Welcome to DOCNZ

Kia ora, welcome to the 4th edition of the DOCNZ ‘Life Unscripted’ International Film Festival 2009.

We have brought the annual date of DOCNZ Festival forward to February in order to coordinate with major international festivals and events. This will make DOCNZ Festival a much more attractive destination for international guests hoping to attend local industry events as well as allowing us to bring to New Zealand the most up to date film releases from Northern Hemisphere festivals.

Over 500 films from all over the world were submitted for selection. A total of 52 films form the DOCNZ 2009 programme and for the first time, the same programme will be screened in all national centres. We believe the 2009 programme comprises an appealing and diverse selection of stories from New Zealand and abroad. In addition to our standard themes; Best of Fest, World Cinema, Heroes and Icons, Culture Vultures as well as the New Zealand Competition and International Competition sections, we look forward to focusing the spotlight on two unique themes this year: Germany and Humour.

We are grateful for the support of the Goethe-Institut in making the German Focus possible. In addition we thank Dr. Grit Lemke’s input and her thoughtful selection of films by German filmmakers. Dr Lemke’s selections will give us insight into German society and culture in the context of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Our second unique theme is also a category that we had the most fun with. Documentary as a genre is often assoiated with themes of a serious nature but we were delighted to discover the growing number of humour based documentaries and look forward to sharing some of these gems that will make us laugh yet enlighten at the same time.

The Documentary New Zealand Trust, the body that administers the film festival, will also be running for the third year the country’s most significant national documentary industry event, DOCNZ Summit. The summit, 23–25 February, comprises masterclasses, panel discussions, and networking events, as well the DOCNZ Pitching Forum. Local and overseas filmmakers will attend including a German delegation comprising broadcasters, producers, and filmmakers who will participate as part of our German Focus. We will also announce at the Summit the newly formed DOCNZ-Goethe Institute Documentary Scholarship. Finally, prior to the DOCNZ Summit, we will be hosting an associated event, the Expanding Documentary Conference from 21–22 February.

The global economic crisis holds challenges for the local industry as well as for non-proit organisations such as the Trust. However with the ongoing support of our sponsors and partners we are confident that many of these challenges can be overcome. The arts and cultural sector can offer illumination and inspiration in times of difficulty. We are grateful to those who have supported us and have believed in our vision in providing ongoing and serious opportunities for that sector to continue to grow.

If you enjoy documentaries and want to view notworthy films through the year, you can join us at DOCNZ Focus, a regular bi-monthly screening.

We hope that you will enjoy the Festival including the multitude of award-winning films premiering in New Zealand and the various industry events. Please welcome our overseas visitors, many of whom are travelling long distances to get here, eager to experience the legendary Kiwi hospitality that they’ve heard so much about.

Ka kite

Dan Shanan, Ewa Bigio, Alex Lee
The Documentary New Zealand Trust