Alexandra's cinema society continues to defy the odds by securing screening rights to popular films despite having no formal theatre.
Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire will show in the town this weekend, in two of only a few screenings of the film within small-town New Zealand.
It will screen six times at Alexandra's Central Stories Museum and Art Gallery during March.
Central Cinema Inc chairwoman Karin Bowen said the society's membership had swelled to more than 200, after weekly film screenings became a regular fixture on the Alexandra calendar last year.
From October to December, when there were three screenings each week, more than 560 people bought film tickets, she said.
"We've found about half of the people coming to screenings are members, and most of the non-members leave with a brochure and later sign up.
"Part of our objective was to bring regular films into Central Otago and our growing membership has proven that's been a good decision," she said.
Mrs Bowen said this year would be business as usual for the society, with regular screenings and applications being made for funding.
The society has received grants from various organisations and charities since it was established in 2007, and it has bought its own equipment as a result.
"Up till now we have been borrowing equipment. We are trying to build up our own set of state-of-the-art cinema equipment, as we really want to be able to deliver high quality film screenings," she said.
A $13,350 grant from Pub Charity late last year was the most recent source of funding, which enabled the society to buy a projector which would be used from this month.
Mrs Bowen said a custom-built cinema facility was the society's long-term goal.
