New Zealand’s busiest film festival director, Fergus Grady, is at it again, this time curating the British and Irish Film Festival, coming to Academy Gold, Deluxe and Lumière cinemas from 18 October.

All up, the festival will screen in 24 cinemas across 15 cities and towns nationwide.

A filmmaker in his own right, with feature documentaries Camino Skies and Gloriavale, Fergus is Limelight Distribution’s acquisitions manager, which means he views and selects for cinema distribution a couple of dozen films a year. This involves visiting the major film festivals, including Cannes, Toronto and Venice.

So he’s done the hard yards in the cinema at early-morning critics’ screenings so you don’t have to. From that he has put together a festival of the best of British Isles and Irish contemporary cinema, with a programme shot through with films that featured at festivals such as Toronto, Cannes and SXSW.

To help you with your decisions, we asked Fergus for some guidance. Here are his “non-blockbuster, diamond in the rough” recommendations:

First up, documentaries about two key figures in 20^th century Britain, racing legend Jackie Stewart and all-round inspiration Noël Coward.  

Jackie Stewart - Using archive footage, this film charts the life of Formula 1 World Champion Jackie Stewart from his humble beginnings outside Glasgow to his first F1 World Championship title in 1969, and the darker years of the early 1970s when, despite opposition from those who believed that F1 should be “gladiatorial”, Stewart set out to improve racing safety.

Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story - Sir Noël Coward wrote, directed and acted in some of the finest plays and movies of all time. He also became a world renowned songwriter and performer. He was a spy during World War 2. And he was queer in a very straight world. This is his story told in his own words and music, and unique home movies.

Fergus’ one-word review of the next one? “Hilarious.”

Sweet Sue - Blending families is often fraught and so it is for 50-something Sue (Maggie O’Neill) when she hits it off with Ron (Tony Pitts), then meets his social-media influencer son Anthony (Harry Trevaldwyn). Sue finds herself in an increasingly surreal battle of wills with this ambitious teenager who is convinced that his dance troupe ‘Electric Destiny’ is tipped for stardom.

The combination of director Ken Loach, a Cannes Festival selection and a story ripped from the headlines of refugee resettlement made this recommendation an easy call for Fergus.

The Old Oak - It’s the last pub standing in a once thriving mining community and The Old Oak’s landlord TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner) is barely keeping the lights on. The arrival of Syrian refugees in the village adds to the community strain. So unfolds a deeply moving drama about loss, fear and the difficulty of finding hope.   

And finally from Fergus, a film of “light-hearted girls-night-out fun”.

Greatest Days - A feel-good story of love and friendship featuring the hit songs of Take That and adapted from the smash stage show by the writer of Calendar Girls. We follow five best friends who have the night of their lives seeing their favourite boy band in concert. Twenty-five years later their lives have changed in many different ways as they reunite for one more epic show by their beloved band, to relight their friendship and discover that maybe their greatest days are ahead of them.

Academy Gold, Deluxe and Lumière cinemas, Wed 18 Oct – Wed 1 Nov.
britishfilmfestival.co.nz