Taika Waititi + Curious’ Hunt for the Wilderpeople named Best Movie of 2016 by Empire magazine

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150521HFTWP18_139472 (1).jpgAfter opening Sundance, starring at Tribeca and achieving worldwide distribution, Taika Waititi and Curious’ quirky film about a boy who triggers a manhunt, has been named #1 Best Movie of the Year by Empire magazine.

Empire is THE British film magazine published monthly by Bauer. It’s the biggest selling film magazine in the UK that is also published in the US, Australia, Turkey, Russia, Italy and Portugal.

Being on its Best Movies of the Year List is a merit award every filmmaker desires most keenly. Waititi and Curious have just had their film placed at the top of that list of the 25 best films made throughout the world.

Curious executive producer and managing partner, Matt Noonan’s comment is understandable: “Holy fucking shit,” he stated “So many amazing films.”   

Empire, on the other hand, wrote: “To say that Hunt For The Wilderpeople was a surprise is perhaps overstating it. Anyone who’d seen director Waititi’s vampire mockumentary, What We Do In The Shadows, would know we were in for an Antipodean treat. But the way it perfectly balances its elements – emotional without being overwrought, quirky without being twee, hilarious without losing touch of the story or characters – is an achievement that nobody saw coming. It’s a small, charming, utterly delightful film, from a tiny island on the other side of the world, and it deserves to take the world by storm. We’d call it ‘majestical’, but as Ricky insists, that’s not a word, so we’ll have to settle for calling it the best film of 2016.”

150518HFTWP03_14982 1 (1).jpgHunt for the Wilderpeople was written and directed by Waititi. It stars Australia’s export to Hollywood, Sam Neill, and rising star, Julian Dennison. Curious was the film’s production partner, in charge of editorial, picture and sound production. It produced the film in collaboration with Defender Films and Piki Films.

Noonan was the film’s producer, with Carthew Neal, Leanne Saunders and Waititi himself.

Curious also post-produced Wilderpeople and Curious editor and post producer, Luke Haigh, was one of the film’s three editors.