Auckland (Avneet Kaur) New Zealand is set to host its first-ever nationwide festival dedicated exclusively to Indian cinema, with Bollywood actors Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha expected to attend the official launch next week.
The Indian Film Festival of New Zealand will officially debut in October and will be held across multiple cities, bringing together filmmakers, industry leaders, movie lovers and members of the wider community in what organisers describe as a major cultural and creative exchange between India and New Zealand.
The launch event, scheduled for next Tuesday, will feature appearances by Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha, along with a special screening of the internationally acclaimed film Girls Will Be Girls. The movie has received global recognition, including honours at the Sundance Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards.
Organisers say the inaugural festival will showcase around 30 feature films and short films from India, offering audiences a diverse range of stories, languages and cinematic styles.
Beyond film screenings, the festival will also include workshops, masterclasses, networking events and specially curated cultural programmes designed to strengthen ties between the Indian and New Zealand screen industries.
Festival director Petrina D’Rozario said the event has been created as a platform to connect cultures, communities and creative sectors through the power of storytelling.
She said Indian cinema enjoys a strong global influence and New Zealand’s growing Indian community provides an ideal audience for such a festival. According to D’Rozario, the goal is not only to celebrate films but also to create opportunities for collaboration, new partnerships and cultural exchange.
India’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Muanpuii Saiawi, welcomed the initiative, saying cinema holds a special place in Indian society and has the ability to entertain, educate and influence generations.
She said films remain one of the most powerful ways of connecting people across borders and expressed delight that the festival will be staged across several New Zealand cities, helping bring the people of both countries closer together.
