New Zealand International Film Festival premieres in Wellington, director 'thrilled'

The director of the New Zealand International Film Festival is "thrilled" the event can go ahead in Wellington, saying it gives Aotearoa the opportunity to reconnect with the rest of the world.

Although the Covid-19 Delta outbreak means the festival cannot go ahead in Auckland, it opens tonight in Wellington and Friday in Christchurch and Dunedin.

Director Marten Rabarts told the Herald he's absolutely "delighted".

"This fluid time of public events being shut down and postponed we're just delighted that we're going to be able to open."

He acknowledged Covid-19 means nothing is ever certain – but he feels positive about the chances.

"Everyone is just going with the flow of what the pandemic tells us we're able to do."

Between November 4 and November 21, the festival will screen 164 feature-length films from 51 countries.

"[It's] the very best stories, the most amazing performances and a lot of work that's really relevant to what's going on in the rest of the world – it really connects us to the rest of the world," Rabarts says.

"I think being locked away in New Zealand unable to travel for me this year has really been about bringing the world to New Zealand and opening a window to how the rest of the world feels about life on the planet."

But the festival also gives Aotearoa's best and brightest creatives a chance to shine, with documentaries, fiction and short films all coming from New Zealand filmmakers.

"It really provides a wonderful platform for our New Zealand filmmaking community who are so creative, and so innovative and have been battling the pandemic to make this work. Everyone is focused on making sure New Zealand filmmakers are out there and get seen."

This year is the festival's 50th anniversary, and the festivities will kick off at the flagship venue The Embassy with the New Zealand premiere of Dame Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog".

A full Wellington programme is available here.