Large audiences for the Wellington Film Festival

Large audiences for the Wellington Film Festival

August 6th, 2002

The Wellington Film Festival has had another successful year attracting wide audiences from the Wellington region. 64,500 attendances have been recorded over the 17 days of the Film Festival, making an advance on last year.

“I am pleased to announce such an impressive turn-out for the Wellington Film Festival,” Film Festival Director Bill Gosden said today. “The enthusiasm of Wellington filmgoers is very encouraging. The Embassy Theatre played host to maximum audiences. Many of our screenings were sold-out, and only the slight reduction in seat numbers at the Embassy prevented us from breaking our attendance record of 65,000 admissions.”

Features that attracted sell-out crowds were the Tibetan film Samsara, the Welsh comedy Very Annie Mary, the sexy and smart Y u mamá también, the controversial Cannes Film Festival winner The Piano Teacher, and the impressive Russian Ark filmed in one-single shot. Documentaries weren’t left behind either. Two Towns of Jasper, Blind Spot: Hitler’s Secretary and Strange Fruit also sold out. And, due to popular demand, the Wellington Film Festival scheduled extra screenings for both Strange Fruit and Russian Ark.

“The popularity of such a diverse range of films is most gratifying,” says Programmer Sandra Reid. “The feedback we have received indicates that festival audiences share our feelings about films we secured for this year’s programme. It has been a terrific year for movies and it has been our privilege to select some of the best!”

For more information please contact:
Bill Gosden – (04) 802 2573
Shelley McCarten – (04) 802 2576

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