This year's New Zealand International Film Festival boasts one of the strongest line-ups of Kiwi films for many years.



From documentaries to short-films and dramatic features, New Zealand filmmakers are setting up 2017 as a cinematic year to remember. There's something for everyone, from insights into the worlds of hard rockers Head Like a Hole, natural historian Sheila Natusch freestyle-skier Jossi Wells, to a recreation of the invasion of London's Iranian Embassy and a psychological thriller set on a subantarctic island.



Stuff has had the opportunity to preview a selection of titles:

READ MORE:

* Kiwi-shot and set movies headed for the big screen in 2017

* The five best movies of 2017 (so far)

The Inland Road

The Inland Road is the first feature directed by Jackie Van Beek.

Best known for her comedic work on the likes of Three's Funny Girls, Jackie Van Beek's feature debut behind the camera is an atmospheric, nuanced, haunting drama that evokes memories of 2004's In My Father's Den.

Tia (newcomer Gloria Popata) is a troubled teen who finds herself drawn into another family's grief and guilt after a car accident. It's a cleverly-told, well-acted tale of secrets and lies, repressed emotions and simmering tensions.

Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web

Supplied Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web offers an in-depth look at the man who gave the world MegaUpload.

Bond villain or generous giant? Whatever your opinion of the German man born Kim Schmitz, Annie Goldson's investigation into the saga surrounding his file sharing websites and the US and NZ authorities' response is fascinating viewing.

Granted unprecedented access, she follows his story, from his arrival at the former Crisco Mansion to the "Moment of Truth" that didn't go exactly as planned.

Kobi

Swiss-born jeweller Kobi Bosshard is the subject of a new documentary.

Co-directed by his daughter Andrea, this loving portrait of the Central Otago-based Swiss goldsmith Kobi Bosshard showcases his amazing jewellery work and his genial manner.

Uses letters and home movie footage to also detail the changing landscape and face of New Zealand, from his arrival here in the early 1960s till today.

My Year With Helen

My Year With Helen follows our former PM's attempts to become the UN Secretary General.

Gaylene Preston's latest documentary starts out as a chronicle of our former Prime Minister's bid to become UN General Secretary.

However, despite some warm and intimate moments involving Helen Clark and her father, the real drama comes from following the machinations of the UN's voting process and all the political factors that come into play.

Spookers

Spookers - not as scary a documentary as you might think

Florian Habicht's (Kaikohe Demolition) latest look at some of New Zealand's more alternative communities focuses on the popular North Island theme park.

Occupying the former Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital, Spookers is designed to (in some cases literally) scare the crap out of visitors. In his usual genial, affectionate style Habicht not only showcases the eclectic range of people who work there but also delves into what former patients and nurses think of the new use of their former home.

Waru

Waru is a collection of eight short-stories focused around a single tangi.

Eight vignettes by eight Maori female directors, but all centered around one event – the tangi of a young boy.

A portmanteau film Kiwis should be proud of (even if the subject matter is more of a national blight), these small but perfectly formed tales take place everywhere from family homes to a TV newsroom and pre-school, as individual women deal with the grief, guilt and impending event in their own ways.

The New Zealand International Film Festival begins in Auckland on July 20, before moving to 12 other centres around the country.