Ian Mune’s documentary celebration of New Zealand’s legendary entertainer Billy T James topped the Box Office chart for the weekend. The weekend’s gross box office of $273,133 also makes Billy T: Te Movie the highest grossing opening of any documentary in New Zealand apart from Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

The World Premiere of Billy T: Te Movie on August 15th is the opening highlight of Hoyts Cinemas state-of-the-art complex in Te Awa at The Base in Hamilton.

The Base is the single largest and newest retail centre in New Zealand and is the flagship investment of Tainui Group Holdings. The multi-million dollar Hoyts cinema complex boasts the most state-of-the-art cinemas in the country with full digital capacity.

A celebration of iconic Kiwi entertainer Billy T James is being created for the big screen in the new feature film, Billy T: Te Movie, directed by Ian Mune. The film will be released in cinemas nationwide on August 18th to commemorate 20 years since Billy’s death.

Billy T: Te Movie celebrates the life of the legendary Billy T James, New Zealand’s best-loved entertainer. The film explores Billy’s extraordinary talent as musician, singer, comedian, actor, writer and artist . The film tells of Billy’s meteoric rise to national fame and his tragic downfall into ill-health and financial collapse.

Tony Barry (pictured) is to star in the upcoming detective comedy Rest for the Wicked, now shooting until November 20 in Auckland.
Last month, Barry won the Best Actor trophy in the Qantas New Zealand Film Awards for his role as Ed in Gaylene Preston’s Home By Christmas, which was selected for the World Cinema Section of the London Film Festival. He has also been nominated for best actor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards to be presented on December 2.

Despite the character and narrative flaws, there are plenty of positives. Everyone’s commitment to the twin causes – exposing the plight of our neoliberal society’s vulnerable victims, battling for years get the film made – engenders a lot of lively on-screen energy.
To a man the performances of those playing the psych patients are believable and affecting, while most memorable are the superb performances given by Ian Mune, Sara Wiseman and Rawiri Paratene.

Rialto Distribution are thrilled to announce that special charity screenings of The Insatiable Moon will be held nationwide on Monday 4th October during Mental Health Awareness week, with proceeds being donated to the Mental Health Foundation.  Rialto Distribution CEO Kelly Rogers comments, “We were delighted to work with the Mental Health Foundation on this release, and [...]