And it ended with three rounds of sustained applause, flowers for the film-maker and a group photo for her mother, who could not be there.
It was standing-room only at the Glenorchy Hall on Wednesday night as more than 100 people packed in to get their first - and last - glimpse of local farm labourer, film-maker, screen writer and camera woman Joanne Ibell's movie, Bartholomew Goes Home.
The only thing missing from the premiere was the red carpet - with many of the women fit to walk down one, beautifully decked out in cocktail dresses with patterned gumboots.
Ms Ibell teamed her black cocktail dress with a polar fleece vest, buttonhole flower, woollen socks and boots.
The evening began with a short film, A Hard Day at the Office, by Southern Institute of Technology film student James Ross.
The 10-minute movie was shot in Glenorchy's backyard - Mt Larkham - last October. It featured Ross and his mates who took a helicopter ride to the summit, then skied down in fresh powder, before paragliding back to the town.
Then it was time for the highly-anticipated main event.
The "heroic 23-minute epic" movie was shot over two winters in Glenorchy and starred Ms Ibell's pet sheep, Bear, who played Bartholomew.
The story centred on "Bartholomew", who met up with "Lance", who was trying to find a safe place called home.
The two boys then met up with two beautiful ewes, Lucia and Isadora, one of whom was searching for her "two boys" who had been taken from her as babies.
Like any good movie there was a bit of comedy thrown in with a lot of drama, due to Paradise farmer Per Lindstrand's attempt to use the sheep as freezer fill.
Some of the children in the audience were clearly wrapped up in the drama, getting a little bit frightened when Mr Lindstrand first sharpened his knife and then busted out his gun.
However, one child was clearly born a farmer with "kill the baa!" echoing through the hall.
There was even a short intermission - though unplanned - when the projector overheated.
Despite Isadora succumbing to a bullet, there was a happy ending for all of them.
Bartholomew led Lance and Lucia "home" and then spent his days roaming the area and guiding other poor, unsuspecting lambs to their safe haven.
Lance and Lucia started a relationship and had their own lamb - a girl, named Helen.
And Isadora went to the safe place in the sky to be with her baby boys.
Ms Ibell said she worked for Arcadia Station owners Jim Veint and Ros Angelo - "Jim doesn't really do pet sheep".
"My sheep got bigger and fatter and there was no sense in them going into the freezer.
"Jim always asked me 'What are you going to do with those sheep?'
"Thank you for putting up with them . . . this is what I did with my sheep."
For Ms Ibell, it was her last hurrah in Glenorchy, as she plans to move to Napier.
However, her four sheep will not be left behind - she is looking for a horse float to move them with her.
