The New Zealand International Film Festival is heading to Hamilton next week, bringing with it an intensive three-week schedule of award-winning local and international films.
Hamilton’s Lido Cinema is being praised for making the country’s leading film festival a success.
Festival director Bill Gosden said the festival has been “re-established” since the arrival of the Lido Cinema.
Opened in 2009 in the home of the former Rialto complex, the Lido is the only theatre in Hamilton to screen festival films.
“Since the Lido has become the home of the festival, it has fared very well in Hamilton,” Gosden said.
“Per capita in each city, the support we receive for the festival is very strong, even outside of Auckland and Wellington.”
Gosden said the Hamilton festival comprises a “good selection” of the most popular films from Auckland’s programme.
Films include hits from the Cannes Film Festival including a documentary about a Brazilian photographer Salt of the Earth and Argentine comedy Wild Tales.
Others will be shown in Hamilton before people in New York have the opportunity to view them, he said.
Lido Cinema manager Richard Dalton said he always got “very excited” at festival time.
“It went very well last year and the festival seems stronger this year, so we’re fairly optimistic,” he said.
“The festival brings a different crowd to the cinema. There’s people coming day in and day out, all bringing a different dynamic.”
The New Zealand International Film Festival will open with a screening of The Lunchbox on Wednesday, August 20 at 7.45pm, with refreshments from 7pm.
The festival runs until September 14. For more information and session times, see nziff.co.nz.
WHAT TO WATCH, WHAT TO WATCH
