Hero's welcome for World's Fastest Indian director 

They stood, they whooped and hollered - and the movie had not even started.

Last night a proud and enthusiastic Southland audience welcomed The World's Fastest Indian's director, Roger Donaldson, and producer, Gary Hannam, into the Civic Theatre in Invercargill with a standing ovation.

It was dubbed the world premiere because it was supposed to be the first commercial screening of the movie about motorcycle speed legend Burt Munro.

Munro spent two decades modifying a 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle, then took it to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for a tilt at motorcycling glory.

He set a class world (the engine had been "stretched" to 950cc) and his qualifying run at 305.88km/h (190.07mph) is the fastest speed officially recorded for an Indian.

Last night the movie started 20 minutes late in Invercargill and was probably seen "first" in 54 other places around New Zealand.

But that did not seem to matter.

It was all about the occasion - the glitz and the glamour, the chance to see and be seen.

For more than two hours guests paraded along the red carpet to the theatre, many of them business and civic leaders, others completely unknown.

Most women wore fine evening dresses while the men wore tuxedos and suits.

The highlight for spectators was the arrival of the celebrity guests, a steady stream of limousines glided in to drop off movie stars and prominent New Zealanders, including Prime Minister Helen Clark.

However, the loudest cheers were kept for the passengers of the final limo, Donaldson and stars Aaron Murphy and Christopher Lawford.

- NZPA