A scene from Return to Dillon Cone — five years of dreaming, and only one way to get to it. Photo / Aritz Gordo
A scene from Return to Dillon Cone — five years of dreaming, and only one way to get to it. Photo / Aritz Gordo
The Big Bike Film Night will be celebrating cycling in all its glorious shapes and forms in Northland next month.
In its ninth year, the nationwide tour will be at Cathay Cinemas in Kerikeri on Tuesday, May 2, with a programme proclaimed as “a feast of short films devised and designed for the two-wheel devotee”.
Other stops include Whangārei, with 45 locations and 62 screenings in total from February to May nationwide, from Kerikeri to Invercargill.
With its humble beginnings in 2015, the Big Bike Film Night is a much-anticipated film festival that brings a love of cycling to cinemas, presenting an array of international and New Zealand movies specifically selected by Taupō based curator and “film pedlar” Brett Cotter.
“Each year I set out with just one goal — to bring together the best cycling short films from around the world for our audiences, celebrating the fun, the adventure, and inspiration that bikes enable,” said Cotter.
“Our stellar 2023 collection contains 10 mesmerising films that are as varied and diverse as you could hope for. This global programme contains a strong contingent of Kiwi films, including a world premiere, alongside an assortment of international films having their New Zealand premiere here as well,” said Cotter.
Return to Dillon Cone, set and shot in the rugged coastal Kaikōura ranges, will be making its world premiere at the festival. It is from talented Canterbury filmmakers Dylan Gerschwitz and Deane Parker. The film follows a team who have spent five years formulating a dream … an attempt to reach an unridden peak accessible only by river.
A scene from Return to Dillon Cone, one of the films screening at the cycling film night in Kerikeri on May 2. Photo / Aritz Gordo
The expedition has only one option to get there, taking on the jagged gorges of the Clarence River (Waiau-toa awa) by pack raft, and afterwards travelling by mountain bike, in their pursuit of summiting the steep, shingle-laid slopes of the imposing Dillon Cone.
Also in the treasure chest of films is a visually commanding film set in postcard Tuscany that follows a 74-year old bicicletta rider whose spirit personifies cycling; a delightful young Australian bikepacker shares lessons from her scenic trip to hell; two schools offer insights into how they promote active transport within their school community; a tale of a rider with a searing thirst for adventure exploring interior Iceland; putting the “mountain” into mountain biking — the eyes of a Scottish highlander are opened to the healing power of the bicycle; an uplifting film that celebrates a humble volunteer whose community spirit is inspiring and so are the majestic winter views of the trail where he lives, in rural heartland Central Otago; a human-powered movie that follows a family that chooses to live life to the fullest in the face of adversity; and rounding out the night, find out what happens when you combine an ultra-distance 320km gravel race and parenting during a 24-hour period, all in the mix.
“The power of storytelling is at the forefront of what we offer, and the belief that the humble bicycle can improve our health, inspire and uplift people with where it can take us; connecting communities with stories that captivate us, stories that make us think, and most importantly of all — inspiring us to get out and ride,” said Cotter.
The Big Bike Film Night will be screening at Forum North in Whangārei on Monday, May 1, from 7pm, and at Cathay Cinemas in Kerikeri on May 2, from 7.30pm.
For more information and to buy tickets go to www.bigbikefilmnight.nz or the respective venue on the night for door sales.
