A planned screening of a film about the Aramoana massacre has been pulled from a Dunedin festival programme after survivors and victims' families came forward and raised concerns about the event.
Out of the Blue, directed by Dunedin filmmaker Robert Sarkies, was scheduled to play at Dunedin's Regent Theatre on August 16 as a part of the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF)
The screening would mark 20 years since the film was released, with Sarkies due to appear for a question-and-answer session beforehand.
NZIFF and Regent Theatre said it had decided to cancel the screening, saying its impact on those directly affected by the massacre had not been properly considered.
"The decision to cancel the screening of Out of the Blue was made out of respect for the survivors and families of the Aramoana community, for whom this remains a lived and present grief rather than a historical event," the Regent Theatre said in a statement.
"We recognise that the film’s inclusion in the programme, and the way this decision was reached, did not adequately consider the impact on those most directly affected, and we are sorry for the distress this has caused."
"We thank those from the Aramoana community who came forward to share their concerns with us."
Regent Theatre said ticket holders would be directly contacted and refunded.
Released in 2006, Out of the Blue depicted the deadly 1990 Aramoana massacre, when resident David Gray opened fire and killed 14 people in the small seaside township north of Dunedin.
Among those killed were four children and local police sergeant Stewart Guthrie.
The mass shooting was New Zealand's deadliest in history until the 2019 Christchurch mosque attack.
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