Cinemas in Queenstown

New Zealand has a small sized film industry. Some films are made by New Zealand-based production companies in New Zealand or some films are made about New Zealand by international filmmakers. Apart from this there are also many New Zealand-made films that are co-productions with foreign companies. Mostly small independent film makers make low budget films sometimes aided by public funds.

Recently after the success of New Zealand films like Vertical Limit, Lord of the Rings, The Last Samurai and King Kong, the skills of the New Zealand filmmakers have come into limelight and the international film producers are now using the film industry of New Zealand for the making of feature films. The first feature film that was made in New Zealand was Hinemoa. Alfred Whitehouse was the first filmmaker in New Zealand. Some other famous New Zealand films are-

- Second Contingent for the Boer War
- The Piano
- Heavenly Creatures
- The Chronicles of Narnia
- The Last Samurai
- King Kong
- The Lion
- Avatar
- The Witch and the Wardrobe
- Vertical Limit
- The Lord of the Rings

Some famous directors of New Zealand are- Peter Jackson, Lee Tamahori, Jane Campion and others.

The resort town in Otago, New Zealand with its picturesque settings and stunning locations of idyllic beauty has been the famous shooting site for films like the Vertical Limit and the Lord of the Rings and other American films. Queenstown Lakes District Council, the local government in Queenstown is also very film-friendly and has established film office to encourage and facilitate filming.

The following are the list of renowned cinemas in Queenstown where the New Zealand as well as Hollywood Movies is showed-

- Embassy Cinema Queenstown
11 The Mall, Queenstown

This cinema was originally the sole cinema of Queenstown that was demolished and closed in 1970-1975. Later it was reopened in 1993 and relocated in the Mall.

- Paradiso Cinema
1 Ardmore Street, Wanaka

- Dorothy Browns Arrowtown Cinema
Buckingham Street, Arrowtown

- Fiordland Cinema
7 The Lane, Te Anau

- Kiwi Magic Movie

- Reading Cinemas Queenstown
This is the First Class 3 screen cinema complex of Queenstown. The cinemas have wall to wall screens, stadium seating, Timezone games and so on.