Since its debut in 2016, Aotearoa’s Fraud Film/Kiriata Festival has been using cinema as a powerful lens to examine a serious global issue—fraud. Held at Roxy Cinema in Wellington over two thought-provoking days, the fifth ever cinematic fraud event brings together public and private sector leaders, experts and investigators alike to explore how deception continues to evolve—and how we can work together to stop it.
With panel discussions, documentaries, and engaging networking sessions, this is no ordinary film festival. It’s a space for kōrero, for reflection, and for building unity in the fight against hara taware (fraud). The festival is supported by New Zealand companies and organisations with a keen interest in reducing and building public awareness of fraud: Meredith Connell, NZ Banking Association, Deloitte and Sorted.
Yvonne Wynyard, Head of the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), was among the festival-goers this year—popcorn in hand—ready to learn, connect, and reflect. Here’s what stood out from the 2025 event.
Day One: Human Error, Corporate Negligence and the Persistence of Secrets
Film: Hackers: Identity Theft
Directors: Sabine Pirolt & Matteo Born (Switzerland 2023)
The festival opened with a sobering look into the world of cybercrime. Directors Sabine Pirolt and Matteo Born delivered a hard-hitting documentary that shone a spotlight on how hackers exploit our digital lives—often with devastating results. Victims spoke candidly about how their personal information was stolen and sold on the dark web, sometimes leading to financial ruin or even suicide.
According to U.S. experts, hackers steal an estimated six trillion dollars every year. And these figures are increasing. In 2022, cyberattacks increased by 26% in Europe and 38% worldwide. But while most reports focus on the financial damage caused by hackers, the human cost can be devastating.
But what makes this film especially relevant to Aotearoa is how it reminded us that fraud is no longer limited to fake invoices or forged signatures—it’s now digital, anonymous, and global.
The documentary also highlighted the 2024 ransomware attack on London’s NHS hospitals—a chilling reminder of how vulnerable even the most vital services can be. And here in New Zealand, we’re not immune. The question isn’t if a cyberattack might happen—but when, and how prepared we are to respond.
Film: Ticking Time Bomb: The Truth Behind Takata Airbags
Director: Joseph Braun (USA 2023)
Next, Joseph Braun’s gripping exposé on the Takata airbag scandal. A whistleblower-led investigation into one of the largest corporate cover-ups in automotive history, the film chronicled how defective airbags—essentially mini-explosives—were knowingly installed in over 100 million vehicles worldwide, including right here in New Zealand. Brands included BMW, Mercedes, Ferraris, and Tesla.
It was a powerful reminder of how corporate fraud doesn’t always wear a suit and tie—it can be embedded deep within product design and supply chains, affecting everyday people in terrifying ways. The film also served as a timely prompt to check if your car still contains a Takata airbag via NZTA’s recall website.
Film: Stasi FC
Directors: Arne Birkenstock & Daniel Gordon (UK 2023)
While not fraud in the traditional sense, this UK-produced documentary reminded us how control, deception and surveillance can take many forms. Focusing on East Germany’s secret police (the Stasi) and their attempt to infiltrate football culture, the film described a tale of espionage, betrayal, and authoritarian overreach.
It may seem far removed from our shores, but the themes of manipulation, identity distortion, and misuse of power are relevant to all fraud prevention work—particularly when it comes to public trust and state accountability.
This story wasn’t about fraud per se; however, it was about the control of a nation. The documentary explored allegations of bribery, intimidation, surveillance, and potentially even assassination used by the Stasi.
Day Two: Crypto Deceptions, Identity Chameleons, and AI Ethics
Film: Lie to Me
Director: Bár Tymi (Norway 2024)
Day two kicked off with a deep dive into the OneCoin scandal—often dubbed the biggest crypto fraud in history. Norwegian director Bár Tymi traced the journey of blockchain expert Bjørn Bjercke, whose refusal to work with OneCoin helped expose its deceptive foundations.
This wasn’t just a cautionary tale about crypto—it was about belief. OneCoin created the deception of having blockchain, essentially enticing buyers into a pyramid scheme.
Why do people fall for fraud? Why do they continue to defend scammers, even after the truth is revealed? In a time when digital investments and decentralised finance are growing, this film highlighted the need for education, regulation, and yes—healthy scepticism.
Film: The Man with a Thousand Faces
Director: Sonia Kronblund (France, Poland 2024)
French-Polish director Sonia Kronblund introduced us to a modern-day con artist with more names and lives than a Netflix character. Operating across borders, this fraudster juggled multiple identities, romantic relationships, and backstories—all while staying one step ahead of justice. He lived with four women at the same time but in different locations, adapting his story and even his personality traits to each one.
The film painted a chilling picture of social engineering at its most intimate level. It reminded us that while many frauds are financial, others are deeply personal. The emotional toll on victims—particularly those caught in romance scams—is just as real and often harder to detect and prosecute.
Film: Your Face is Ours
Directors: Roméo Langlosis & Jessica Le Masureir (France 2023)
The final screening was perhaps the most polarising. This documentary explored the widespread use (and misuse) of facial recognition technology. Directors Roméo Langlosis and Jessica Le Masureir investigated the risks of biometric surveillance and raised serious questions about consent, accuracy, and racial bias.
Clearview AI is a facial recognition platform that is one tool being used around the world, mainly by Police forces and Government Agencies to detect and deter crime. It was recently trialled by Foodstuffs in New Zealand across 25 stores in the North Island to catch thieves. Other retail companies in New Zealand have also trialled facial recognition software platforms.
Of particular interest was the recent trial by Foodstuffs here in Aotearoa, using facial recognition to deter theft. While the intention may be to prevent crime, the discussion afterwards revealed a deep unease about the trade-offs between security and privacy.
The debate isn’t over. How do we ensure new technologies are used ethically, legally, and fairly? And who decides what “fair” even means?
After this film, the panel discussion claimed that the AI was racially prejudiced and that it shouldn’t be used in New Zealand by law enforcers, but rather it could be better used in a wider environment of mass citizen identification negating the use of personal/government identity documents, such as drivers’ licences and passports. The audience was not widely in agreement with this view. Whatever view is held, more work needs to be done with regards to how facial recognition technology will be used in New Zealand, if at all.
So, Why Does a Fraud Film Festival Matter?
At first glance, a film festival might seem like an unusual setting for tackling fraud. But as this year’s lineup made clear, storytelling is a powerful tool in raising awareness and inspiring action. These films connected global stories with local relevance, and reminded us that fraud isn’t always obvious. It can be invisible, complex, or hiding in plain sight.
For organisations in both the public and private sectors, this festival is more than an educational opportunity—it’s a call to collaborate. Fraud doesn’t respect borders, industries, or roles. Events like this spark the kōrero we need to stay one step ahead.
As we head into a future increasingly shaped by AI, data, and digital currency, our understanding of the wide range of fraud must evolve too.