Kiwi movie This Town has today been announced as the very first local movie to be released in cinemas after the three month closure of the country’s movie theatres due to Covid-19. The film was originally planned for release in April 2020, but will now make its nationwide theatrical debut on July, 30th, 2020.
Written, directed by and starring David White (Meat), This Town features Robyn Malcolm (Outrageous Fortune), Rima Te Wiata (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and Toi Whakaari graduate Alice May Connolly in lead roles.
A comedy about love, murder and finding the one, This Town was co-produced by South Pacific Pictures, the production house behind New Zealand box office hits Sione’s Wedding, Whale Rider and My Wedding and Other Secrets, together with White Balance Pictures and Sabertooth Films.
This Town follows one man’s attempt to return to normality, and one woman’s utter determination to prevent it. Charged but acquitted for a terrible crime, Sean (David White) is now the most infamous person in the small community of Thiston. But his attempts to move on with life are made difficult by ex-cop turned petting zoo and adventure park owner Pam (Robyn Malcolm), who’s convinced that Sean is a guilty man walking free.
Star Robyn Malcolm says the kiwi film is well worth the wait, “I’m really excited that kiwis will finally be able to go back to the cinema after the craziness of lockdown,” she says. “We are really proud that This Town will be the first local movie to be released once the cinemas re-open, this is a great opportunity for New Zealanders to support the local film industry and see a great kiwi comedy film.”
Filmed on location in the Hawkes Bay, This Town is produced by Kelly Martin (The Brokenwood Mysteries, Westside), Aaron Watson (The Inland Road) and David White. The film is a co-production between South Pacific Pictures, White Balance Pictures and Sabertooth Films.
Funded by the New Zealand Film Commission, This Town will be distributed by Madman Entertainment (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) in New Zealand and Australia and sold internationally by Film Sales Company (Room 237, Fahrenheit 9/11).