Thousands of printed copies of the New Zealand International Film Festival programme arrived in Dunedin on Monday, and are being distributed through cafes, regional libraries and institutions across the city.
Excitement is also high at the Regent Theatre, which will this year return to hosting a large proportion of the film festival screenings, from August 3-20, alongside the Rialto Cinemas.
Regent Theatre general manager Sarah Anderson said it was great to see the programme for the film festival, which would return to full scale after several years of Covid-19 restrictions.
It was also great that, after the "deafening roar" of complaints from film and Regent Theatre lovers at the theatre being left off last year’s festival schedule, that screenings had returned to their rightful home, she said.
"It’s wonderful that the late Bill Gosden’s favourite venue is once again the flagship of the festival."
NZ International Film Festival Dunedin publicist Dallas Synnott said about 7000 printed copies had arrived, and there was "an army" of people ready to distribute them.
"We have plenty, so if people want programmes for their workplace, they are more than welcome to pop in and grab a box or an armful," she said.
"The more the merrier."
The Regent Theatre will also host the gala opening night of the film festival on Thursday, August 3, from 6.30pm, featuring a screening of Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or-winning film Anatomy of a Fall, directed by Justine Triet.
The film festival will feature more than 150 screenings, including an exciting selection of award-winning films from Cannes, top picks from Aotearoa film-makers, shorts from New Zealand and around the world, classic retrospectives, fresh new voices, documentaries, music, artist portraits, animation and incredibly strange films.
Dunedin audiences will also have the chance to hear from visiting directors, including King Loser documentary makers Cushla Dillon and Andrew Moore, after a screening that will also be followed by a live performance.
Also visiting to talk about their films will be Red Mole: A Romance documentary maker Annie Goldson, Ms. Information documentary maker Gwen Isaac and writer/director/actor/comedian Tom Sainsbury, who will discuss his horror Loop Track.
