Outside of New Zealand it’s highly likely that the political clash at the centre of Hamish Bennett and Paul Middleditch‘s Uproar is one that’s never been heard of. Set in 1981, the ultimately uplifting, oft-powerful coming-of-age dramedy centres around the controversy that arose from the South African rugby team touring New Zealand at the time. …
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For such a bloodied horror experience, the leading ladies of Evil Dead Rise are all smiles and levity as they discuss the “torturous” episode of filming, their own descent into “the abyss”, and how exactly Jim Carrey was used as a reference point. Ahead of the film’s global premiere earlier in the year (read our…
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“Rest is weird.” – This is how Elizabeth Stokes, guitar, singer and one-quarter of the formidable team, band and fast friends that are Auckland’s The Beths, starts our interview. 2022 saw them perform around 94 gigs in over a dozen countries as they took the chance to promote not one, but two albums that have…
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Selected as New Zealand’s official submission for the 2023 Academy Awards in the category of ‘Best International Feature Film’, Muru is a searing response to real-life events of 2007, which saw police invoke new anti-terrorism powers by launching an armed raid on the Tūhoe people in New Zealand’s Ruatoki region. Directed by Tearepa Kahi and…
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Families and Disney fans have a reason to celebrate today, because after two and a half decades of operation, the Disney Cruise Line is finally set to arrive in Australia and New Zealand in late 2023. The only bad news? It’s for a limited time only. In operation since 1998, the Disney Cruise Line has…
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The land of the long white cloud beckons – now that borders are opening and temperatures are dropping, New Zealand comes alive in winter. If you’re dreaming of an international skiing holiday but your budget doesn’t quite allow for Canada or Japan, New Zealand is only a three hour hop from the east coast –…
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Auckland-based rapper JessB has been steadily rising in recent years, and the one ahead is looking to be busy and bright. The former professional netballer has already had quite an impressive career; with two EPs, a mixtape and a handful of singles under her belt, JessB also won Best New Zealand Act at the 2019…
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It doesn’t take much for director James Ashcroft to create the most horrific of situations from the simplest of ingredients laid bare in the early stages of the eerie Coming Home in the Dark. A loving family, an idyllic New Zealand locale, and a duo of passing strangers provide all that is needed for Ashcroft’s…
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Amazon Studios have revealed the very first look at the anticipated Amazon Original Lord of the Rings series in concurrence with the news that the as-yet-untitled project will debut across 240 countries and territories worldwide from Friday, September 22nd, 2022. As filming for season one ends today in New Zealand, this new epic drama brings to…
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Australia is a true nation of immigrants. According to data collected by the Australian Parliament, an estimated 28.2 percent of the country’s population was overseas-born in 2015. That is very nearly one in three Australians. With approximately 27.4 percent of its population born overseas in 2018, according to Stats NZ, New Zealand is nearly as…
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When New Zealand-made horror film Coming Home in the Dark premiered at Sundance earlier this year, its use of sound was perhaps its most deceptive feature. Forgoing the usual jump scare queues and obvious musical encouragement to goad audiences into a reaction, the film opted for a more subtle approach, utilising naturalistic sounds to give…
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As season 3 of Wellington Paranormal arrives on screens (February 24th at 8:30pm on SBS VICELAND), we chatted with writer and producer (and all around funny girl) Melanie Bracewell to discuss the process of pitching outlines for such a show and how no idea is ever too crazy. The episodes I caught were hilarious, I…
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On the eve of the national release of the new Australian drama The Furnace, our own Peter Gray chatted with one of its stars, rising New Zealand actor Jay Ryan, about the trying filming conditions, learning new facts about Australian history, and how a horror movie changed his career. First off, congratulations on the film. …
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Keeping travel dreams alive and setting goals has never felt more important. We can all agree that 2020 has been an unfortunate year so far, and almost every facet of daily life has been wrought by this ongoing global pandemic, the start of which now feels like forever ago. The arts has been one of…
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Pink is cool, but everyone knows that that black is just a better look for any spirit. Enter the world’s first naturally black gin, echoed from the pure waters of New Zealand’s Southern Alps and captured in a neat-looking bottle from the award-winning Christchurch-based Scapegrace distillery. Simply dubbed Scapegrace Black, the stylish and unique gin…
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With talk of a Trans-Tasman travel bubble still floating around – and looking promising – Aussies’ attention is split between their own magnificent backyard and the equally gorgeous landscapes and cities that await across the ditch. Auckland should be front-centre of that vision, with its big-city lifestyle, dynamic dining scene gorgeous harbour, and wine-filled Waiheke…
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Acclaimed Australian-born brand QT Hotels & Resorts has finally lifted the lid on QT Auckland, their first New Zealand property after a successful trans-Tasman debut with QT Queenstown and QT Wellington. Located in the city’s Viaduct Harbour, and set for a grand opening on 1st November 2020, the property is now accepting bookings and, from…
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Talks of forthcoming travel between Australia and New Zealand, referred to as the “trans-Tasman bubble”, has been the centre of much discussion since The National Cabinet met with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern earlier this week. The possibility of opening up a travel route between the two countries, despite the global pandemic, is seriously…
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One of New Zealand’s most iconic wine regions will once again be on full display during the one-day 28th annual Toast Martinborough festival, scheduled for Sunday 17th November. The long running festival of wine, food and music amongst the vines will highlight the spirit of Martinborough’s passionate wine community and task the participating vineyards in…
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Across the entire 31-day stretch of August, New Zealand’s trendy capital of Wellington will once again host Visa Wellington on a Plate (VWOAP). The long-running food and wine festival, which touches everywhere from Wellington City to the Kāpiti Coast, picturesque Hutt Valley, and Wairarapa, is set to reach unprecedented levels in 2019, thanks to an…
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Gamification in the tech industry is nothing new. Apps like Habitica have taken even the most mundane tasks like ticking items off a checklist and turned them into a role playing game in which you, personally, are the star. You might think that’s pretty full on, but hold on a sec because it gets way…
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Emotion is often at the centerpoint of many artists works, with Lakyn’s upcoming EP & Pains drawing heavily on his feelings and experiences, causing the listener to be enraptured by Lakyn’s sound throughout six delicately cultivated tracks. Lakyn has been in and around the industry for some time, but his powerful songs have helped him open…
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A lot of travel programs follow a tried and tested formula. There’s a charismatic host. Pleasant and idyllic locations. There are the ingredients you’d typically associate with a fun holiday. But the opposite is true for the new, eight-part Netflix series Dark Tourist – New Zealand’s first original series for the streaming platform. This program prides…
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Here at The Iris we’re quite fond of attending pop culture and comic conventions. We’ve been regularly covering Australian events for the last few years now. However this year we’re setting our sights on events abroad and looking to check out what our international compatriots have to offer. Across the ditch our New Zealand neighbours…
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Competitive Call of Duty teams from both Australia and New Zealand now have the chance to sign up to the Call of Duty World League National Circuit to test their skills and teamwork on a national scale, in order to prove who’s the best down under.
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Island time will soon be easier to reach for Kiwis, with an additional five non-stop weekly flights scheduled to connect Auckland and Honolulu from 21st March 2018. Hawaiian Airlines’ increased schedule will have flights depart Auckland at 11:55 pm five times weekly, Wednesday through Sunday, arriving in Honolulu at 9:45 a.m. on the same day. Flights…
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When you get the chance to sit down with a concert producer who has continually worked to bring the video game industry we all love into the theatre, you don’t lose your words, you make some up! Last week, I got to speak with Jason Michael Paul before his globe-trotting adventures bring his The Legend of Zelda:…
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Anyone who has been to New Zealand’s invaluable Queenstown would agree that this special part of the world deserves much more than just a few days of exploration. It’s not enough to call it a beautiful part of a country that’s famous for its beautiful parts; such a description would barely nick the surface of…
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In what is a huge step for one of Australia’s most unique and treasured hotel groups, QT Hotels & Resorts have officially made their way across the ditch, expanding to New Zealand with the opening of QT Museum Wellington, and the forthcoming arrival of QT Queenstown. QT has become widely known in and outside of…
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“Edge of the Forest”: an apt description of quiet West Otago township Tapanui, the words located underneath it’s welcome signage. On first look, this forestry town on New Zealand’s south island, a few hours east of Queenstown, is no more than a quick stop-off on a road trip through the region’s stunning scenery, which includes…
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