The Wairoa Maori Film Festival has helped the northern Hawkes Bay town get back its picture palace.
Many of the films in the 10th festival starting at the end of the month will be screened in the Gaiety Theatre, which has been refurbished with a 9.3 sound system that puts it ahead of most mainstream theatres around the country.
Festival director Leo Koziol says getting a state-of-the art cinema is a grand achievement with much promise for Wairoa.
Bruce Kenyon, from the Wairoa Council-backed Te Matarae o Te Wairoa Trust that governs the theatre, says the equipment was vital for plans to restore the theatre back to its prominent position in the community.
He says as well as being able to show the latest blockbuster movies, the theatre can host community events and film production opportunities.
The Wairoa Maori Film Festival will open on May 30 with a gala evening to reopen the threatre, including a keynote address from award-winning filmmaker Gaylene Preston.
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