Bike films rolling in
The Big Bike Film Night celebrates cycling in all its different shapes and forms. The programme aims to inspire, featuring a great mix of short films designed for two-wheel enthusiasts. You’ll be taken on a journey around the world, meet some incredible characters and passionate cycling advocates, and in the words of the organiser – some bike nutters as well!
It’ll be the 12th year for the festival, coming from humble beginnings in Taupō, it has now expanded all across Aotearoa and beyond to Australia, Scotland and London. It started in response to vandalism of a biking statue that had been recently put up in Taupō. Now, organiser Brett Cotter’s mission is to bring the best cycling short films from around the world together for you.
“There was a real outcry in the local community, and I thought, let’s turn this negative into a positive – let’s see if I can do a film festival that celebrates cycling and spread the joy but also help get some money to go towards the statue’s restoration and repairing it,” Cotter says. “We had a phenomenal night that night and people came up afterwards saying ‘that was awesome’ and ‘that was amazing.’ So I was able to donate $2,500 and then thought that this could be a nice little garage project.”
One of the films that came out of our region this year, Queen of the Mountain, follows Annie Ford, an adventure activist. She attempts to break the 24-hour Guinness World Record in downhill mountain biking to raise funds for reforesting on the foothills of Coronet Peak. Her ride becomes a powerful symbol of resilience and environmental passion.
“A Guinness World Record has a way of capturing attention, and I thought: why not channel that into something meaningful, in a place and community that means so much to me,” Ford says. “After I announced the world record and fundraising goal, the team at Ascend Television reached out and offered to document the journey - the lead-up and the record attempt itself. This film is the result of their generosity and belief in the project!”
Ford is humbled to be a part of the Big Bike Film Night and says she couldn’t have done the record without the support of the local community. She says the event is a chance to pause and recognise what’s good in the world, appreciating how epic our bike community is.
“I’m so grateful to Brett for bringing people together for the Big Bike Film Night, and I’m really excited to sit in a room with so many of the people who were part of it - those who came up to Coronet Peak, rode laps, handed out food, cheered us on, or donated to the cause.”
They raised $36,256 with all proceeds going to Te Tapu o Tāne, who have since planted 3,680 indigenous trees on the foothills of Coronet Peak. In collaboration with NZ Ski and within a QEII covenant – land protected for its natural and cultural values, in perpetuity – it makes the impact of the project feel even more meaningful.
In addition to Queen of the Mountain there’s an array of great biking films on offer, from here and further afield - some funny, others inspirational, but all a great watch. Cotter explains that the short films are a great reminder of why we all love to ride our bikes, with stories that captivate us, stories that move us, and most importantly of all – inspiring us to get out and ride.
The Big Bike Film Night will be held at Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall on Tuesday, 12 May, at The Headwaters Eco Lodge in Glenorchy on Wednesday, 13 May, and at Wānaka Community Hub on Wednesday, 13 and Thursday, 14 May. The tour will also head to Alexandra and Te Anau, you can head to bigbikefilmnight.nz to read more about the programme, stops on the tour, and to pick up tickets.
