Italian Film Festival Arrives To Delight New Plymouth

New Zealand’s largest Italian cultural event returns to NPDC’s Len Lye Cinema over the next three weeks.

Cinema Italiano Festival, or the Italian Film Festival is visiting 18 towns and cities across New Zealand, with the Len Lye Cinema the exclusive host venue for New Plymouth.

The festival programme is on until 9 June, and this is the fifth year it has screened at the cinema located within Govett-Brewster Art Gallery.

Cinema programmer Alastair Ross encourages everyone, not just those with a love for Italian film and cinema, to check out the programme.

"Cinema Italiano Festival is one of the gems in the Gallery’s year-round film programme, and the first of the three big international film festivals we present, amongst a total of seven festivals each year,” Alastair says.

“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the festival’s artistic directors Paolo Rotondo and Renee Mark to present a really great snapshot of classic and contemporary Italian cinema to Taranaki audiences.”

“There are really too many highlights across the programme, but I don't think you can go past the 1952 award-winning classic The White Sheik on the big screen, and the glorious La Chimera.”

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The Festival also features three bonus screenings of the NZ-made short film Maunga Cassino, filmed entirely in Te reo Māori and Italian. The film focusses on the meeting between an Italian deserter during WWII and a soldier from the 28th Māori Battalion.

The Italian Film Festival is one of many long-standing relationships between the Govett-Brewster and a number of embassies, cultural offices and international film festivals.

Go to the Govett Brewster website for screening details and ticket information. Tickets to all screenings and events can be booked online or in person at the Govett-Brewster Shop.

Fast Facts

• Govett-Brewster Art Gallery opened in 1970 and was founded by Monica Brewster.
• Len Lye Centre opened in July 2015 and is a joint initiative by NPDC, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and the Len Lye Foundation.
• The Gallery attracts around 80,000 visitors a year, with most coming from outside the district.
• The Len Lye Centre Cinema screens a regular programme of artist films, cultural documentaries, and independent cinema, including film festivals for everything from Māori cinema to surf films, to international festivals.

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