The New Zealand Film Festival Trust, organisers of the Auckland International Film Festival, is pleased to collaborate for the second year with the Academy Cinema to present the World Cinema Showcase 2004 - a lively programme of terrific films, old and new.

April 22nd - May 12th

Image: Still from My Life Without MeThe New Zealand Film Festival Trust, organisers of the Auckland International Film Festival, is pleased to collaborate for the second year with the Academy Cinema to present the World Cinema Showcase 2004 - a lively programme of terrific films, old and new.

April 22nd - May 12th

Image: Still from My Life Without MeTo begin with the extremely new, we're delighted to provide the venue for the world premiere of Fracture, Larry Parr's adaptation of Maurice Gee's Crime Story. Widespread acclaim suggests that Gee's cogent vision of the ties that bind Kelburn and Wainuiomata resonates well beyond the boundaries of Wellington. Parr's intelligent adaptation, graced with a vivid and moving central performance by Kate Elliot, should extend that perception even further.

It's widely acknowledged that last year was an exceptional one for documentaries. Two of the best, Oscar winner The Fog of War and the controversial Capturing the Friedmans make their New Zealand debuts at the Showcase. Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer provides the tormented real-life model for Charlize Theron's Oscar-winner Monster.

Showcase audiences will be the first in New Zealand to see such international successes as The Man on the Train and Bon Voyage from arthouse favourites Patrice Leconte (The Hairdresser's Husband), and Jean-Paul Rappeneau (Cyrano, Horseman on the Roof) respectively. Major American indies Thirteen, Shattered Glass, My Life Without Me and Laurel Canyon all debut at the Showcase.

Watch out for overdue return screenings of Osama and Since Otar Left, both excellently received at last year's Festival. The Showcase also provides the welcome opportunity to reprise the sell-out festival hit documentary, Photos to Send. From the other end of the Festival's box office spectrum, we bring back the marvellous Only the Strong Survive, a film that deserves an audience every bit as big as the Motown film that eclipsed it last year.

We're always pleased to showcase new prints of the classics. We have the DVD revolution to thank for renewed attention by the major studios to the treasures in their vaults. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly can now be seen for the first time at its full original length, with a newly refurbished soundtrack and colour. Lovers of black and white should be very happy indeed with our prints of Sweet Smell of Success and Fellini's I Vitelloni. Lovers of the Hollywood musical don't need us to tell them that our new print of The Band Wagon is in brilliant Technicolor.

We're often asked why we've neglected Bollywood movies in the past. We've brightened up our act this year with not one but five; two recent classics and three of the biggest hits from the last year. We have named this dynamic section of the programme A Beginners' Guide to Bollywood.

Hard-copy programmes available from the Academy Cinema. Film titles available online from www.academy-cinema.co.nz

WORLD CINEMA SHOWCASE TITLES (AUCKLAND)

All films screen the Academy Cinema, Library Building, 64 Lorne St, Auckland
City. Ph: (09) 373 2761.

For session times please see: www.academy-cinema.co.nz

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
Asoka
The Band Wagon
Bon Voyage
Capturing the Friedmans
Carandiru
Devdas
Fellini: I'm a Born Liar
The Fog of War
Fracture
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Grudge
I Vitelloni
Interstella 5555
Khakee
Kal Ho Naa Ho
Laurel Canyon
The Man on the Train
Monsieur Ibrahim
My Life Without Me
My Mother India
Only the Strong Survive
Osama
Photos to Send
Saathiya
Shattered Glass
Since Otar Left
A Song for Martin
The Sweet Smell of Success
A Tale of a Naughty Girl
Thirteen