Bailey, 12 years old, lives with her single father Bug and her brother Hunter in a squat in northern Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time to devote to his children and Bailey, who is approaching puberty, seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.

Andrea Arnold’s Bird is a cinematic journey that soars between the gritty terrains of British social realism and the ethereal realms of magical fantasy. Set against the raw backdrop of north Kent, this film introduces us to Bailey (Nykiya Adams), a 12-year-old girl navigating the tumultuous waves of adolescence amidst familial chaos. Arnold, known for her unflinching portrayal of marginalized lives, crafts a narrative that is both grounded and otherworldly, offering viewers a unique lens into the complexities of growing up on society’s fringes.

At the heart of Bird is Bailey, portrayed with remarkable authenticity by newcomer Nykiya Adams. Adams delivers a performance that is both vulnerable and resilient, capturing the essence of a young girl caught between the innocence of childhood and the harsh realities of her environment. Her interactions with the world around her are imbued with a sense of wonder and defiance, making Bailey a character that resonates deeply with the audience.

Enter Bird, a mysterious drifter played by the enigmatic Franz Rogowski. His sudden appearance in Bailey’s life introduces an element of mysticism that challenges the boundaries of reality within the narrative. Rogowski’s portrayal is a delicate balance of charm and enigma, embodying a character that is both a figment of fantasy and a catalyst for Bailey’s journey of self-discovery. His presence raises questions about the nature of reality and imagination, inviting viewers to ponder the thin veil that separates the two.

Barry Keoghan’s portrayal of Bug, Bailey’s father, adds another layer of complexity to the film. Keoghan brings a raw, unfiltered energy to the role, capturing the essence of a man-child grappling with responsibilities he’s ill-equipped to handle. His relationship with Bailey oscillates between tenderness and neglect, painting a poignant picture of a family teetering on the edge of dysfunction. Keoghan’s performance is a testament to his versatility as an actor, delivering a character that is as frustrating as he is endearing.

Arnold’s direction shines as she weaves together the disparate threads of reality and fantasy. Bird’s cinematography captures the stark beauty of the Kent landscape, juxtaposing the bleakness of Bailey’s surroundings with moments of surreal, dreamlike imagery. This interplay creates a visual narrative that is both jarring and mesmerizing, reflecting the internal turmoil and escapist fantasies of its young protagonist.

Bird stands as a testament to Andrea Arnold’s commitment to exploring the lives of those on the periphery. It’s a film that challenges viewers to embrace the messiness of life, to find beauty in the mundane, and to acknowledge the magic that exists in the everyday. Bird offers a poignant, if imperfect, exploration of adolescence, family, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.

Image: Rialto Distribution

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From Kerikeri to Dunedin, the festival will screen from 23 October to 13 November, with five new locations making this the biggest British & Irish Film Festival to date.

Festival Director Fergus Grady is “excited to add Howick in Auckland, Napier, Whanganui, Masterton, and Rangiora to this year’s festival circuit” and plans on growing the festival further into regional New Zealand in the coming years.

Opening the festival direct from TIFF & Telluride film festivals comes Conclave starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, & Isabella Rossellini. Audiences have been wowed by the film and the premiere was full of gasps, cheers and applause, with the film now being widely discussed as a potential Oscar winner. Ralph Fiennes is also at his charismatic best in The Return, in which he stars alongside the fantastic Juliette Binoche in their first on-screen pairing in 28 years.

The line-up is full of further star-studded performances, including Andew Garfield & Florence Pugh (We Live In Time), Pierce Brosnan, Gabriel Byrne & Helena Bonham Carter (Four Letters of Love), Jude Law & Alicia Vikander (Firebrand), and Barry Keoghan (Bird).

The festival will host the New Zealand premieres for six documentaries, and a live concert which highlights the career of British band bLUR. Not to be missed is a documentary about the production company Merchant Ivory, which produced some of Britain’s most successful films from the 1960’s-90’s, including their most lauded films Howard’s End & The Remains of the Day. These two Oscar nominated films have been restored in 4K and are ready to be enjoyed on the big screen again as part of the festival.

Check out the full program below:

Opening Night Film

CONCLAVE: From Oscar-winning director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), Conclave is a riveting religious thriller that follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events–selecting a new Pope. Based on the international best-seller by Robert Harris, CONCLAVE centres on Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds himself at the centre of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of The Church.

Centre Stage

THE RETURN: Reunited for the first time since The English Patient, Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche star in this gritty retelling of Odysseus’ return home from war. After 20 years away, Odysseus (Fiennes) washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognisable. The King has finally returned home but much has changed in his kingdom since he left to fight in the Trojan war.

WE LIVE IN TIME: Oscar nominees Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh deliver beautifully nuanced performances in this creatively structured romance drama from BAFTA-winning director John Crowley (Brooklyn, The Goldfinch). Tobias (Garfield) and Almut’s (Pugh) relationship has never had a dull moment. Since meeting after Almut accidentally ran over Tobias with her car, their time together has been chock-full of striking scenarios.

Enjoy the Drama

AMERICAN STAR: Ian McShane brings his brooding star power and presence to this gritty, intelligent and entertaining action thriller.

BIRD: Starring Barry Keoghan and tackling themes such as identity, sexism, loneliness, and class struggle, Bird is a compelling, ultimately joyous ode to the wondrous transition from childhood to adolescence.

FIREBRAND: In blood-soaked Tudor England, Katherine Parr (Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander), the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII (Jude Law), is named Regent while tyrant Henry is fighting overseas.

FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE: Nicholas and Isabel are made for each other, but fate does not always choose the easiest path to true love. As destiny pulls them together, so do family, passion, and faith drive them apart. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Helena Bonham-Carter and Gabriel Byrne

LIES WE TELL: The daunting, rambling estate of Knowl is no home for a young woman on her own, and certainly not for Maud (Agnes O’Casey, The Miracle Club)-just 18 years old. Freshly burdened with the sudden death of her father and granted inheritance to his entire estate when she comes of age at 21, Maud is alone, unschooled in the ways of society, and vulnerable. Winner of two Irish Film Awards.

POISON: Based on the acclaimed play by Lot Vekemans, POISON follows estranged couple Lucas (Tim Roth, Pulp Fiction) and Edith (Trine Dyrholm, Mary & George), who haven’t seen each other in ten years. Prompted by a mysterious summons from Edith, the couple reunite at a tragic location from their past

TARRAC: Aoife Ni Bhraoin (Kelly Gough, Broadchurch) returns home to help her father Brendan ‘The Bear’ (Lorcan Cranitch, Róise & Frank) in his recovery from a heart attack. Set against the backdrop of traditional Irish rowing, Naomhog, and filmed in Irish Gaelic.

THE SALT PATH: Based on the Sunday Times best-seller by Raynor Winn, The Salt Path is the profound true story of husband and wife, Raynor (Gillian Anderson) and Moth (Jason Isaacs) Winn’s 630-mile trek along the beautiful but rugged English coast, from Dorset to Somerset.

WIDOW CLICQUOT: Based on the New York Times best-selling biography, Widow Cliquot is a visually impressive tale of resilience that leaves a pleasing aftertaste on the palette. The film tells the true story of the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin (Haley Bennett, Cyrano) who, at the age of 20, became Madame Clicquot after marrying the scion of a winemaking family.

Music Lovers

blur TO THE END: an intimate moment in time with this most enduring of English bands, who have been at the heart of British culture for over three decades.

blur LIVE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM: This unforgettable 2023 performance saw blur perform their iconic and much-loved songs for 150,000 fans in a transcendent, once-in-a-generation performance that delivered a sweep of ecstatic 5-star reviews.

Music History

THE STONES AND BRIAN JONES: Nick Broomfield’s engrossing new documentary uncovers the true story and legacy of Brian Jones, the founder and creative genius of The Rolling Stones. As a schoolboy aged 14, Nick Broomfield met Brian Jones, by chance, on a train. Brian was at the height of his success, with the world at his feet, yet just six years later he would be dead

Love and Laughter

CHUCK CHUCK BABY: A film of love, loss and music set amongst the falling feathers of a chicken factory set in Wales.

THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE: Set in beautifully lush Irish countryside, is a heartwarming comedy about family, world peace… and sheep. Honouring his father’s last wish to reunite with the American side of his family, Irishman Ciáran (Colm Meaney, Layer Cake) calls his cousin, Barry (Paul Reiser, Mad About You), out of the blue with the offer for him to visit his homeland

THE RADLEYS: Based on the best-selling novel by Matt Haig, and co-written by comedian Jo Brand, THE RADLEYS is a scarily relatable black comedy with a bite. The Radleys are an ordinary family, or at least that’s what the neighbours think. No one would suspect that behind all of this, the Radleys hold a dark secret…they are vampires.

TIMESTALKER: The hilariously inventive TIMESTALKER is a romantic comedy about the eternal humiliation that is the search for love, spanning the most romantic epochs of history right into the future. TIMESTALKER follows hapless heroine Agnes (Alice Lowe, Sightseers) through time as she repeatedly falls for the wrong guy, dies a grim death, gets reincarnated a century later, before meeting him again and starting the cycle anew

Take Inspiration

HIGH AND LOW-JOHN GALLIANO: Directed by Academy-Award winner Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) delves into the captivating and complex life of the flamboyant and iconoclastic head designer at Dior, John Galliano, who soared to unimaginable heights before experiencing a public downfall that shattered his career.

MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL AND PRESSBURGER: Martin Scorsese first encountered the films of Powell and Pressburger when he was a child, sitting in front of the family TV. When their famous logo came up on screen, Scorsese says, “You knew you were in for fantasy, wonder, magic-real film magic.”

WILDING: Based on Isabella Tree’s best-selling memoir by the same name, the visually stunning WILDING tells the story of a young couple that bets on nature for the future of their failing, 400-year-old estate. Isabella and husband Charlie Burrell battle entrenched tradition, and dare to place the fate of their farm in the hands of nature

Merchant Ivory

HOWARDS END: Nominated for nine Oscars and winning three at the 1993 Academy Awards, this dazzling adaptation of E.M. Forster’s novel has cemented itself as a classic of the genre. Set in Edwardian England, class distinctions and troubled relations affect the relationships between two families and the ownership of a cherished British estate known as Howards End.

MERCHANT IVORY: The first definitive feature documentary to lend new and compelling perspectives on the partnership, both professional and personal, of director James Ivory (Oscar-winning writer of Call Me by Your Name), and producer Ismail Merchant.

THE REMAINS OF THE DAY: In 1993, Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson reunited with the acclaimed Merchant Ivory filmmaking team for this extraordinary and moving story of blind devotion and repressed love. Based on the best-selling novel by Novel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro.

There is something for everyone in this year’s Festival, so settle in with the programme book and choose your favourites! Learn more about the full line-up here.

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Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.

As a filmmaker with her finger on the pulse, Emerald Fennell has been one to watch ever since her shocking debut with her cracking story of female revenge in Promising Young Woman. It was a film that startled audiences and showcased a bold new filmmaking talent. Naturally, we were waiting for her next film with bated breath. That film is Saltburn. And it makes for a WILD watch. From its first images and marketing materials, it was clear this was going to be a lavish and sexy watch of exorbitant hedonistic urges. Fennell not only delivers the ultimate voluptuary watch, but she has control of every aspect of this ferocious feature. This focus and devotion to both narrative and character show in the final product.

Saltburn’s narrative is shaped by past influences, along with a collective feeling to themes of wealth, desire, obsession, jealousy and change. But all of it is fed through Fennell’s own unique vision. And for Fennell, the focus is on delivering the unexpected. Saltburn’s narrative does progress in the usual way, taking an almost Great Gatsby-esque approach to the initial first act, with the young poor Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) drawn to the affluent and beautiful Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). But in Saltburn, nothing is what it seems, and Felix’s ancestral home and its many trappings act as a disguise and pull the audience into a host of new directions, each more shocking and twisted than the last. Character and narrative exist in a duality in Saltburn, and Fennell brings audiences a host of rogues, cads, delinquents, spinsters, and the queen bitch to this story, and her approach to her characters makes for a shockingly original watch.

At the centre of Saltburn is Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick, a mousey, inconspicuous young college student who falls under the illusion and gaze of the beautiful and wealthy Felix Catton. And let it be said that Keoghan is a pure revelation in the role. His performance as Oliver is utterly subtle, and as an audience member, you never know what he’s going to do next. It’s plain and clear that the gorgeous Felix utterly spellbinds Oliver, but this mesmerizing voyeurism takes many twisting turns, and Oliver’s ultimate goals are not made clear until the picture’s final moments. Keoghan keeps audiences guessing with his performance, and whatever you think his ultimate aim is, well, you’ll never guess what he truly wants. Keoghan’s Oliver is a complex and resoundingly multi-faceted character, and through the narrative, we come to see his metamorphosis, and his change has lasting effects on the entire narrative.

Playing opposite Keoghan’s Oliver is Jacob Elordi as the wealthy, glamourous and utterly desirable Felix Catton, and via Elordi’s performance, it’s easy to see why Felix becomes the obsession of Oliver’s eye. Elordi is hands down the man of the moment right now, and he’s rapidly proving that he’s an actor who takes his craft seriously. Though he’s gifted with the looks of a Greek good and the quintessential cool of James Dean, Elordi is first and foremost an actor, and he’s choosing projects that fully test his range. And this suits Saltburn down to a tee. Elordi’s Felix is the ultimate upper-class prince. Dashing, charming and utterly dreamy, he instantly pulls people into his circle and under his spell. But this is no rehashing of The Great Gatsby, and Elordi’s Felix knows the power of his position in the world, and he has a cruelty of character that he’s more than happy to unleash when he wants to. Elordi’s performance as Felix is deeply impressive, and his character will spellbind audiences.

In addition to the leading presence of Keoghan and Elordi, Fennell fills out the rest of the cast with a range of stunning performers. And all leave their marks on the picture. Noted actress Rosamund Pike makes for the ultimate Queen Bitch as a Elsbeth, Lady Catton, Felix’s mother, and her tongue is wicked. Speaking in insults rather than pleasantries, Elsbeth’s frightful wit and banter will cause a reaction from audiences, and Pike steals every scene she is in. Alison Oliver’s Venetia Catton, Felix’s sister, is a playful tease, and her spacey demeanour sucks audiences in. Oliver is utterly witchy in the role, and she’s completely incorrigible. Archie Madekwe’s Farleigh Start, Felix’s cousin, is an A-class prat, and this spoilt prick takes an instant dislike to Oliver. Their back-and-forth hate is delicious, and Farleigh’s got one hell of a chip on his shoulder. Finally, the great Richard E. Grant brings everything together as Sir James, Lord Catton, Felix and Catton’s father, and he’s uniquely nuts in the picture.

Saltburn is an example of pure, unadulterated hedonism that is sprinkled with a good helping of fairy dust, cocaine and champagne in equal measure and topped off with a sizeable serving of nasty and stinging sexual energy. It’s a cocktail of pure manic bliss and is an utterly feral time in cinemas. But this rolling excess of crazy is not merely for pure shock value, well not just shock value, but it plays an essential part in the narrative and reveals the true intentions of our crazy batch of characters. There’s is a world that knows no limits, and this is expressed through the striking visuals and neon rainbow colour spectrum brought to the screen by Fennell and cinematographer Linus Sandgren. All of it will leave audiences in a buzzing trance.

A key part of the success of Saltburn and its hold over audiences is its magnificent setting. The famed and reclusive estate of the Drayton House serves this purpose, and it’s easy to get lost in the Catton family seat of Saltburn. The location and setting of this grand estate are the perfect places to tell this story, and we come to watch as Oliver quickly assimilates to its historical, weathered, and opulent rooms and soon begins to change in its presence. It’s a beautiful estate, and through a unique sense of production design, lighting and cinematography, audiences are pulled deeper into Fennell’s devilish and decadent narrative. I also must say that Saltburn is a film best enjoyed in the company of a full cinema, and the collective experience of watching this film is what makes it so flavorful to consume.

Nothing is off limits in Saltburn, and this is a picture that will set your senses on fire. It’s a piece of work from a director who is testing the edges of her cinematic voice, and Emerald Fennell is pushing the boundaries in every direction and with great results. Saltburn is a piece of cinema that is utterly unique in its style, and its narrative will be spinning around your mind for days on end. Once you arrive at this opulent and operatic tale, you won’t be able to leave.

Image: Warner Brothers Pictures

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After the return of half the population in Avengers: Endgame ignites “the emergence”, the Eternals—an immortal alien race created by the Celestials who have secretly lived on Earth for over 7,000 years—reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants.

Fresh off her Academy Award-winning work on the dramatic Nomadland, director Chloé Zhao jumps headfirst into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and opens audiences up to a brand new cast of characters with The Eternals, a group of extraterrestrial gods who have a massive connection to the very foundation of the MCU and she gets to stretch her creativity as a filmmaker with this project to a very cosmic level. As a director, Zhao strikes the right balance between the massive scale and intimate emotion that works its way into Eternals and she uses a unique storytelling frame to explore the presence of the Eternals and their place both in the past and present on Earth and how they have shaped human existence from the shadows.

Zhao also leans heavily into the design aesthetic and storytelling of the great Jack Kirby; an artist who was a literal world-builder and who along with his collaborator Stan Lee helped to craft the entire Marvel Universe. The Eternals where his singular creation and Zhao revisits the unique design language that Kirby established when bringing these characters to life and by injecting Kirby’s unique rendering style into the project she truly marks Eternals out as a Marvel film that does not look like any other previous MCU films. Added to the unique look and feel of Eternals is its stunning visual effects and cinematography, and with the presence of its cosmic atmosphere and the arrival of the mighty Celestials, Eternals stands out as a very impressive visual specimen.

Eternals is a complete ensemble piece and Zhao has assembled quite the cast. Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie make up this eclectic cast of characters and each brings their unique sensibilities and personality to this very diverse group of characters. Splitting the Eternals up into the ‘fighters’ who include Madden, Nanjiani, Ridloff, Lee and Jolie and the ‘thinkers’ who include Chan, McHugh, Henry, Keoghan and Hayek keeps the action and storytelling of the film’s narrative interesting, while also adding to the sense of family that the film builds on and the drama that comes with it. This pack of heroes is certainly the most unique mix that we’ve so far seen in the MCU and Zhao leans into each of the actor’s personalities and quirks to distinguish the Eternals from other more established MCU heroes.

Of particular note in Eternals is Richard Madden as the heroically stoic Ikaris. Standing tall and proud and presenting a considerable action man gravitas to his performance, Madden holds the attention of the screen as the high-flying Ikrais and proves that he has the chops to handle the role of the leading man. Madden brings a grand sense of power to his role as Ikaris and it’s a solid performance that marks him out as an actor to watch. He’s juxtaposed as Ikaris with the presence of Gemma Chan’s Sersi who is more reserved in her performance and who offers audiences a path into the world of the Eternals, and she brings a great maturity to her role and position as Sersi.

Breaking things up and bringing a fun sense of levity to the heavy drama of Eternals is Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo and this is Nanjiani as we’ve never seen him before/ Playing Kingo as an egotistical playboy who has embraced the opportunities that eternal life has granted him, Nanjiani has a blast really shifting things up and his outlook in the film has an important part to play in the narrative. Lia McHugh also marks herself out as a true revelation as Sprite, an ‘old soul’ who brings plenty of dramatic tension to the story and who holds her own with the older members of the cast. Angelina Jolie also really shifts things up as the warrior Thena, and she plays with plenty of heavy emotions and her role is marked by key feelings of trauma and loss. Kit Harrington also makes a very interesting cameo appearance as Dane Whitman, a human mortal who is guarding a dangerous lineage and the secrets that come with it, and who makes a keen impression on audiences.

Eternals is a real rush of a ride, and after a year of lockdowns and more smaller-scale forms of entertainment it’s so much fun to finally be back in front of a big screen and the epic reach that only the cinema can present. Zhao showcases an amazing level of dynamic action that will have your blood pumping and Eternals is an exciting time at the cinema for sure. From laser-energy battles with the hellish Deviants to the presence of the all-consuming force of the mighty Celestials, Eternals packs a hell of a lot of energy onto the big screen and the result is a very cool cinematic presentation, unlike anything we’ve ever seen from Marvel Studios on the big screen before.

Eternals is a Marvel film that takes risks and wins big with its narrative, visuals and universe expanding concepts and injects a host of fantastic new energy into the still-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s superhero cinema done big and bold and Marvel fans get one hell of a cool treat with this one.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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