Christchurch will host the New Zealand premiere of Pecking Order as part of NZIFF’s Autumn Events film screenings in May.
Slavko Martinov’s documentary about the Christchurch Poultry, Bantam and Pigeon Club was shot in 2015 as the Club prepared for the National Show.
“Puns fly and feathers are ruffled as the long-standing club president wards off attempts to knock him from the perch. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see with an audience and it’s destined to be a new kiwiana classic. We’re delighted to premiere the film in our Autumn Events programme for Christchurch,” says NZIFF Director Bill Gosden.
The film will have its red-carpet premiere at Hoyts Riccarton on Tuesday 9 May at 6.30 pm with cast and crew in attendance. The world premiere will be held at Hot Docs in Toronto on the 29 April and the film will open in New Zealand cinemas from 18 May.
“Being invited to premiere the film as part of the NZIFF Autumn Events is a real honour. And to be able to do it in Christchurch with the cast and crew together in front of a local audience who’ve been so supportive throughout the process is perfect. I couldn’t be more excited,” says Pecking Order director Slavko Martinov.
NZIFF Autumn Events will also present six classic films and one other New Zealand premiere. The films will screen across three weekends at the Hoyts Riccarton in Christchurch (6 to 21 May). The line-up includes the New Zealand premiere of Terrence Malick’s journey through space and time, Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey, narrated by Cate Blanchett; a return to the peace, love and music of 1969 with seminal documentary Woodstock; Werner Herzog’s legendary Fitzcarraldo; the 1954 landmark musical A Star is Born with Judy Garland and James Mason, Greta Garbo’s exquisite Camille; the English-voiced version of 1980 French animation The King and the Mockingbird, recommended for ages 5+, and Woody Allen’s definitive love letter to New York, Manhattan starring Diane Keaton, and Meryl Streep.
Autumn Events are programmed and presented every year by the charitable trust responsible for the cultural highlight of New Zealand’s winter, the NZ International Film Festival (NZIFF). The 2017 dates for NZIFF in Christchurch are confirmed for 3 to 20 August.