Movie fans, get ready to feast your eyes and ears! The Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival is on again in Ōtepoti Dunedin from 14-30 August. From the classic to the kooky, docos to drama, family-friendly fun to late-night frights and everything in between, there’s something to suit all film fanciers.

Standouts from the lineup include a backstage French farce (Comédie-Française), a star-studded comedy-drama about family complexities (Father Mother Sister Brother), a jazz icon’s comeback from tragedy (Everybody Digs Bill Evans), and our opening night film, a coming-of-age tale about the awkwardness of growing up (Big Girls Don’t Cry).

Also on the list, Cannes' big winners including top prize Palme d’Or recipient, Fjord - a stark family drama set in a Norwegian fishing village where the locals are not kind to the newcomers, and Grand Prize winner, Minotaur, an ice-cold political thriller about a Russian business magnate whose professional and personal life is rapidly unravelling.

"We're excited to share another incredible line-up of films with New Zealand audiences for  NZIFF 2026,” says Artistic Director Paolo Bertolin. “This year's selection is diverse, free and adventurous, a line-up that represents cinematic quality, while also being big on emotional impact, fun and topicality. We're really looking forward to the moment our audiences discover them on the big screen."

The Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival is on in Dunedin from 14-30 August. All details, film listings and ticketing info can be found at nziff.co.nz.