Smallest 'Cinema on Wheels' heading to the Mainland

A traveling cinema showing solid gold kiwi film and TV classics is heading to the South Island.

Magic moments from screens big and small, and a programme of classic New Zealand short films, are coming to 19 towns in a souped-up retro kiwi caravan called ‘New Zealand on Screen,’ as part of the REAL New Zealand Festival from 9 September – 23 October 2011.

The caravan will take the long way along the Mainland, starting in Picton then spending the next four weeks tripping around the South Island. The caravan will stop along the way at southern centres, before spending two weeks camped at Hagley Park, Christchurch, in the Rugby World Cup fan zone.

The content on display is a choice selection of moving image content from the www.nzonscreen.com website. The extensive showcase of kiwi film, television, documentary, and music video represents a partnership of NZ screen organisations and independent producers funded by NZ on Air.

While the North Island part of the New Zealand on Screen project sees two giant container installations on the Wellington and Auckland waterfronts (for the duration of the Rugby World Cup), the traveling cinema is heading on a winter road trip to share kiwi screen gems with the South. The project is a collaboration between NZ On Screen, installation production company Storybox and Wellington design agency Chrometoaster.

As NZ On Screen Project Director Brenda Leuweenberg says, “Everyone’s coming along for the ride. We’re delighted to be able to take kiwi icons like Billy T, Sir Ed, Peter Jackson and Cheryl West, on a massive road trip around the South Island, and bring southern screen heroes like John Britten and Burt Munro back to home turf. There’s nothing better than the moving image to showcase kiwi spirit to visitors coming to New Zealand, and to show what it means to be from this place we call New Zealand.”

The caravan will drop in on small towns and centres including: Picton, Blenheim, Kaikoura, Rangiora, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, Wanaka, Queenstown, Gore, Invercargill, Hokitika, Greymouth, Westport, Arthurs Pass, Murchison, Nelson and Christchurch. Each stay will be for one to two days.

Entry to the 'cinema on wheels' is free, and visitors will be able to settle in to watch prize-winning short films, reels celebrating magic kiwi moments on screen, and the full catalogue of the NZ On Screen website (www.nzonscreen.com) - over 1500 NZ screen titles.

The caravan is an original 1971 Oxford, which has been reconfigured by the very man who built it in the 1970s. Alton Harison ran Oxford caravans in Levin for decades, at the peak making 35 caravans a week. He and his son now work hot-rodding caravans for enthusiasts. The Harisons worked with the design team from Storybox, who are used to working with containers, to create this traveling cinema. Rob Appeirdo from Storybox says, “ The unusual nature of the design process has been a bit of a challenge but we're proud to have made what must be the smallest cinema in the country.”

New Zealand on Screen – Kiwi Classics on Tour project co-ordinator Anna Dean who’ll be traveling on the road for some of the time says, “It’s great as a Mainlander to be able to bring this content to the heartland. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of people along the way and inviting them into our mobile lounge.”

The New Zealand Film Commission, who have supported the caravan’s short film programme said, “Short film is one of New Zealand’s most exciting, entertaining and diverse art forms. Over the last three decades our shorts have enjoyed an extraordinarily high profile internationally, being selected for and winning awards at prestigious festivals from the Academy Awards to Cannes. It’s fantastic to be able to take this unique opportunity to further showcase them to New Zealanders and international visitors.”

NZ On Screen editor Paul Ward also sees the project as a way of introducing people to the potential of online content, and in particular through the geo-tagging function on the website. “All the content on NZ On Screen can now be geo-tagged by users using our ‘Places’ tab. If someone recognises a location in a title — their hometown or local park, beach, bar, marae or whatever — they can record it onsite. It’s a fantastic opportunity to be a part of making New Zealand screen history.”

People will be able to follow the caravan as it makes it way around the South Island via the project site blog http://real.nzonscreen.com created by Wellington design agency Chrometoaster.

The tour is made possible thanks to the Lotteries Commission through their funding of the REAL New Zealand Festival.

The project has also been supported by sponsors who are making the southern journey possible, including Powershop, KIA, Resene and the Interislander.

New Zealand on Screen – Kiwi Classics on Tour Dates and Locations:
Picton - Friday 9 September, London Quay, Picton
Blenheim - Saturday 10 September, High St carpark, Blenheim
Kaikoura - Sunday 11 & Monday 12 September, Kaikoura i-site Visitor Centre, West End, Kaikoura
Rangiora - Tuesday 13 September, Rangiora Service Centre, High St, Rangiora
Murchison - Thursday 15 September, Murchison Recreation Centre, Hampden St
Nelson - Friday 16 & Saturday 17 September, 1903 Square, Trafalgar St, Nelson
Westport - Sunday 18 September, NBS Theatre, 105 Palmerston St, Westport
Greymouth - Monday 19 & Tuesday 20 September, Railway Station, Greymouth
Hokitika - Wednesday 21 September, West Coast Historical Museum, Carnegie Building, Hokitika
Arthurs Pass - Thursday 22 September, (weather dependant), Arthurs Pass Store and Café, 300 metres from Visitor Centre, Arthurs Pass State Highway
Wanaka - Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 September, Wanaka i-site, 100 Admore Street, Wanaka
Queenstown - Monday 26 & Tuesday 27 September, Earnslaw Park, 78 Beach St, Queenstown
Invercargill - Wednesday 28 & Thursday 29 September, Wachner Place, Esk St, Invercargill
Gore - Friday 30 September, The Triangle/Brown Trout Reserve, Medway Street, Gore
Dunedin - Saturday 1 October, Port Chalmers Seafood Festival, Port Chalmers
Dunedin - Sunday 2 October, George St festival hub, between Frederick and Hanover Street, Dunedin
Oamaru - Monday 3 October, Tourism Waitaki i-site, 1 Thames St, Oamaru
Timaru - Tuesday 4 & Wednesday 5 October, Timaru i-site Visitor Centre, 2 George St, Timaru
Ashburton - Thursday 6 October, Ashburton i-site Visitor Centre, East St, Ashburton
Christchurch - Saturday 8 until Sunday 23 October, Hagley Park, Christchurch