Ten Must See Films at the NZ International Film Festival 2013

It’s nearly that time again to transport yourself into the rich and diverse world known as the NZ International Film Festival. Many of you will have already dedicated some time to flicking through the glossy pages of the 2013 booklet in search of this year's stand films. It's never easy to choose which films to see so to help you along the way, here are the Concrete Playground top ten picks.

1. BEHIND THE CANDELABRA

In this incredibly smart, kitch and dark biopic about a self-made star Michael Douglas is transformed into the flamboyantly gay yet closeted 1970s entertainer Lee Liberace. It’s Steven Soderbergh’s swan song and was made for the HBO network rather than the big screen, so the story goes, because no Hollywood studio would back such a candid biopic of a celebrity’s private life.

The focus on the film is the five-year relationship between Liberace and his much younger lover Scott Thorson played by Matt Damon. Lesser actors may have descended into caricature but in the hands of Douglas and Damon it becomes a tribute to a theatrical genius and his lover as well as an intimate and touching film.

Showing at The Civic, Thursday July 18 at 7:30pm and Monday July 22 at 3:30pm.

2. GINGER AND ROSA

This film is all the good things a coming-of-age film can be.  It's been called delicate, intelligent and empathetic and newcomer Elle Fanning's who plays lead character Ginger gives, by all accounts, an extraordinary performance especially given the fact she is a mere 14 years old.

Set in the 1960s Ginger and Rosa (Alice Englert) are best friends about to embark on adulthood. Ginger is preoccupied with the threat posed by the Cold War while Rosa is defiantly exploring her sexuality in ways which will inevitably affect not only her life but her relationship with those around her. It's a thought-provoking and adult look at the teenage years and an examination of how personal emotions can inform a political stance.

Showing at The Civic on Friday July 19 at 6:30pm and Monday July 22 at 1:15pm. It is also showing at Lido Cinema on Friday July 26 and Bridgeway Cinemas on Wednesday July 31 at 6pm.

3. THE PAST

In The Past accomplished Iranian director Asghar Farhadi presents a family drama as gripping as his Oscar-winning film A Separation. This time it's set in Paris and involves a far more complicated family structure. Marie (Berenice Bejo) has been separated from her husband Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) for quite some time.

She wants closure so invites him to Paris to sign the divorce papers. But as soon as he arrives it's obvious it's not over between them and Marie's new boyfriend Samir (Tahar Rahim) picks up on the sexual tension between them right away. Marie has three children to a previous relationship. Her daughter Lucie is constantly angry but Marie doesn't know why and asks Ahmad to speak to her. The answers reveal agonising truths about what has led to the tense situation.

Showing at The Civic on July 21 at 6:45pm, Tuesday July 23 at 3:15pm and at Bridgeway Cinemas on Friday July 26 at 6pm.

4. THE ROCKET

I was lucky enough to catch a preview of this delightful little film. The Rocket punches well above its weight with a compelling narrative, exceptional performances and cinematography which showcases the natural surroundings.  Set in rural Laos the protagonist Ahlo has a ready smile and an insatiable love of life but his grandmother harbours the suspicion that he was born under a curse. When the family's luck starts to run out, his father begins to wonder if there is truth in the superstition.

The turning point occurs when the family is forced to relocate in order to make way for a new hydro dam. A wedge is driven between Ahlo and his relatives who blame him for this as well as the tragedy which occurs within the family. But Ahlo is determined to prove them wrong. He teams up with an adventurous young girl called Kia and her eccentric James Brown-obsessed uncle. While searching for a new home the two families end up in a city which is preparing for a rocket building competition. Ahlo believes this is just the challenge he needs to set the family back on track.

Showing at The Civic on Thursday July 25 at 6:15pm, Friday July 26 at 1:45pm, at Lido Cinema on Monday July 29 at 6pm and at Bridgeway Cinemas  on Tuesday July 30 at 6pm.

5. ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE

It would be a crime to watch this film anywhere but in the cinema. Stunning time lapse vistas of the icy continent fill the screen. Self taught director, producer and photographer Anthony Powell first went to work at Scott Base as a telecom technician in 1998. He designed and built camera systems that could function in the extreme cold of the Antarctic winter. Since then his time-lapse photography has gained a huge global audience on YouTube and other websites.

Selected footage amassed over a 15-year-period has been integrated into a fascinating and often funny first-hand account of what it's like to live, work and play on the ice. Firemen, technicians and managers are asked to reflect on why they keep returning or never want to leave. Watch the film and no doubt you'll be able to relate to what draws them back.

Showing at The Civic on July 21 at 11am and Tuesday July 23 at 6:15pm.

6. WADJDA

This is not only the first full-length film made entirely in Saudi Arabia but it’s also the first feature to be made anywhere by a Saudi woman. In a country where woman are forbidden to drive or vote, that’s a pretty major achievement. At times director Haifaa Al Mansour even had to direct from her production can via walkie talkie.

Our protagonist is, not surprisingly, female. The sassy ten-year-old Wadjda refuses to conform to societal expectations of women; her biggest ambition is to beat her male friend and neighbour in a bicycle race even if this means having to feign piety by entering in a Koran recital competition. This film is as smart and funny as its young heroine but doesn't gloss over the fact that public life in Saudi Arabia is very limited for women. This might be a familial tale but it is boundary pushing cinema in all the best ways.

Showing at Bridgeway Cinemas on Sunday July 21 at 3:45pm, The Civic on Monday July 22 at 6:15pm and Academy Cinema on Wednesday July 22 at 6:30pm and Thursday July 25 at 11:15am.

7. BLOOD BROTHER

Winner of both the Jury and Audience Awards for Best Documentary at Sundance this year, Blood Brother explores the motivations of Rocky Braat, a young American working at a care centre for women and children affected by HIV and AIDS in India. Idealism prompts his initial trip to India but unlike many others who have taken this path, he chooses to return indefinitely to the centre. This time he takes his best friend and filmmaker Steve Hoover to document his experience.

As far as Steve knew Rocky didn't even like kids so at first he is taken aback when he sees how affectionate and at ease he is around the children. This bond he shares with the children means it is especially hard to watch when some of the them succumb to their disease. But Blood Brother is not all about sadness. There are many moments of light and joy; the look on the children’s faces when their "big brother" Rocky returns to India will move even the most hardened cynic.

Showing at Academy Cinema on Friday July 19 at 2:15pm, Wednesday July 31 at 6:30pm and Friday August 2 at 4:30pm.

8. ROMEO AND JULIET

If you think Romeo and Juliet has been done to death, you haven't seen this Kiwi adaptation. It's set in a campground near Auckland and is the result of producers / composers Michael O'Neill and Peter van der Fluit experimenting with putting this popular Shakespearean text to music. I know what you are thinking and no, this is not an musical in the sense the actors do not suddenly burst into song every once in a while. It can be loosely defined an a "rock opera", a story told through voice and score.

You can imagine the fun the art department had putting the set together. Where, for instance, in a campground would you expect to find a balcony or for that matter a crypt? The clashing families are gloriously decked out in an array of tacky summerwear and bad haircuts for your entertainment. This is genre-bending Shakespeare for the YouTube generation.

Showing at The Civic on Friday July 26 at 9pm and Tuesday July 30 at 1pm.

9. THE SELFISH GIANT

Arbor and Swifty, played by Conner Chapman and Shaun Thomas, are two British lads who lack decent father figures and don't fit in at school. Arbor is on medication for his ADHD and violent tendencies and he is considered to be a very bad influence on his mate Swifty, who has a natural love of horses. The boys find out there is money to be made in knicking bits of metal and selling them to the dodgy dealer Kitten (Sean Gilder).

Kitten accepts the boys' offerings without any questions. But Arbor is upset when Kitten picks Swifty as a possible jockey in the illegal horse-and-cart drag races he runs. A moving and at times agonising story about the power of friendship.

Showing at Academy Cinema on Thursday July 25at 8:30pm and Friday July 26 at 4:30pm. It is also on at The Civic on Monday July 29 at 8:30pm.

10. THE DEADLY PONIES GANG

Imagine Bret and Germaine had a couple of cowboy cousins and you will start to get a picture of Clint and Dwayne. These best friends from West Auckland go way back. They make a living by dealing dope to pony club mums and bling out their loyal steeds with sunglasses, pearls and glitter. Never short of a smooth one-liner, Clint reckons having a horse is the best chick magnet but he worries that Dwayne isn't pulling the way he used to. This might have something to do with the fact he is toothless.

Clint decides to take action by launching the 'Help My Mate Dwayne Get Some Teeth Fundraiser'. At the Ponsonby Rd event Clint even raps on a horse. Yes, that's right. Billed as the funniest homegrown movie about stoned friendship and recreational innovation since Kaikohe Demolition, I reckon this will be a cracker.

Showing at SkyCity Theatre on Wednesday July 31 at 6:30pm and Thursday August 1 at 4:15pm.