Big personalities under the spotlight in Doc Edge programme

Posted Monday 17 Apr 2017

Doc Edge have announced films that highlight the lives of big personalities to open and close this year's festival.

Whitney, Can I Be Me, the poignant and insightful life story of superstar Whitney Houston, has been selected to open the 12th annual Doc Edge Festival. Made with largely never-seen before footage and exclusive live recordings, Whitney, Can I Be Me tells Whitney Houston's emotionally poignant life story with insights from those closest to her. English director Nick Broomfield is renowned in the film world for his idiosyncratic style of investigative and experimental filmmaking, and the multi award-winning director will attend the festival.

Closing the festival is a film that introduces another enigma in Max Gimblett: Original Mind. One of New Zealand's most successful and internationally prominent living painters, Max Gimblett has lived in America since 1962. The film offers a stunning portrait of the eccentric, creative genius, who believes he may have been a Japanese woman in a prior life. The multi-talented Australian director Rhys Mitchell, known for his acting roles in TV series Upper Middle Bogan and Barracuda, will be attending the Festival.

Another big name who will deliver a keynote address at the Screen Edge Forum is film luminary Gabo Arora. Arora is the first-ever Creative Director at the United Nations; Founder and President of LightShed, a virtual reality and social impact start-up; and an award-winning filmmaker

The full Doc Edge programme offers audiences 49 feature-length films and 20 short films, representing the very finest of international and New Zealand-made documentaries.

Wellington, 10-21 May
Auckland, 24 May-5 June

For the full programme and the latest news regarding the 2017 season, visit www.docedge.nz.