If you're aching to learn which films have made the cut for the upcoming New Zealand International Film Festival, there's bad news in store: you'll have to wait until the full programme is launched on June 23.
But TimeOut has managed to get its hands on a sneaky preview, withfive of the festival's films being announced today: The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Umrika, Cartel Land, Grandma and The Wolf Pack.
Each premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and NZIFF director Bill Gosden calls today's announcement an "energised" start to the festival's full line-up.
The Auckland leg of the festival will run from July 16 until August 2. Full details are on nziff.co.nz.
Here's a brief look at each of the films announced today:
The NZIFF gets some serious star power with Alexander Skarsgard and Kristen Wiig starring in this story based on Phoebe Gloeckner's acclaimed graphic novel. A coming of age tale, it follows a San Francisco teen growing up in the 1970s who begins a love affair with her mother's boyfriend. "A strikingly intimate look at a teenager's sexual life," wrote The Hollywood Reporter when it debuted at Sundance. The Diary of a Teenage Girl has already won a Berlin International Film Festival award.
Umrika
A scene from the movie Umrika.
Here's another period piece that's also a bit of a coming-of-age tale: Umrika follows a young boy called Ramakant, who begins searching for his older brother Udai when he realises letters he's been sending home from America have been forged. Starring Life of Pi's Suraj Sharma, Umrika was praised for containing several touching moments but was criticised for its uneven pace by The Hollywood Reporter after its Sundance debut. Nevertheless, it picked up the World Cinema Dramatic Audience Award.
Cartel Land
A scene from the movie Cartel Land.
This one gets heavy: Cartel Land follows vigilante groups as they take the law into their own hands to launch a fight against Mexican drug cartels. Director Matthew Heineman captures scenes of firefights, interrogation and tortue, wrote Variety. "There are no solutions posed; Cartel Land vividly conveys the sense that this cycle of violence can't be stopped as long as anyone who tries to take charge is susceptible to corruption."
If you're after some light relief, Grandma is here to tickle your funny bone. A classic road trip movie, it follows ageing poet Elle (Lily Tomlin) who fires up her vintage Dodge when her teenage granddaughter Sage turns up unexpectedly on the doorstep needing cash. Variety praised Tomlin's performance, saying she "brings deep reserves of anger and sorrow to this constantly surprising character piece". Marcia Gay Harden, Laverne Cox, Judy Greer, and Sam Elliott also star.
The Wolfpack
A scene from the movie The Wolfpack.
The Wolfpack is a documentary that examines the lives of the Angulo siblings, seven children who were homeschooled at their four-bedroom New York apartment and rarely left the house. So far, so boring - but here's the thing: the "Wolfpack" seven spent their childhood re-enacting their favourite films using elaborate homemade props and costumes. The Guardian gave it five stars, saying it "allows us to gawk without reservation". It went on to win the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize.
