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".
In this wonderful fantasy, the spirit of an inventive monk, Elmer, who died 1,000 years ago while trying out his newest invention, a pair of wings, en... Read more
Director Lee Tamahori's stunning debut film focuses on a violent love story set against a contemporary urban backdrop. This insightful, gutsy drama fe... Read more
The provocative, imaginative true-life story of how the intense and passionate relationship of 1950s Christchurch teenagers Pauline Parker and Juliet... Read more
Director Lee Tamahori's stunning debut film focuses on a violent love story set against a contemporary urban backdrop. This insightful, gutsy drama fe... Read more
An offbeat and deeply weird melodrama about two children, split up at birth, and their later coming together with the aid of psychic powers. A vivid h... Read more
Ada (Holly Hunter), her nine-year-old daughter (Anna Paquin) and her piano arrive to an arranged marriage in nineteenth century New Zealand in this Pa... Read more
Based on the autobiography of Sonya Davies. This moving epic story of one woman's experience spans twenty years from 1940 and captures the hopes and a... Read more
The story of a determined young woman's quest against setbacks, intense rivalry and personal tragedy to win selection for the 1960 Olympic Games in Ro... Read more
An excessive, hilarious romp through glorious sets and heated passions as Dorothea thinks she has found a man who will free her from the clutches of a... Read more
Ada (Holly Hunter), her nine-year-old daughter (Anna Paquin) and her piano arrive to an arranged marriage in nineteenth century New Zealand in this Pa... Read more