Heritage theatre back in the mix for international film festival
Monday, 13 July 2026
Following a three-year hiatus, the Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) will make a “fitting return” to one of its traditional Christchurch bases next month.
The Isaac Theatre Royal (ITR), which began hosting NZIFF screenings in 2014 will show films over a long weekend in late August, complimenting a packed festival schedule for Lumière Cinemas and selected showings at Kōawa Studios’ Jack Mann Theatre at the University of Canterbury.
After acquiring cinema equipment following its post-earthquake restoration, the heritage theatre on Gloucester St hosted festival screenings between 2014 and 2023.
Theatre chief executive Greg Ward said the venue team was “delighted” to again be a part of NZIFF events.
“The partnership goes back to the theatre's post-earthquake reopening, when NZIFF became the vehicle for bringing cinema back to the ITR stage for the first time in over three decades — a fitting return, given the building itself operated as a cinema in earlier decades of its history,” Ward said.
The Arts Centre-based Lumière Cinemas will host the majority of screenings between August 6 and 23, including the opening night, which will feature Paloma Schneideman’s coming-of-age film debut, Big Girls Don’t Cry. Lumière will show multiple films each day, as many as 12 on some dates.
The ITR’s involvement encompasses 12 screening over three days from August 21-23, with The Jack Mann Theatre showing a dozen films over the festival’s two-and-a-half-week Christchurch run.
Vea Mafile'o and Gavin Fitzgerald's documentary on Jonah Lomu will be screened at the ITR on August 22.
The film charts the rugby star’s rise to sporting fame and the challenges he faced when his traditional upbringing collided with relentless media attention and intrusions into his personal life.
The ITR will also screen the festival’s closing night film, Coward, set in the World War I trenches.
Lumière owner Nick Paris described this year’s festival offering as “emboldened”.
His venue has worked with the festival since 2019.
“Based on the founding principle of providing a truly global 20th Century campfire experience celebrating the medium of cinema, the Lumière finds itself eagerly awaiting to unwrap these gifts for you,” Paris said of the 2026 line-up.
More than 100 feature films and documentaries make up this year’s NZIFF and hard copies of this year’s programme can be picked up in Christchurch from Lumière Cinemas.
One of the city’s best loved cinemas, Lumière was named earlier this year on Time Out Magazine’s list of The 100 Greatest Cinemas in the World Right Now.
“Ensconced in the historic, Gothic Revival bones of the former Canterbury College, erected in 1877, it’s a heritage-listed dream across the road from the Botanical Gardens,” the article said of Lumière.
“This year’s festival film selection is diverse, free and adventurous, a line-up that represents cinematic quality, while also being big on emotional impact, fun and topicality,” artistic director Paolo Bertolin said.
“We're excited to share another incredible line-up of films with New Zealand audiences for NZIFF 2026.”
The festival will run across New Zealand from July 29 to September 9, with screenings in 11 centres including Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Matakana, Hamilton, Nelson, Napier, New Plymouth and Tauranga. Films will be shown in Christchurch between August 6 and 23. Christchurch tickets go on sale on July 17. More information is at nziff.co.nz.