The 2023 NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival gets underway tonight! We can’t wait to see you all and share our exciting lineup of award-winning films and world-class speakers. Doors open at 7pm tonight at the Lake Wānaka Centre and our Opening Night guests can enjoy the art exhibition and live music from Mount Aspiring College students while catching up with friends before the festival officially starts at 8pm.
Opening Night has sold out but there are still tickets available to most other shows. So don’t delay, grab yourselves some seats! The weather isn’t up to much in Wānaka right now so what could be better than settling in to watch some amazing movies while enjoying some homemade soup, a delicious cookie or a Pure New Zealand ice cream from our café? Bring your own cup and you’ll even be able to get a free cup of tea or coffee! We’ll also have locally-made Maori Point wine and b.effect beers available… sounds good, right?!
And not just amazing movies, but some very entertaining speakers too! We are exceptionally lucky to have legends like Brette Harrington joining us at the festival so make sure you book a spot to hear her talk, along with our book festival speakers including Dave Vass, Beau Miles and the fabulous wāhine leading the way in the old-fashioned storytelling session. Find out more about all of our speakers here.
There are so many good reasons to head along to our festival events – did we mention the free workshops and family shows – but if you really can’t make it, you can enjoy our films (not the speakers, sorry) via the Online Festival.
More about the Online Festival
The Online Festival also kicks off tonight with the first session going live at 8.15pm! Sign up here. A quick reminder how the Online Festival works. As the sessions screen live, we will open up access to online viewing. You can then watch them any time until 9.00pm 23 July with as many people as you like. Set up a big screen, cook up some popcorn and grab a glass of your favourite drink to enjoy! There are two types of online tickets:
Option One: An Online Festival Pass to watch all of the festival sessions on one device (NZ$49.95).
Option Two: One session of films (2 – 3hrs) through a link valid for 24 hours on one device (NZ$9.95).
Note: The sessions will only be released online as they are screened live in Wānaka (June 23 to 27) so check the programme here.
A few more handy tips
FIND YOUR TICKETS: Your tickets have been sent to you from Humanitix, open the email, click on view tickets to download your tickets to scan at the door. Remember, no need to print them.
Please be considerate of your fellow festival goers. It’s a more enjoyable experience if everyone keeps these simple things in mind:
– Phones – turn them off please, even texting is invasive to other people’s festival experience. Please also refrain from using devices with lit screens.
– Remove any hats or caps that may block another’s view
– Please arrive 10 minutes in advance of start times and stay for the entirety of the programme. If you need to leave early, please do so while film credits are on.
– Saying that, we’d be grateful if fidgety and crying children could be removed asap. They might have more fun at one of our free family shows. Find out more here
– Don’t forget to clean up afterward and take all of your belongings
People’s Choice
Don’t forget to vote! Voting will be through our final newsletter later in July once the online people have had a chance to watch all the films, so watch your inbox!
Thanks for reading and see you tonight in Wānaka and on June 28 in Queenstown!
Thanks for reading and see you at the shows!
