Wellington Film Society marked its 80th birthday in June with a special film festival. Playing The Part featured eight films – one from each decade of the society’s history.

A staple of Monday nights at the Embassy Theatre, in recent years, Wellington Film Society has become enormously popular with a growing membership base and most films now having two screenings each week.

We caught up with Wellington Film Society President Harry Evans.

Few operas have endured quite like Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. More than 240 years after its premiere, the comedy of love, marriage, class and human folly continues to captivate audiences around the world.

Acclaimed Australian director Lindy Hume is in Wellington in June to restage NZ Opera's production of the classic work and for Lindy, its longevity is no mystery. We talk to her about how the opera is still relevant today.

In July, 12 talented young opera singers will sing it out in the country’s most prestigious singing competition, the 2026 Kiri Te Kanawa Song Quest.

And for three of the semi-finalists it’s a family affair – Alfred, Faamanu and Jordan Fonoti-Fuimaono are brothers. And it’s not the first time siblings have shared the Song Quest stage – in 2005 Anna and Madeleine Pierard both found themselves in the semi-finals which Madeleine went on to win.

The two sisters have gone on to major careers in opera singing (pictured in 2012 when they sang together on a Chamber Music New Zealand Tour).  And in their roles nurturing young talent – Madeline is the director of Te Pae Kōkako TANZOS (The Aotearoa New Zealand Opera Studio) and Anna is Head of Programmes for the Prima Volta Charitable Trust (PVCT) – they have been part of the Fonoti-Fuimaono siblings’ development.

Anna and Madeleine talk to us about sharing stages as sisters and their connections with the talented trio, Alfred, Faamanu and Jordan.

Describing it as “uncovering a hidden story of our history”, filmmaker Tearepa Kahi (POI E: The story of our song, MURU) says his new film, SGT. HAANE, came about through a series of “happy accidents”.

The film traces the story of 28th Māori Battalion soldier Haane Manahi who leads a small band of B Company soldiers – all cousins – up a 300m cliff face in a surprise attack on an enemy post and changes the course of World War II in North Africa.

SGT HAANE weaves together dramatic reconstruction, intimate documentary testimony and rare wartime footage and had its world premiere in Rotorua on the 83rd anniversary of the event. The film is screening in cinemas now. We caught up with Tearepa to talk about bringing Haane Manahi’s story to the screen.

Described as a “high-risk dance duet”, An Honest Conversation was created by Wellington dancer Sacha Copland in 2021 and this month marks the 21st conversation.

Every performance features two dancers who dance, talk and attempt to be as honest as possible in a completely improvised one-hour duet.

We sit down with Sacha for a chat about honest conversation and bravery in creativity.

It’s with heavy hearts that today we share news of the passing of arts rangatira Carla van Zon ONZM (1952-2026). Much-loved and respected by the arts community in Aotearoa and internationally, Carla worked for the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts for 20+ years including as artistic director (2002-2006).
Moe mai rā e te tuhi māreikura

Together with his brother Caspar and father Thomas, Geronimo LaHood plays a supporting role in Speed Is Emotional, the theatre 'extravaganza' created and performed by his mother Jo Randerson which had its Wellington premiere in the 2026 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.

We catch up with Geronimo (18) to talk about being on stage with whānau, his passion for violin, and learning sign language.

The Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts is filled with many family connections among performers. When Waiora Te Ūkaipō – The Homeland playwright and director Hone Kouka needed a sound composer for the restaging of the play, he looked to his daughter Maarire Brunning-Kouka (pictured). As one of Aotearoa’s most exciting new artists, Maarire (MĀ) also features in the Festival programme in her own show.

We caught up with the very busy father-daughter pair in the midst of their rehearsals and performances.

Celebrated author Dr Rachel Buchanan (Taranaki iwi Te Ātiawa, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) features in two sessions at the weekend Writer’s programme at the Tāwhiri Warehouse during the 2026 Festival. We catch up with her from her base in Naarm/Melbourne.