Steve Newall: Flicks.co.nz editor ahead of the 2025 New Zealand International Film Festival

The 2025 edition of the New Zealand International Film Festival is set to open in Auckland from July 31st and run until September 10th.

The event is speculated to show a wide range of films, from local productions to overseas affairs with international prestige. 

Flicks.co.nz editor Steve Newall unpacked some of the films expected to be screening - and outlined some promising entries.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks, EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Steve Neil, it Is, Reflects, Dot Cod and Z joins
us now, good morning.

Speaker 3 (00:16):
Good morning. I've been up bright and early watching About
a Glastow myself via a BBC iPlayer. Fantastic and we're
so good. The set that I really enjoyed today from
afternoon time UK time was a Pulp taking the stage
at Glastow thirty years and four days after their iconic

(00:39):
performance that kind of catapulted them to a new status
as a band. They got called up like days out
from the festival thirty years ago to play the main
stage after the Stone Roses pulled out and the performance
of common People was becoming iconic at that event. So
it's great to see a maybe more bedraggled, just equally

(01:02):
captivating Pulp today.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
I'm just laughing at myself because I'm so old. The
first thing I say looks good. That's the thing that
that's the thing that really matters to the festival. Thank goodness,
the sun is joinning and we're not drapsing through mud anyway.

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Let's move on.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Let's talk about the international Film Festival, because very soon
the program is going to be released. Very soon, we're
going to be immersing ourselves and some wonderful films.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
What's kind of on offer?

Speaker 3 (01:24):
Yeah, well, here in Auckland, we are about a month
away from the festival kicks off here on the thirty
first of July and we'll make its way around the
country through into September. The full program is about a
week away and tickets will go on sale immediately when
that happens. But they have announced a chunk of stuff
from the program, so it's good to i think, get
some of these centerpiece films in mind or things that

(01:46):
are maybe some of the must sees before we dine
out on the whole program. On the local front, among
the strong selection of Kiwi offerings, some things that stand
out to me are anchor me The dom The Glashan
Story of Shirley Horrocks has made a documentary about Mutton
Bird's frontman and Music Awards favorite Don McGlashan. Simon Exton's

(02:06):
made a film called kai Koe, Blood and Fire, which
follows a bunch of Mma style fighters in Kaikoe dreaming
of world domination from a very small Gymnasium. There's also
Margaret Gordon's Life in One Cord, which is a documentary
on Strait Jacker Fitz Shane Carter, and Chelsea win Stanley
makes her directorial debut with toy TiO Visual Sovereignty. I'll

(02:29):
also very very keen to see The Weed Eaters by
Callum Devlin, the synopsis of which is four slack of
friends on a rural New Year's getaway stumble across their
reclusive host's deadly stash, a killer strain of weed that
makes unsuspecting stoner's crave human flesh. Okay, sounds great into it.

(02:50):
On the international front, there is well this couple of
anniversaries being celebrated this year at the Film Festival. Galen
Preston has a new film Grace A Prayer for Peace,
but also there's the thirtieth anniversary of her superb War
Stories Our Mothers Never Told Us And maybe more in
line with The Weed Eaters, Toby Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw
Massacres playing are now fifty years old and still holding

(03:14):
up really really well. From the international festival circuit, a
bunch of highlights in place already. The opening night film
has been announced it was the Palm Door winner from
can It Was Just an Accident. The closing night film
Joaquim Trea's Sentimental Value. He's a director of the Worst
Person in the World. It was one of the many
artists that Charlie XCX is handing brat Summer over to,

(03:38):
according to the end video of her performances. There's also
a new film from Kelly Reichhart, The Mastermind, a new
Richard linklater knew, David Cronenberg a bunch of stuff to you, all.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Those big recognizable names that we love to see at
a festival.

Speaker 1 (03:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
Absolutely, And having had a little peek at the program,
there are a number of other treats loitering in there.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Also fantastic And look, as we get nearer the time,
we can cover off of maybe some of the hidden
gems in there as well. It might not be so obvious. Hey,
what have you been watching this week?

Speaker 3 (04:07):
This week I headed down to my local multiplex to
see a film that is Bill tom technology and sort
of the pinnacle of human engineering. To rev up the
adrenaline as much as possible. Building on an old favorite,
and I'm not talking about Brad pitt an f one.
I'm talking about Megan two point zero, which I had

(04:27):
a very enjoyable experience watching. It's the follow up to
key director Gerard Johnston's Killer Robot film from a few
years ago, or maybe Killer Companion, this story of a
kind of a young child's companion become a psychotic robot.
This sequel sees the sort of horror comedy change lanes

(04:49):
a bit to be more of an outright sort of
action sci fi comedy. A lot to enjoy about this film,
not least of which is seeing Auckland playing a backdrop
to an American city. It's such a parochial New Zealand
thing to identify New Zealand on screen, but god damn it,
it's fun.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
I love it. Thank you so and that's that's on
it all okay, brilliant, Thank you so much, Steve.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it B from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.