Lopdell Film Festival is back for its 9th year.

Join us for four days of world-class cinema in the historic Lopdell Theatre, 25-28 June.

Tickets $12 (family films $5).

Tickets are available at eventfinda and Titirangi Pharmacy.

Wednesday 25 June

7pm

Live Music with Mango Beach Band

Celebrate opening night of the 9th annual Lopdell Film Festival with exciting Latin rhythms, tropical fusion and fresh grooves by Mango Beach Band.

Guitarist Phil Toms is an ex-member of legendary band Herbs and a member of the NZ Hall of Fame. Alex Griffith plays very fine six-string bass, with experienced all-round drummer Mike Beck on drums.

8pm

The Penguin Lessons (UK) 2024

M | 1h 51m | Comedy, Drama | $12

Steve Coogan and a very good penguin star in this British heartwarmer. The film is based on the true story of a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976.

Expecting an easy ride, he discovered instead a complicated and divided nation – and a class of practically unteachable young boys. When he finds a small penguin washed up on an oil-slicked beach, the teacher’s life is turned upside down.

Thursday 26 June

6pm

Merchant Ivory (UK) 2024

PG | 1h 30m | Documentary, Biography | $12

Interviews, clips and archival material gives voice to the family of actors and crew who helped define Merchant Ivory’s Academy Award-winning work of consummate quality and intelligence. Interviews with close and long-term collaborators intimately detail the transformational cinematic creativity and drama that left an indelible impact on film culture.

This is the first definitive feature documentary film to lend new and compelling perspectives on the partnership, both professional and personal, of director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant.

Proudly presented by Titirangi Theatre.

8pm

Women & the Wind (USA)

M | 1h 35m | Documentary | $12

Three women ignite the flames of curiosity and adventure by deepening our understanding of the synergy between nature and humanity—and by doing so radically, through a voyage across the North Atlantic Ocean.

Calms and tempests reflect the women’s inner workings, and an entire moon’s cycle on the ocean brings their femininity to the forefront. They experience their fragility and their strengths with an intensity that is unmatched, transforming this film into an intimate portrayal of woman and nature.

With thanks to the Women & Wind Foundation.

Friday 27 June

10.30am

Save the Cinema (UK) 2022

M | 1h 49m | Drama | $12

This moving drama is based on the true story of Liz Evans, a hairdresser from Carmarthen, Wales, who campaigned to save her local cinema from closure in 1993.

The film tells the heartwarming tale of community spirit and the power of grassroots activism, as Liz and her friends work together to enlist the help of filmmaker Steven Spielberg to save the Lyric Theatre from being replaced by a shopping center.

4pm

Noah’s Ark: A Musical Adventure (Brazil) 2024

PG | 1h 36m | Family, Drama | $5

This is a fun and original take on one of the most iconic and well-known stories of all time, with an endearing combination of humor, charm and lovable characters.

The film follows two mice: Vini, a charismatic poet with terrible stage fright, and Tito, a talented and charming guitarist. With the help of an ingenious cockroach and fate's good luck, Vini and Tito sneak their way onto Noah’s Ark.

6pm

Tarrac (Ireland) 2023 Subtitles

M | 1h 36m | Drama | $12

Aoife Ni Bhraoin returns home to help her father in his recovery from a heart attack, and faces the grief of her mother’s death that she hasn’t dealt with until now. Aoife reacquaints with a group of rowers who against the odds, take on a high stakes Naomhóg rowing competition.

Laced with humour, heartbreak and exciting action set against the stunning landscapes and seas of the Kerry Gaeltacht, Tarrac is about daring to care again and learning the power of forgiveness.

Proudly presented by McCahon House Trust.

8pm

Boléro (France) 2024 Subtitles

M | 2h | Drama, Musical | $12

Renowned composer Maurice Ravel is haunted by self-doubt and melancholy. When commissioned by eccentric and magnanimous Russian dancer Ida Rubenstein, he must compose a carnal, rapturous fanfare for her latest ballet.

Blocked creatively and cast aside by his peers, Ravel turns to his closest friends for inspiration. Set against the decadent, industrialised Paris of the 1920s, Boléro demands that Ravel draw on the essence of sound itself to redeem his raw genius, or risk being consumed by it completely.

10pm

Becoming Led Zeppelin (UK) 2025

M | 2h 1m | Documentary, Musical | $12

This hybrid docu-concert film explores the origins of the iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds.

Powered by psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.

Proudly presented by Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery.

Saturday 28 June

10.30am

Every Picture Tells a Story

PG | 1h 40m | Documentary | $12

Local filmmaker Robin Kewell has spent the last 14 years showing other people's films at Flicks Cinema. Now here's a chance to see some of his at this special presentation.

Having worked on over 400 films during his 45 years as a cameraman, Robin now shares some special moments from his travels around the globe and tells his fascinating story from behind the lens. Docos, dramas, action sports adverts, music, theatre and near death experiences, all revealed at this morning of storytelling and film.

1pm

Flow (Latvia) 2024

PG | 1h 25m | Family, Adventure | $5

A wondrous journey through realms natural and mystical, Flow follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a great flood. Teaming up with a capybara, a lemur, a bird, and a dog to navigate a boat in search of dry land, they must rely on trust, courage, and wits to survive the perils of a newly aquatic planet.

Proudly presented by The Upstairs Art Gallery.

3pm

Holy Cow (France) 2024 Subtitles

PG | 1h 30m | Drama | $12

After the tragic death of his father, 18 year old Totone is thrust into the unexpected and very adult role of looking after his younger sister and their failing family farm. He assumes even more responsibility when he enters a cash competition for the best Comte cheese made in this western part of the French Alps.

A "vérité" look at the hardscrabble life of French agriculture, it is a moving coming-of-age story and above all, an ode to the love of cheese.

6pm

Lucky Winners (France) 2024 Subtitles

M | 1h 43m | Comedy | $12

The chance of winning the lottery is one in 19 million - less likely than being struck by lightning, they say. But for the characters of Lucky Winners, this dream quickly turns into an explosive and hilarious nightmare.

This rollercoaster of a black comedy explores themes of sudden fortune and its unexpected consequences. An all-star ensemble cast brings this thrilling tale to life.

8pm

La Cocina (USA) 2024

M | 2h 20m | Comedy | $12

The lunchtime rush at The Grill, a bustling New York tourist trap, unfolds with frenetic energy as the staff scramble to serve thousands of hungry customers.

Unashamedly heavy on the seasoning, but a feast nonetheless. The the real flavour is found is in the secondary characters, cooks of all nationalities whose stories reflect the pain, melancholy and sorrow of migrant life. La Cocina is a drama that’s as thematically blunt as it is exhilaratingly theatrical in its critique of contemporary America and it's attitude to immigrants.

Proudly presented by Deco Eatery.

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