NZIFF coming to LIDO CINEMA

New Zealand International Film Festival coming to Lido Cinema, 9-29 August 2023

Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) today reveals an impressive line-up of films for tamariki of all ages that are set to feature in its 2023 Square Eyes programme lighting up cinemas around Aotearoa this winter from 19 July.

“I’m jazzed to share this latest NZIFF Square Eyes collection of world cinema for both the youngest cinephiles in the whānau, and all young-at-heart audiences across the motu. This years’ selection continues to introduce young audiences to new ideas and cultural perspectives on beautiful big screens. I’m grateful to our filmmakers the world over for bringing us together in magical dark rooms to share their screen-stories" says Nic Marshall, Square Eyes programmer.

Judy Blume’s ground-breaking novel about puberty—and so much more—gets a heartfelt and poignant pitch-perfect adaptation in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Directed by Kelly Frenon Craig (The Edge of Seventeen), produced by James L. Brooks (Broadcast News, The Simpsons) and starring Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates, this coming-of-age tale captures the essence of growing up, self-discovery, and the quest for identity, transcending decades and speaking to multiple generations.

Dounia & The Princess of Aleppo charts a young girl’s brave journey to find the new home which, she is sure, is waiting for her somewhere. This French-Canadian animation from directors André Kadi and Marya Zarif poetically and delicately explores the complexities of immigration and displacement, and offers an enchanting philosophical story, brimming with music, magic and myth.

Direct from Cannes, Spanish writer-director Pablo Berger’s (Blancanieves, NZIFF 2012) debut animation Robot Dreams, adapts Sara Varon’s graphic novel. A beautifully ambiguous story of friendship, love and loss, this wordless graphic fable; at times heart-warming, at others heart-wrenching; explores what happens when the closest of bonds are weathered away by time and circumstance.

Each year our Animations for Kids collections provide a brilliant opportunity to introduce youngest members of the whānau to the delights of international cinema. Collected from all over the world and showcasing an impressive variety of animated techniques, we’re sure this latest selection of short film delights, selected for both young animation admirers and their filmgoing companions, will be sure to charm and captivate.

Animation for Kids 4+ includes I’m A Rock, Kiri and Lou’s very latest adventure from New Zealand director Harry Sinclair, What’s In That Crate? and To Be Sisters hot from Annecy 2023, alongside Estonian folktale The Turnip, royal delight Princess Aubergine, Australian ear-worm Little Goat Man, fishy adventure Pond, dinosaur tale T-Rex, and battle of smarts Cat and Moth.

Animation for Kids 8+ is curated for inquisitive kids, budding animators, and indie-animation admiring adults alike. This year’s line-up includes floral social comedy Sunflower, food court heartwarmer Mall Stories: Atilla the Grilla, reluctant hero parable Paolo’s Happiness, colourful quest You Sold My Rollerskates, woodland fable Shackle, Arctic allegory Polar Bears Boredom, yearning canine fairytale The Queen of the Foxes, and mysterious dreamscape Somni.

Browse the New Zealand International Film Festival website here.

Session times and tickets at Lido Cinema here.