abang Adik NZIFF 2025
Stranger Eyes NZIFF 2025
Hidden gems
Simon of the Mountain | The Academy | 6 AUG, 6.15pm
Directed by Federico Luis | Strand: Portraits
Simon doesn't feel as though he belongs anywhere, yet he somehow fits in with a group of voracious, mentally disabled teenagers. This intensely felt debut explores the lengths Simon will go to find his place in the world.
My Father's Shadow | The Academy | 10 AUG, 8.45pm
Directed by Akinola Davies Jr | Strand: Fresh
Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù gives a masterful performance as a stern but loving father that takes his children on an impromptu day trip to Lagos to recover a debt in the midst of a political upheaval.
Cutting Through Rocks (2025) | The Academy | 10 AUG, 6.45pm
Directed by Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni | Strand: Frames
Sara Shahverdi’s unique position as a councilwoman in rural Iran invites the audience to share her triumphs and setbacks as she uplifts young women and ruffles conservative feathers by advocating for gender equality.
$2.50 per hour to a max of $12.50 on weekends and a $12 flat rate for weekday evenings at The Civic car park. Find out more.