More indie movies for Carterton

SAUDI JOURNEY: One of the films screened at Sunset Cinema will be Wadjda, the story of a Saudi Arabian girl determined to ride a bike, despite her family's opposition.

Carterton has been introduced to a Kiwi chess champion, Antarctic photographer and a prima male ballet dancer.

Now the town is set to embark on a world trip to post-war Britain, fundamentalist Saudi Arabia and 1920s Spain on the itinerary.

The Sunset Cinema film festival, hosted by the Carterton Film Society, will be returning in 2016, with films screening at Carterton Events Centre throughout the year.

This will be the second Sunset Cinema event the film society has organised, the first running from January to March this year.

While the inaugural festival featured mostly New Zealand-made pieces, including a film on former Carterton Mayor Georgina Beyer, the 2016 season will focus mainly on international arthouse cinema.

Film society chair Kathy Bartlett said she hoped next year's festival would build on the success of the 2015 season, which was warmly received by Carterton residents.

"There's a real appetite for arthouse film in Carterton," Ms Bartlett said. "There aren't many places around here people can go to see these kind of films, so we're bringing the movies to them."

"Plus, Carterton gets a bit quiet in the evenings, so it gives people somewhere to go -- it creates a local buzz."

The Carterton Film Society was formed in late 2014 by three friends and film connoisseurs planning to introduce indie cinema to their hometown.

Sunset Cinema began with a series of New Zealand documentaries -- the stories of renowned dancer Douglas Wright, speed chess player Genesis Potini, wildlife photographer Anthony Powell and the horse-wrangling Ottley-Karena family.

"They all went down really well. We had a couple nights which were sell-outs. For Georgina Beyer's film, we had to put out a row of seats. Afterwards, people kept asking us 'when are you coming back?'"

Later this year, the group became a member of the New Zealand Federation of Film Societies, giving it access to a wider variety of films.

"Some of the feedback we got was that people would like to see more international films, so we thought we'd broaden our range."

The society has released its programme of films for 2016: which include Blancanieves, a silent Spanish film based on the Snow White story; GermanStations of the Cross about a 14-year-old fundamentalist Catholic; Wadjda, about a spirited young girl in conservative Saudi Arabia; and the Spirit of 45, detailing the radical changes in Britain under the Clement Atlee Government.

Ms Bartlett said based on feedback , films would be shown throughout the year from February to December. All screenings will include food and beverages from Wairarapa producers, such as Pawlonia Estate, Regent 58 and Finom Catering.

For more information on Sunset Cinema 2016, go to www.sunsetcinemacarterton.com