With COVID-19 restrictions in place and likely to continue for more months to come, the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has announced plans to present the 2020 programme in an innovative online format. The NZIFF At Home – Online has curated a world-class programme of world and local premiere films for audiences to screen at home.
The uncertainty around reopening cinemas and entertainment venues around the country due to coronavirus meant the organisation needed to adapt and find a creative solution for this year’s film presentations.
According to a press release, an upgrade of the existing video on demand VOD portal and the necessary technology and integration to present the festival experience are key to the success of the online edition, with NZIFF promising to deliver a ‘bells and whistles’ digital screening room, coupled with live streaming events.
“NZIFF At Home — Online will be a true film festival experience featuring world and New Zealand premieres of films each night, and including virtual red-carpet, and filmmaker Q&As and we can potentially invite more international guests to present their films to our festival audiences than ever before using virtual means. Some films will be screened as special ‘one-off’ events, and many of the films presented will be exclusive to NZIFF and won’t have other New Zealand screenings,” said NZIFF Director Marten Rabarts in a press release.
The global pandemic is severely impacting film festivals and premieres around the world, with the cancellation and postponement of festivals including Cannes, New York’s TribeCa and Sydney among many others. Fortunately, key film distributors in Australia, New Zealand and around the world have assured the NZIFF that they are committed to making this online edition work well.
“The shared experience of cinema and the power of storytelling to bring communities together has always been our driving force. With the current, and evolving situation, we believe in the value and importance of cinema now more than ever,” said New Zealand Film Festival Trust Chair Catherine Fitzgerald in a press release.
“We cannot do without the Film Festival in July and so we are excited to be able to upgrade our online platform to ensure we can bring the best of new cinema to our audiences with new ways to share the experience and interact with the filmmakers and fellow audience members,” Fitzgerald continued.
Full information on the programme, viewing costs and viewing windows for the online platform will be announced on Monday 22 June. The Last Fashion Bible will bring you more updates as they happen.
