Current Films
Tickets are $14.00 across the board, not bad eh!
Girls of the Sun
STARTS SEPT 12
"It's a remarkable film, very powerful, a wonderful screenplay"
- Cate Blanchett, President of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival Jury
Selected for the 2018 Cannes and Toronto film festivals and based on true events surrounding the Yazidi women soldiers, Girls of the Sun is an inspirational war story like no other.
Lawyer-turned-freedom fighter Bahar (Golshifteh Farahani) prepares to liberate her Kurdistan village and free her son taken hostage by extremists. French journalist Mathilde (Emmanuelle Bercot), herself traumatised by the recent death of her husband in Libya, arrives to cover the story of Bahar and her Kurdish army known as ‘Girls of the Sun’. During her time spent embedded within the ranks of this all-female unit of former ISIS captives, Mathilde faces her own inner demons and finds strength through adversity.
A marked departure from Eva Husson’s debut, Girls of the Sun is an incendiary and unashamedly emotional film that pays respect to largely unacknowledged Kurdish female warriors who have played a monumental role in the fight against ISIS.
"It's a remarkable film, very powerful, a wonderful screenplay"
- Cate Blanchett, President of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival Jury
Selected for the 2018 Cannes and Toronto film festivals and based on true events surrounding the Yazidi women soldiers, Girls of the Sun is an inspirational war story like no other.
Lawyer-turned-freedom fighter Bahar (Golshifteh Farahani) prepares to liberate her Kurdistan village and free her son taken hostage by extremists. French journalist Mathilde (Emmanuelle Bercot), herself traumatised by the recent death of her husband in Libya, arrives to cover the story of Bahar and her Kurdish army known as ‘Girls of the Sun’. During her time spent embedded within the ranks of this all-female unit of former ISIS captives, Mathilde faces her own inner demons and finds strength through adversity.
A marked departure from Eva Husson’s debut, Girls of the Sun is an incendiary and unashamedly emotional film that pays respect to largely unacknowledged Kurdish female warriors who have played a monumental role in the fight against ISIS.
Florianopolis Dream
STARTS 19 SEPT
(Karlovy Vary Special Prize of the Jury, Best Actress & FIPRESCI Prize Winner 2018)
A family takes a road trip from Argentina to Brazil in the beautiful Brazilian beach town of Florianopolis, and along the way their holiday opens up new and exciting experiences.
Argentine writer-director Ana Katz has a gift for capturing aspects of women’s experiences rarely found in film. Her latest is her best yet, unfolding as an alluringly breezy portrait of a middle-class family on holiday. Only gradually does its episodic narrative reveal deep wells of wisdom regarding aging, desire, self-knowledge, and the wayward nature of long-term relationships.
"A vacation worth taking." - Hollywood Reporter
"Gustavo Biazzi’s relaxed, roving camerawork is fully in sync with the languid, to-and-fro rhythm of the piece, drinking in the pleasures of the gorgeous scenery" - Variety
(Karlovy Vary Special Prize of the Jury, Best Actress & FIPRESCI Prize Winner 2018)
A family takes a road trip from Argentina to Brazil in the beautiful Brazilian beach town of Florianopolis, and along the way their holiday opens up new and exciting experiences.
Argentine writer-director Ana Katz has a gift for capturing aspects of women’s experiences rarely found in film. Her latest is her best yet, unfolding as an alluringly breezy portrait of a middle-class family on holiday. Only gradually does its episodic narrative reveal deep wells of wisdom regarding aging, desire, self-knowledge, and the wayward nature of long-term relationships.
"A vacation worth taking." - Hollywood Reporter
"Gustavo Biazzi’s relaxed, roving camerawork is fully in sync with the languid, to-and-fro rhythm of the piece, drinking in the pleasures of the gorgeous scenery" - Variety
Margaret Atwood
We’re very excited to offer you a cinema-exclusive night with Margaret Atwood and special guests from September 28. One night only - booking essential, tickets $20.
The trailblazing author and social campaigner Margaret Atwood is hosting a rare live in person event broadcast, featuring discussion from her hugely successful THE HANDMAIDS TALE and excerpts from her upcoming sequel called THE TESTAMENTS (one of the most anticipated literary releases of all time). The event will also cover her life, and feature special guests.
Margaret Atwood is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her novels include Cat’s Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin and the MaddAddam Trilogy. Her 1985 classic The Handmaid’s Tale went back into the bestseller charts with the election of Donald Trump, when the Handmaids became a symbol of resistance against him; and the 2017 release of the award-winning Channel 4 TV series. Sales of the English language edition have now topped 8 million copies worldwide. Atwood has won numerous awards including the Booker Prize, the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade and the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award.
With exclusive readings from the new book by special guests, this will be an unmissable and intimate event with Atwood, spotlighting her signature insight, humour and intellect.
The trailblazing author and social campaigner Margaret Atwood is hosting a rare live in person event broadcast, featuring discussion from her hugely successful THE HANDMAIDS TALE and excerpts from her upcoming sequel called THE TESTAMENTS (one of the most anticipated literary releases of all time). The event will also cover her life, and feature special guests.
Margaret Atwood is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her novels include Cat’s Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin and the MaddAddam Trilogy. Her 1985 classic The Handmaid’s Tale went back into the bestseller charts with the election of Donald Trump, when the Handmaids became a symbol of resistance against him; and the 2017 release of the award-winning Channel 4 TV series. Sales of the English language edition have now topped 8 million copies worldwide. Atwood has won numerous awards including the Booker Prize, the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade and the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award.
With exclusive readings from the new book by special guests, this will be an unmissable and intimate event with Atwood, spotlighting her signature insight, humour and intellect.
The Last Picture Show
September 24th FAR OUT FILM!
A coming of age film set in 1951 (but made in 1971), tells the story of young love and small town living in a changing world. Shot in stunningly beautiful black & white to appear true to the era, and filmed on location in small town Texas. The film has an unadorned honesty that came as a jolt after the crazed late 1960’s. While the "Easy Rider" generation was celebrating a heedless freedom, The Last Picture Show went back to directness and simplicity.
An absolute classic that is sure to please any movie goer. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and currently has a 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.
A coming of age film set in 1951 (but made in 1971), tells the story of young love and small town living in a changing world. Shot in stunningly beautiful black & white to appear true to the era, and filmed on location in small town Texas. The film has an unadorned honesty that came as a jolt after the crazed late 1960’s. While the "Easy Rider" generation was celebrating a heedless freedom, The Last Picture Show went back to directness and simplicity.
An absolute classic that is sure to please any movie goer. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and currently has a 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.
Dan Carter: A Perfect 10
Documentary on All Black legend Dan Carter, focusing on his World Cup campaigns and promising to reveal the rugby superstar's personal side. "It’s definitely more of myself than I’ve been comfortable giving in the past. I’ve been incredibly lucky in my life with the opportunities I’ve been given, but I’ve also had some dark times along the way," says Carter. "I hope audiences take away from the film that you can reach your goals no matter where you come from and what you come up against."
Herbs: Songs of Freedom
STARTS 29 AUGUST
Directed by Tearepa Kahi (Poi E: The Story of Our Song), HERBS: Songs of Freedom brings together the band's key living members in an emotional round of interviews, jams and memories culminating in a reunion concert. 40 years on from the formation of the band in the heat of the 1970s Dawn Raids and the Bastion Point occupation, the film documents the band in the context of music as social activism.
HERBS: Songs of Freedom explores the success of Herbs, the much-loved pioneers of Pacific Reggae with interviews with band members past and present, as well as exclusive full-length concert footage from the reunion show. The band were creators of uniquely Kiwi protest songs 'French Letter', the classic 'Sensitive to a Smile' and garage-party good-times anthem 'Long Ago'.
Director Tearepa Kahi commented on the film: "When I grew up, Herbs represented a new voice - they brought fresh narratives and choruses to the front line of New Zealand. Their brand of reggae had widespread popular appeal, but they weren't just a good time, they opened our eyes to what was really happening. It's one thing to hold a placard, chant and march against a dragon. It's another to pick up a red guitar and slay the dragon with reggae. And that's Herbs."
Produced by Cliff Curtis (Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, Eagle vs Shark) and Reikura Kahi (Poi E: The Story of Our Song), HERBS: Songs of Freedom was produced by Boot Hill Films, Jawbone in association with Herbs.
HERBS: Songs of Freedom was funded by New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air, Te Māngai Pāho and Māori Television Service and is distributed by Rialto Distribution.
Directed by Tearepa Kahi (Poi E: The Story of Our Song), HERBS: Songs of Freedom brings together the band's key living members in an emotional round of interviews, jams and memories culminating in a reunion concert. 40 years on from the formation of the band in the heat of the 1970s Dawn Raids and the Bastion Point occupation, the film documents the band in the context of music as social activism.
HERBS: Songs of Freedom explores the success of Herbs, the much-loved pioneers of Pacific Reggae with interviews with band members past and present, as well as exclusive full-length concert footage from the reunion show. The band were creators of uniquely Kiwi protest songs 'French Letter', the classic 'Sensitive to a Smile' and garage-party good-times anthem 'Long Ago'.
Director Tearepa Kahi commented on the film: "When I grew up, Herbs represented a new voice - they brought fresh narratives and choruses to the front line of New Zealand. Their brand of reggae had widespread popular appeal, but they weren't just a good time, they opened our eyes to what was really happening. It's one thing to hold a placard, chant and march against a dragon. It's another to pick up a red guitar and slay the dragon with reggae. And that's Herbs."
Produced by Cliff Curtis (Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen, Eagle vs Shark) and Reikura Kahi (Poi E: The Story of Our Song), HERBS: Songs of Freedom was produced by Boot Hill Films, Jawbone in association with Herbs.
HERBS: Songs of Freedom was funded by New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Air, Te Māngai Pāho and Māori Television Service and is distributed by Rialto Distribution.
For My Father's Kingdom
STARTS 22 AUGUST
Driven by his deep faith in God and traditional culture, a flat-broke Tongan pensioner must navigate not only the rough streets of South Auckland, but also his tumultuous relationship with his New Zealand born son who struggles to accept his father's commitment to a Kingdom that tore their family apart.
"A moving piece of filmmaking, one that's intensely personal but manages to explore universal themes along the way." 41/2 stars - Stuff.co.nz
Driven by his deep faith in God and traditional culture, a flat-broke Tongan pensioner must navigate not only the rough streets of South Auckland, but also his tumultuous relationship with his New Zealand born son who struggles to accept his father's commitment to a Kingdom that tore their family apart.
"A moving piece of filmmaking, one that's intensely personal but manages to explore universal themes along the way." 41/2 stars - Stuff.co.nz
The Public
STARTS 8 AUGUST
A sit-in by patrons at a public library escalates into a police standoff in this David versus Goliath drama directed by, and starring, Emilio Estevez.
"It begins quietly enough in a Cincinnati library on a winter's day. Stuart (Estevez) and Myra (Jena Malone) do their best to manage the daily assortment of knowledge seekers, loiterers, and homeless people who frequent their branch. It's freezing outside. As closing time draws near, Jackson (The Wire's Michael K. Williams) sparks an act of civil disobedience among his fellow library patrons who have nowhere to sleep. They refuse to leave, defying first the entreaties of the library staff, then a local political operative (Christian Slater), and soon a team of riot police led by Detective Ramstead (Alec Baldwin), a hard-charging crisis negotiator. Outside, a TV reporter (Gabrielle Union) juices up the story for the wider world." (Toronto International Film Festival)
A sit-in by patrons at a public library escalates into a police standoff in this David versus Goliath drama directed by, and starring, Emilio Estevez.
"It begins quietly enough in a Cincinnati library on a winter's day. Stuart (Estevez) and Myra (Jena Malone) do their best to manage the daily assortment of knowledge seekers, loiterers, and homeless people who frequent their branch. It's freezing outside. As closing time draws near, Jackson (The Wire's Michael K. Williams) sparks an act of civil disobedience among his fellow library patrons who have nowhere to sleep. They refuse to leave, defying first the entreaties of the library staff, then a local political operative (Christian Slater), and soon a team of riot police led by Detective Ramstead (Alec Baldwin), a hard-charging crisis negotiator. Outside, a TV reporter (Gabrielle Union) juices up the story for the wider world." (Toronto International Film Festival)
Yuli
STARTS 10 OCT
Superstar ballet dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta shares and explores his life story, culminating at the peak of dance. Reenactments of his childhood sit alongside Acosta's life depicted in dance, with Acosta himself captured as onscreen choreographer and director, and even playing his own father.
Superstar ballet dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta shares and explores his life story, culminating at the peak of dance. Reenactments of his childhood sit alongside Acosta's life depicted in dance, with Acosta himself captured as onscreen choreographer and director, and even playing his own father.
Show Me Shorts - The Sampler
Here for another year, Show Me Shorts brings us a unique collection of some of the best short films around.
ONE NIGHT ONLY - Saturday 19 October
Show Me Shorts is New Zealand's leading international short film festival and has become a popular addition to the Gisborne arts calendar. This programme will include some of the best new short films from New Zealand and around the world, featuring a diverse collection of cultures and voices. They will take you on a ride through a range of emotions. Learn something. Feel something. Be inspired.
Tickets available from The Aviary (Poverty Bay Club) or The Dome Cinema.
ONE NIGHT ONLY - Saturday 19 October
Show Me Shorts is New Zealand's leading international short film festival and has become a popular addition to the Gisborne arts calendar. This programme will include some of the best new short films from New Zealand and around the world, featuring a diverse collection of cultures and voices. They will take you on a ride through a range of emotions. Learn something. Feel something. Be inspired.
Tickets available from The Aviary (Poverty Bay Club) or The Dome Cinema.
Support the Girls
STARTS 1 AUGUST
The filmmaker behind art comedies Computer Chess and Results follows the tight-knit staff at a dodgy sports bar.
"Lisa (Regina Hall) is the general manager at Double Whammies, a dodgy sports bar where the waitresses must dress in revealing clothing, and deal with the leering clientele. Despite the circumstances, Lisa loves her staff and the customers and has an infectious optimism. She is also fiercely protective of her employees, helping them deal with absent babysitters, money problems and abusive boyfriends. The film takes in one particularly awful day that cruelly tests Lisa’s optimism."
The filmmaker behind art comedies Computer Chess and Results follows the tight-knit staff at a dodgy sports bar.
"Lisa (Regina Hall) is the general manager at Double Whammies, a dodgy sports bar where the waitresses must dress in revealing clothing, and deal with the leering clientele. Despite the circumstances, Lisa loves her staff and the customers and has an infectious optimism. She is also fiercely protective of her employees, helping them deal with absent babysitters, money problems and abusive boyfriends. The film takes in one particularly awful day that cruelly tests Lisa’s optimism."