T H U R S D A Y 1 7 J U L Y -
W E D N E S D A Y 2 3 J U L Y 2 0 2 5
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The Wellington Film Society: Embassy Monday 21 July at 6.00pm and 8.30pm:
THE ROYAL HOTEL Kitty Green, Australia/UK/USA, 2023.
Two young women are put on the defensive when they arrive in a dusty mining town brimming with unfettered male aggression. They are backpacking across Australia when they run out of money and are forced to take jobs at The Royal Hotel, a bar in the outback. They're immediately confronted by the sea of rowdy men who fill the bar on a daily basis. There's no varnish to their testosterone and while the perpetually drunk owner of the pub toes the line and pushes back on the men when they go too far, he's also enabled their behaviour in the first place. It's soon clear that the longer the women stick around, the more likely this continual threat will catch up to them. Following the success of her debut feature, The Assistant, Green continues her vivisection of the power dynamics between men and women, using a bigger canvas to examine the more explicit side of this coin. From the casting to the production design, the elements of Green's film come together to create a suffocating atmosphere where blistering tension is found in each conversation and around every corner.
- Toronto International Film Festival 2023.
Members only.
Film Society Memberships available at any time on line.
Film Festivals to note:
Doc Edge Film Festival 2025 Roxy 16-27 July. Check the programme out now.
NZIFF - Wellington 2025 Embassy, Roxy, Massey University National Academy of Screen Arts, Lighthouse Cuba & Petone 14 - 24 August. The programme is now out and brochures are now available around town. The link goes to the schedule with links to descriptions of each film. Bookings are available from Friday 18 July on line or at the NZIFF Box Office at The Embassy. (See brochure for opening details)
If you have a festival due to run in Wellington and it's not listed here, contact the Cinemaster.
This site relies on the various cinemas having their own websites up to date to access their screening times.
The paragraphs describing the films starting this week are in most cases adapted from the linked reviews.
For comments and movie news, contact the Cinemaster at
filmster@gmail.com.
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s t a r t s t h i s w e e k!
THE DIVINE SARAH BERNHARDT -
Charged with portraying the title character throughout three decades, leading lady Sandrine Kiberlain is ably assisted by excellent makeup design that helps to age the actress realistically over the span of thirty years. From the French Film Festival.
Also Lighthouse Petone and Shoreline.
THE HOUSE WITHIN -
At 84, New Zealander Fiona Kidman has published more than 30 books of fiction, poetry, and memoir, and received a raft of the highest accolades here and abroad. One might imagine a documentary about a writer to lack imagery, but quiet domestic scenes set among Wellington's lush, rugged landscape make for a compelling accompaniment to Kidman's voice.
Also Lighthouse and Shoreline.
DocEdge Film Festival -
Celebrating 20 Years of Life Unscripted. The home for storytelling that changes your world and the Asia Pacific centre for all things documentary. Their kaupapa is to celebrate, support and showcase documentary. The "Reviews" tab goes to the Roxy's DocEge schedule.
FRIENDSHIP -
Tim Robinson's first attempt at expanding his persona in a feature-length project is as feverishly and hilariously demented as one would expect. Pairing him with Paul Rudd in a story about male need, camaraderie, and obsession, Andrew DeYoung's film is full of trademark circumstances, stunts, and screams that fans of the star's small-screen effort will instantly recognize as more of the same.
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER [2025] -
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson clearly loves this franchise and handles it with such love and care. She takes some pretty big swings with the script and has an ending that is sure to be divisive. As for the film itself, it builds upon the lore of the original with some key updates to the story that were needed for modern audiences.
Also Monterey, Reading and Coastlands.
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