[3] In 1996 the New Zealand Film Festival Trust was set up by Bill Sheat, the founding chairperson who remained in that role until 2003.
"I look back with pride on the astounding array of national and international filmmaking that has found its first New Zealand audience at NZIFF.
Rescued from this role by the intervention of the New Zealand Federation of Film Societies in 1984, the AIFF achieved an audience in excess of 100,000 for the first time in 2005.
[3] Founded in 1977, the Dunedin manifestation of the Festival presented a highlights package of 75 features, plus short films, at the Regent Theatre.
[3] Often a selection of festival titles traveled around New Zealand, making the NZIFF unique on the world film-festival stage.
Provincial centres covered by the festival included Gore, Hamilton, Hawke's Bay, Masterton, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Tauranga and Timaru.
The New Zealand Film Festival Trust, which runs the NZIFF, is a registered charitable entity under the Charities Act 2005, registration number CC23151.
The board currently consists of Catherine Fitzgerald, Chris Hormann, Tearepa Kahi, Robin Laing, Andrew Langridge, Toby Manhire, and is chaired by Kaine Thompson with Sharon Menzies as deputy.