Inaugural Edition Of New Zealand Film Fest In The Shade To Open With Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’

A new film festival in Auckland, New Zealand, has unveiled the first wave of its line-up ahead of its debut edition in January 2022.

In The Shade will highlight a mix of titles from international festivals, awards season films, and upcoming local fare.

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Opening the event will be the first New Zealand screening of Nightmare Alley, the latest feature from Guillermo del Toro, which begins its theatrical roll out in December via Searchlight Pictures.

Also in the fest’s line-up are Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta, Leos Carax’s Annette, Justin Kurzel’s Nitram, the Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield starring The Eyes Of Tammy Faye, Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Lamb and Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero.

Repertory cinema will include a new restoration of 1960s Euro thriller Purple Noon starring Alain Delon and the cult Australian film Chopper starring Eric Banner.

All the films will screen at the Hollywood cinema in Avondale and Academy Cinema in Auckland Central.

Auckland is currently in lockdown but the organizers hope restrictions will be lifted in time for the event. If it does go ahead, it will be one of the first major international fest in Auckland to stage a fully physical edition since 2019 due to cancellations. It is being organized by local cinephile collective Dos Ojos.

“The cine-collective Dos Ojos was assembled to create a much needed big-screen care-package to quench audience’s insatiable hunger for the very best in cinema from around the world,” the collective jointly said in a statement. “The timing means we can also bring the studio fare that is setting the awards talk alight to New Zealand for the first time; in the balmy summer heat audiences will discover an oasis of cool cinema”

The inaugural edition of In The Shade will run January 19 – 30.

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