The New Zealand International Film Festival is a national event extending the cinematic options of audiences and filmmakers throughout New Zealand. A programme of between 150-170 features is presented in Auckland and Wellington. NZIFF opens in Auckland one weekend and gets underway in Wellington the next, overlapping for ten of their respective 17-day seasons. A smaller programme then travels to twelve further centres. The consolidation of several separately evolved Festivals into a single event known as The New Zealand International Film Festival occurred for the first time in 2009.