Best New Zealand animation movies
Get ready to binge. We've found a collection of must-watch animation films from New Zealand, now streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
From Our Family to Yours (2020)
From Our Family to Yours (2020)
A granddaughter brings joy on Christmas morning by mending her Filipina grandmother’s beloved Mickey plush and decorating her house with Filipino Christmas lanterns ‘parols’; reviving a family tradition and evoking memories of Christmas past. In partnership with Make-A-Wish. Featuring "Love Is A Compass" by Griff.
Kitten Witch (2016)
Kitten Witch (2016)
A precocious kitten wants to be a witch's familiar and must pass a test or she will forever be just simple cat, but the witch sees something in the kitten she does not expect.
Free Radicals (1958)
Free Radicals (1958)
In this powerful abstract film with a soundtrack of African drum music, Lye scratched "white ziggle-zag-splutter scratches" on to black leader, using a variety of tools from saw teeth to arrow heads. The first version of the film won a major award at the International Experimental Film Festival Held in Brussels in 1958 in association with the World's Fair. Stan Brakhage described the film as "an almost unbelievably immense masterpiece".
The Frog, the Dog, and the Devil (1986)
The Frog, the Dog, and the Devil (1986)
The short tells the story of a drunkard going through alcohol withdrawal, as personified by the Devil. Director Bob Stenhouse takes what could be a dark subject and makes it a funny madcap romp.
Winter’s Blight (2019)
Winter’s Blight (2019)
In a clearing amongst a forest of pines lives a reclusive old man who struggles to keep himself warm in an unrelenting winter, though help comes from an unexpected friend.
Abiogenesis (2011)
Abiogenesis (2011)
In this breathtaking science fiction spectacle, a strange mechanical device lands on a desolate world and uses the planet to undergo a startling transformation, that has profound implications for an entire galaxy.
Movement and Stillness (2007)
Movement and Stillness (2007)
A short animated meditation
VeggieTales: Beauty and the Beet (2014)
VeggieTales: Beauty and the Beet (2014)
Mirabelle and her traveling family band, the Veggietones, are determined to make their next gig at Vegtable Square Garden. On their journey, a fierce winter snowstorm hits, and the family gets stuck at a run-down resort! Mr. Beet, the grumpy manager makes me sing - and clean - for their supper. Why is Mr. Beet such a beast? And can Mirabelle's kindness change him? Find out in this hilarious and heartwarming tale of unconditional love!
Poppy (2009)
Poppy (2009)
Poppy is a Performance-Captured CGI drama set on France's western front in World War One. Two New Zealand soldiers are trapped behind enemy lines and are trying to find their way to safety. They find an orphaned baby under it's dead parents in a ditch. One of the men wants to save it, the other does not.
Preferably Blue (2011)
Preferably Blue (2011)
A vengeful Easter bunny plots to steal Santa’s sack, and in the process, learns something about himself that will change Christmas forever.
The Valley (1976)
The Valley (1976)
The story is mainly about a cyclops and the misadventures of a boy, that takes place in the valley to which the monster lives.
The Underwater Melon Man (2001)
The Underwater Melon Man (2001)
Unreasonable rhymes, preposterous characters and enchanting music come together in this remarkable animated short film of twenty-five delightful, surreal songs. Featuring music by Bend with a star line-up of New Zealand artists: Neil Finn, Tim Finn, Don McGlashan, Bic Runga, Boh Runga, The Topp Twins, Dave Dobbyn, Jenny Morris, Renée Geyer, John Clarke, Ché Fu, King Kapisi and Chris Knox.
Words Are Things (2018)
Words Are Things (2018)
Some day we’ll be able to measure the power of words but in the meantime let’s be careful about the words we use.
The Wizard (2019)
The Wizard (2019)
A wizard tests out his powers.
The Witch in the Cherry Tree (1994)
The Witch in the Cherry Tree (1994)
One damp dull day David's mother is baking cakes. Everything is fine until a naughty witch comes to settle in their cherry tree. She just can't resist the smell of baking. A hilarious and mouth-watering story!
Crouching Ryan, Hidden Haynes (2017)
Crouching Ryan, Hidden Haynes (2017)
Crouching Tiger, Missing Ryan. Ryan takes one last swing for the master and leaves his mark behind.
Escargore (2015)
Escargore (2015)
Claude and his friends are out of their element and in a whole lot of trouble when they choose the wrong lettuce for lunch. They must now find their way out of this world of horrors before they end up on the menu!
Lost In Canada (2017)
Lost In Canada (2017)
One tiny little mistake and suddenly you’re lost in Canada.
Tom (2019)
Tom (2019)
Thomas is trapped inside a fabricated reality he can’t be sure is real.
Blinder (1999)
Blinder (1999)
A digitally engineered life form struggles with a belligerant operating system. In a skewed look at human/computer relations a belligerent digital light blinds our hero into desperate measures. The only way to stop the incomprehensible blinding pain is to opt for physical disablement. Meticulously hand-made on Silicon Graphics computers and Alias-Wavefront software.
A Morning with Aroha (2022)
A Morning with Aroha (2022)
Aroha wants to share her creativity with her neighbours. Her imaginations come to life for everyone to enjoy.
Delf (1997)
Delf (1997)
Two tadpole-like creatures with enormous eyes chase each other around, to a driving techno soundtrack. Then these digitally-animated characters find themselves plunged into a different reality - one where a single wrong move could mean they exist in only two dimensions. After completing this mind-warping mini-rollercoaster ride, creator James Cunningham and producing partner Paul Swadel worked together on bank robbery tale Infection, which won invitation to the Cannes Film Festival.
Scratch Film (1998)
Scratch Film (1998)
Acknowledging Len Lye, Lomas has created a vibrant, naturally kinetic and textural world of colourful geometric shapes going flatstick. (NZFF 1998 programme)
Red Scream (1994)
Red Scream (1994)
New Zealand’s first CGI short film gives “eyes on the road” a new meaning as a pair of eyeballs drive to a mind-bending purgatory. A collaboration between visual effects man John Sheils and his brother Michael, Scream was shot in early 1991; finally 25 minutes of footage was “brutally” edited down to three, and fulsomely scored by John Gibson. The sly ‘based on true events’ title-card nods to the makers’ ambitions to “treat animation like live action.” In 1994 it screened in NZ cinemas as opener to the ILM wizardry of Jim Carrey hit The Mask, followed by a number of overseas festivals.
Te Rerenga Wairua (1984)
Te Rerenga Wairua (1984)
The spirit of a person killed in a motorway accident runs through forest and beaches on its journey to Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Rēinga). En route it meets tourist buses and other spirits, before reaching the gnarly pohutukawa and making the leap towards Hawaiki-Nui.
A Few Good Ken (1995)
A Few Good Ken (1995)
A colourful tale of sex, love, and fabulous wardrobes.
Keeping House (1994)
Keeping House (1994)
Lizzie Firkin's house is a mess. The cat sleeps in the breadbin and cobwebs cling to the curtains. Lizzie has no time to tidy up - she is far too busy working at a famous nightclub, tap-dancing and playing the trombone. So one day Lizzie sends for Robin Puckertucker, the Wonder Housekeeper, and the result is quite a surprise to them both.
The Boy with Two Shadows (1994)
The Boy with Two Shadows (1994)
A little boy takes great care of his shadow. He is so careful with it that a witch notices him. She gets the boy to look after her shadow while she goes away on holiday. Minding a witch's shadow turns out to be more complicated than the boy ever imagined.