Back in lovely Auckland, having landed this morning after a long flight from Los Angeles.  I love the feel of this city and might just brave the wind, rain and chilly air later today to find some tasty grub and snap a few pictures.  For now, this is my view out my window (in a nice quiet hotel in the Parnell neighborhood).

A chilly, windy and rainy Parnell, Auckland.

So I’m in Auckland for just a few days, here in Parnell on my own with a brief meeting tomorrow with a couple of filmmakers I know: Briar March and Lyn Collie.  Briar is the director of There Once Was An Island: Te Henua e Nnoho, with Lyn as producer, a fantastic film about the rapid climate changes in the Mortlock Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean (also known as Takuu).  I worked with them for a bit last year (unrelated to Her Film) and loved learning about their project.  It’s played in dozens of festivals, won awards and is one of the first documentary films about some of the world’s first environmental refugees.  Looking forward to meeting with them.

On Friday (which will still be Thursday for some of the rest of the world), I’m off to a three night screening of Maori women filmmakers on Waiheke Island just a few minutes’ ferry ride from Auckland.  An invitation from Susi Newborn of Women In Film and Television New Zealand (WIFTNZ) made me want to say “yes!” and so I’ll be enjoying that event over this weekend. I’m hoping to have some interviews, or at the very least, some great pictures from the screenings (and Waiheke Island), so watch for those over the next few days, along with a full report.

Whiti Whitiahua Wahine: Maori Women Film-Makers Waiheke Matariki Maori Women’s Film Festival

Next week, it’s off to Wellington to enjoy that gorgeous city, catch a few shows in the Embassy Theatre (one of the largest in the southern hemisphere and the place where Lords of the Rings premiered), and above all, connect with Marian Evans of the Wellywood Woman blog and podcast — so exciting!!!

Embassy Theatre (Wellington, New Zealand)