Whānau Mārama festival reviews showcase diverse films including new Aotearoa classic
The Spinoff reviews standout films from New Zealand's international film festival, including the acclaimed local feature Big Girls Don't Cry.
Critics reviewed several films screening at the Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival 2026. Highlights included a Belgian-Japanese animated film about a non-verbal girl's journey to connection, and Big Girls Don't Cry, described as an Aotearoa classic capturing 1990s adolescence with exceptional cinematography and sound design. Other selections examined body horror and weight-loss culture, a documentary-style feature about an out-of-work filmmaker, and a film about polar bears and climate change in Canada.
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What we saw at Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival 2026
Breathtakingly beautiful animation, body horror, an instant NZ classic and more – reviewed. Little Amélie or The Character of Rain I was destroyed by this beautiful film. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It opens with Amélie in the…