News
2026 NZAPFF will run from 20 November to 24 November in Auckland at various cinema locations, SkyCity Theatre, Event Cinemas, and The Capitol Cinema. During the festival, Korea Night, Japan Night, and the masterclass are the highlights.
More festival details will be released soon.
The 13th New Zealand Asia Pacific Film Festival concluded successfully in Auckland on 21 November. This year’s festival featured 14 carefully selected films. The program was rich and diverse: the opening ceremony welcomed distinguished guests from China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand, who joined the red-carpet reception and attended the awards ceremony at SkyCity Theatre alongside more than 600 audience members.
A masterclass held at the University of Auckland attracted over 100 participants, while film industry representatives from China also took part in a forum hosted by the New Zealand Film Commission.
The highlight of this year’s festival was the interactive Q&A sessions between artists, film crews, and audiences at cinema screenings. Most screenings were sold out, marking the most remarkable achievement in the festival’s history.
The 13th NZAPFF presented the following awards:
Best Film: The Shadow’s Edge
Best Documentary: The Sinking of Lisbon Maru
Best Director: Larry Yang (Yang Zi)
Best Actor: Makiya Yamaguchi (Japan)
Best Supporting Actor: Ci Sha
Best Actress: Angela Yuen (Hong Kong, China)
At the closing ceremony, the awards for NOYIFF short films were also presented, drawing enthusiastic participation from many young film lovers.
The 13th New Zealand Asia Pacific Film Festival was jointly organized by the New Zealand Asia Trust, New Zealand Māori Tourism, the New Zealand Cultural and Arts Foundation, and the New Zealand Multicultural Arts Exchange Centre.
‘The Shadow’s Edge’, starring Jackie Chen, Tony Leung, will be screened at SkyCity Theatre on 14 November. Tickets are available HERE
‘A Samurai in Time’ will be screened at Event Cinema Westfield, Newmarket on 15 November. Tickets are available, click here Japan Night
The NZAPFF selected films will be screened at the Capitol Cinema. Tickets are available. Click here.
High Light:
The 2025 NZAPFF opening ceremony is on 14 November at SkyCity Theatre followed by a feature film starring Jackie Chen, Tony Leung, Zixin Zhang
The Shadow’s Edge
Great opportunity to meet the film director Larry Yang (杨子) and Ci Sha（此沙）, who is one of the main actors in the film.
NZAPFF Japan Night film ‘A Samurai in Time‘ tickets are available at iTickets, the film is going to screen at Event Cinema Westfield Newmarket on 15 November.
The audience will meet the film actor Mr Makiya YAMAGUCHI and actress Ms Yuno SAKURA.
To purchase the tickets, please click the banner or Japan Night
24 Flavours is a Cantonese film that tells the story of ordinary people’s lives in China, who face the change of the city’s development, and the challenge of preserve the traditional.
The actress Ms 袁澧林 will attend this screening for Q&A with audience.
The tickets are available at The Capitol Cinema
