New Zealand Film
Welcome to the New Zealand Film archive. Most New Zealand films have been made by small independent film-makers, often on a low budget and sometimes with sponsorship from the private sector or the NZ Film Commission. Only recently have international film companies used the New Zealand film industry as a source of feature films. However, the independent tradition of filmmaking in New Zealand dates back to the end of the 19th century, when film was first shot in New Zealand. The first feature film made in Godzone was "Hinemoa". It premiered on August 1, 1914 at the Lyric Theatre, Auckland.
The documentary film Cinema of Unease, by Sam Neill, presents an accessible history of film in New Zealand.
Most films are able to be accessed below, however some Films have been seperated into sub-categories, ie "New Zealand Documentaries", "Short Films" and "Peter Jackson Directs". The mother-lode can be prospected below.
Right: An artists rendition of Geoff Murphy's "Goodbye Pork Pie".
Event 16 (2006)
4.7/10
Director: Derek Pearson
Starring: Peter Rutherford, Jocelyn Christian, Ezra Keddell, Julian White, John Porter
Kiwi writer/director Derek Pearson's debut feature is this engrossing and effects-heavy sci-fi murder mystery set in Wellington in 1893, 2006 and 2038... Read more
Boy (2010)
7.5/10
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: James Rolleston, Te Aho Eketone-Whitu, Taika Waititi
Boy is a dreamer who loves Michael Jackson. He lives with his brother, Rocky, a tribe of deserted cousins and his Nan. Boy's other hero, his father, A... Read more
In My Father's Den (2004)
7.6/10
Director: Brad McGann
Starring: Matthew Macfadyen, Miranda Otto, Emily Barclay, Colin Moy, Jodie Rimmer, Vicky H...
Paul (Matthew Macfadyen), a prize-winning war journalist, returns to his remote New Zealand hometown due to the death of his father, battle-scarred an... Read more
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
8.9/10
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Andy Serk...
Director Peter Jackson's triumphant finale to fantasy cinema's most acclaimed series has Frodo, Sam and the treacherous Gollum attempt to destroy the... Read more
Off the Rails - A Love Story (Marcus Lush) (2005)
Starring: Marcus Lush
One man in New Zealand is still passionate enough about our rails and the country they roll through, to put words into action. Train buff Marcus Lush... Read more
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
7.9/10
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Ian McKellen, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Benedict...
Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company travels East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of... Read more
Under the Mountain (2009)
4.9/10
Director: Jonathan King
Starring: Sam Neill, Oliver Driver, Sophie McBride, Tom Cameron, Leon Wadham
Based on Maurice Gee's best-selling novel, "Under the Mountain" is an exciting and suspenseful fantasy adventure set amid Auckland's breathtaking natu... Read more
Utu Redux (1983)
Director: Geoff Murphy
Starring: Anzac Wallace, Bruno Lawrence, Wi Kuki Kaa, Kelly Johnson, Tim Elliott, Tania Br...
In 1870s New Zealand, Te Wheke (Anzac Wallace), a Maori scout for the colonial troops, finds his tribe massacred by the army he is working for. Anguis... Read more
Rain (2001)
7/10
Director: Christine Jeffs
Starring: Alicia Fulford-Wierzbicki, Sarah Peirse, Marton Csokas, Alistair Browning
This impressive feature debut by director Christine Jeffs, adapted from Kirsty Gunn's novella, is set in an idyllic beachside community in the summer... Read more
Apron Strings (2008)
6.6/10
Director: Sima Urale
Starring: Laila Rouass, Scott Wills, Jennifer Ludlam, Nathan Whitaker, Leela Patel, Peter...
Samoan-born Aucklander Sima Urale makes her feature debut with this light-hearted, multi-cultural family drama exploring the fine line between motheri... Read more