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".
Children of Fire Mountain (1979)
8.4/10
Director: Peter Sharp
Starring: Mark Hadlow, Terence Cooper, Melissa-Arohn Baker, Paul Airey
Set in 1900, a small town is the backdrop for this award-winning 13-part children's drama series about a group of children living in Wainamu, a therma... Read more
Children of the Dog Star (1984)
7.2/10
12-year-old Gretchen goes to stay with her uncle for the holidays and lets her imagination and talent for all things mechanical run wild. She is parti... Read more
Christmas (2003)
7.2/10
Director: Gregory King
Starring: David Hornblow, Darien Takle, Helen Pearse-Otene, Tony Waerea
Broke, jobless and chronically depressed, eldest son Keri returns to the family home for Christmas, where he must face the emotional train-wreck that... Read more
Chronesthesia (2016)
6.3/10
Director: Hayden J Weal
Starring: Michelle Ny, Hayden J Weal, Nova Waretini-Hewison, Julian Dennison, Abby Damen,...
Aka 'Love and Time Travel'. When emotionally isolated barista Dan Duncombe (writer/director Hayden J. Weal) starts receiving strange messages on the i... Read more
Chunuk Bair (1992)
6.5/10
Director: Dale G Bradley
Starring: Robert Powell, Kevin J Wilson
The tragedy of Gallipoli is told through the heroic experience of the Wellington Regiment over a 3 days as, exhausted and shell-shocked, they battle t... Read more
Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (1995)
7.1/10
Director: Judy Rymer, Sam Neill
Starring: Sam Neill
Sam Neill looks at our national cinema using dozens of film clips to explore the dark undercurrent beneath the seemingly uneventful surface of New Zea... Read more
Constance (1983)
3.6/10
Director: Bruce Morrison
Starring: Donogh Rees, Judie Douglass, Martin Vaughan, Shane Briant
About a young Auckland primary school teacher whose life is influenced by the movies which are her great passion. She gives up her job and embarks on... Read more
Country Calendar: A Celebration of 40 Years (2006)
To celebrate "Country Calendar's" 40th Birthday, TVNZ presents a collection of stories, featuring a special hour-long episode tracing the history of "... Read more
Crooked Earth (2001)
5.7/10
Director: Sam Pillsbury
Starring: Temuera Morrison, Lawrence Makoare, Jaime Passier-Armstrong, Quinton Hita, Nancy...
After 20 years service in the army, Captain Will Bastion (Temuera Morrison) is forced to resign his commission for an incident his superiors want kept... Read more
Crush (1992)
5.9/10
Director: Alison Maclean
Starring: Marcia Gay Harden, William Zappa, Donogh Rees, Caitlin Bossley
A psychological thriller about a befriended American woman's impact on the life of a 15 year old girl leading to shattering consequences. Stars Marcia... Read more