Film Otago Southland and Reading Cinemas Queenstown present Good For Nothing, a New Zealand take on the Western film genre, directed, produced and written by Mike Wallis, formerly of Dunedin, and co-produced by his fiancee and lead actress Inge Rademeyer.
Lead actor Cohen Holloway co-stars as the high plains drifter archetype with a twist.
An English lady emigrating to the American West is kidnapped by an outlaw who attempts to have his way with her, but suffers from an unfortunate case of erectile dysfunction, in a quirky action adventure.
The Wellington film-maker, who lived in Queenstown for three years in the 1990s, said this week he and Ms Rademeyer were excited to be attending the screening. A full house of 67 invited guests will attend a screening on Thursday night. The film opens to the public the next day.
"It's great to go to these premieres around the regions, because making it was a massive contribution from all walks of life and it's a chance to say thank you," he said.
"The Kingston Flyer features heavily in the opening scenes and the Goldfields Mining Centre and it was great to be using those locations. We're interested to see what Queenstown makes of it all."
Good for Nothing was the first self-funded New Zealand film to receive a theatrical release in the United States and continued to be well received by American critics as it screened across the continent.
The Hollywood Reporter said: "Imagine a Kiwi spaghetti Western, filtered through the off-beat sensibilities of early Sam Rami, or the Cohen brothers."
Mr Wallis said it was honour when top American critic Leonard Maltin told his audience Good For Nothing was "the very definition of a sleeper hit" and well worth investigating.
The R13 film was ranked at No 8 at the New Zealand box office and climbing, Mr Wallis said.
