Can a single building impact the career of an architect, the image of a global company and even the skyline of a big city? Just a month and a day after the disastrous attack on the World Trade Center in New York, the first steel beam of a new tower is erected in London. One question is on everybody's mind: is it the right decision to build a new iconic tower in the midst of London's financial district, on a site that has already been bombed before?

A feature documentary Building The Gherkin by Mirjam von Arx about the building of Norman Foster's iconic London Gherkin is just one of many international films showing in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin at the 2006 Jasmax Film FestivalCan a single building impact the career of an architect, the image of a global company and even the skyline of a big city? Just a month and a day after the disastrous attack on the World Trade Center in New York, the first steel beam of a new tower is erected in London. One question is on everybody's mind: is it the right decision to build a new iconic tower in the midst of London's financial district, on a site that has already been bombed before?

A feature documentary Building The Gherkin by Mirjam von Arx about the building of Norman Foster's iconic London Gherkin is just one of many international films showing in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin at the 2006 Jasmax Film FestivalA film about the building of Norman Foster's iconic London Gherkin is just one of many international films showing in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin at the 2006 Jasmax Film Festival.

The one-week festival will run from August 30 to September 6. It started in 2004 as a four-day event in Auckland only and last year was extended to include Wellington.

This year, Festival sponsors Jasmax Architects and NZ Home + Entertaining are pleased to showcase the festival to all of New Zealand.

Jasmax Managing Director Greg Boyden says it is great news more people throughout the country can get to the Festival. Jasmax's aim is to use film to encourage people to think about and discuss architecture and the built environment.

"Architecture plays a key role in structuring the type of society we live in," he says. "The Jasmax Film Festival celebrates this and encourages us to open our eyes and pay attention to the environment with which we interact daily.

"The films in this year's event have been chosen for their ability to capture the imagination of the public with films depicting many of the most well known architects."

Another international highlight of the 2006 Jasmax Film Festival is the life of the great architect told in Regular or Super - Views on Mies van der Rohe.

Films at this year's festival are: