Former New Zealand International Film Festival director Bill Gosden dies at 66

Former New Zealand International Film Festival director Bill Gosden passed away days before his 67th birthday.

Gosden died peacefully earlier yesterday, after being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2017.

He ran the film festival for 40 years, but retired last year due to his health problems.

New Zealand Film Festival Trust President Catherine Fitzgerald said Gosden had created an enduring legacy through her contribution to New Zealand’s film culture.

“Bill lived and breathed cinema from his earliest years, working tirelessly to create a demand in New Zealand audiences for films of the highest quality from around the world,” said Fitzgerald.

Film festival director Marten Rabarts said it was a sad day for the film industry in New Zealand and around the world.

“The New Zealand film community owes Bill an enormous debt of gratitude for the decades of hard work and passion that he committed to developing and promoting a world-class festival experience for audiences and filmmakers alike.”

Last year, Gosden appeared in a Bowel Cancer New Zealand Facebook post, saying that he wished he could have had a colonoscopy sooner.

He had told his GP that he had irregular bowel habits, but his blood tests were fine, so his doctor was not concerned.

“I was very fit, so I think that was masking my illness. It’s very annoying.

“I would advise people to definitely get screened if they are concerned,” Gosden said.

Despite three rounds of chemotherapy and surgery, the cancer metastasized to his lungs.

Last year she told Standing Room Only that when her oncologist recently told her that now was the time to go out and do the things I wanted to do, her response was, “I’ve spent most of my life doing exactly that.”

“I think I’ve been incredibly lucky with what I’ve done.”

Gosden’s family and close friends have asked for privacy as they come to terms with their loss.