Celebrating DEGANZ Talent at NZIFF 2026
The highly anticipated 2026 Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) is just around the corner, bringing a curated lineup of more than 130 films to audiences across the country, including works from almost 20 DEGANZ members.
In the programme’s foreword, Artistic Director Paolo Bertolin describes the 2026 lineup as “diverse, free, and adventurous”, promising films that will “inspire, entertain, provoke, and ultimately transport you”.
The festival opens with Big Girls Don’t Cry, following its acclaimed international run, where it was a finalist for the World Cinema Dramatic Award at Sundance and won the Grand Prix at Festival Nouvelles Vagues in France. The festival’s centrepiece film, LOMU, a powerful documentary on rugby legend Jonah Lomu, will premiere at The Civic on 1 August.
Check out the films from DEGANZ members below, and keep up to date with NZIFF to find out when you can catch them on the big screen!
Feature Films
Be Merry
Director: Gwen Isaac
Raised in 1980s Russell by Merry, an artist whose life became local folklore, filmmaker Gwen Isaac returns to her far-north hometown to untangle fact from family legend and confront the inheritance she carries into her own motherhood.
Big Girls Don’t Cry
Co-Editor: Cushla Dillon
Paloma Schneideman’s coming-of-age debut launches the festival with a tender portrait of 14-year-old Sid as she tentatively traverses insecurity, identity, and desire during the summer of 2006.
Crocodile
Co-Editor: Cushla Dillon
It follows a group of teenagers and young adults from Kaduna, Nigeria, who taught themselves visual effects to make homemade, guerrilla sci-fi films with smartphones and found props.
Lomu
Director: Vea Mafileʻo
Rugby’s first global superstar was also one of its most private—a shy, gentle giant caught between two worlds, whose story mirrors Aotearoa’s own coming of age.
Special Feature Film Screenings
Out of the Blue
Director: Robert Sarkies
Dunedin’s Robert Sarkies ventured into weightier territory after Scarfies, reckoning with a defining tragedy of gun violence that rocked Aotearoa’s sense of security.
The Ungrateful Tenant
Editors: Kerri Roggio
An Auckland man endures a gauntlet of disastrous flatting situations in this silent horror-comedy film for the rental generation.
Ngā Whanaunga: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Best 1
Ngā Whanaunga: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Best presents the very best of Māori and Pasifika filmmaking alongside the best films made by everyone in Aotearoa. A total of 130 films were submitted for this year’s competition, with 14 finalists chosen by the selectors.
Yes David
Director: Ghazaleh Gol
A near future where absolute compliance and obedience are strictly required.
Arrival
Director: Ahmed Osman
Assimilation via torment and curiosity.
Tall Horses
Editor: Allan George
A charismatic tale of a thoroughbred that captured the hearts of many and tortured the heart of one.
Kurī
Editor: Sam Small
Blunt, unapologetic & beautiful, Kurī resonates.
Lady Shaka: Sonic Sands
Editor: Josh Yong
The triumph of the marginalised migrating to the world arena.
Ngā Whanaunga: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Best 2
Lion Rock
Directors: Prisca Bouchet & Nick Mayow
Editor: Prisca Bouchet
Writer: Nick Mayow
Slowburn with an underbelly of turmoil.
Socks
Director: Todd Karehana
Sometimes when feelings are strong, a memento is a must.
The Whole Thing
Director: Calvin Sang
Stunning production befitting of an intelligent and eloquent film.
The Return
Editor: Alex Boyd
Powerful in its restlessness and courageous for deserved acceptance.
Ciggie
Editor: Scott Milligan
Nostalgic innocence in true Kiwi style.
A Wave in the Ocean + Peel
A Wave in the Ocean was a 12-month intensive driven by filmmaking powerhouses Dame Jane Campion and Philippa Campbell. offering an opportunity for developing filmmakers to deepen their craft and encouraging feature filmmaking through short-film development.
A Very Good Boy
Editor: Brendon Chan
A househusband’s secret desire, leading to disaster.
Girl Time
Director & Editor: Eleanor Bishop
Marianne is getting ready for a dreaded family dinner when two mysterious young girls appear, wanting her to play with them.
Last updated on 16 July 2026
