When Taupo’s giant bike statue was vandalised in 2014 and the council would not pay to repair it, Taupo’s Brett Cotter decided to harness the power of the community to get it fixed.
"It wasn’t an asset in the council registry and so it was going to cost $15,000 to get it repaired,” Cotter said.
Mr Cotter said he wanted to turn a negative into a positive, so in 2015 he launched the Big Bike Film Night to raise money to repair the statue.
"The first night of the event was such a success I sat in the stairwell because the seats were all filled.
"I had people come up to me on the street the next day asking when am I going to hold the next one.
"I thought ‘well, why don’t I give it a punt’?
"Showing films about cycling really sort of caught people’s imagination and still has 12 years on," he said.
Making its way through Central Otago for the ninth time, the film night showcases nine films ranging from two to 29 minutes long.
Mr Cotter said the highlight in this years programme is the Queen of the Mountain which is set in Queenstown.
"The documentary follows Annie Ford, an adventure activist, as she attempts to break the 24 hour Guinness World Record in downhill mountain biking, all to raise funds for reforesting foothills in the Queenstown basin.
"This film not only showcases Annie’s grit and determination but also shows how using adventure as a tool can inspire others," he said.
Mr Cotter said each year he sets himself the goal of finding the best short cycling films from around the world that celebrate the fun, adventure, and inspiration that cycling enables.
Cotter describes the film festival as one of two constants in his life — alongside his brother — and said he had no plans to stop touring.
"I think if anything the world needs more of these films and stories.
"It’s the connection we feel when we ride a bike, we love adventure and fun and inspire us and we can relate to, that keeps people enthusiastic about the event," he said.
Cotter said the Big Bike Film Night has been showing in Central Otago for nine years, with showings in Alexandra, Arrowtown, Glenorchy and Wānaka among the 54 locations across the country this year.
The Bike Bike Film Night comes to Wānaka from May 13 to May 15, with tickets found at the Big Bike Film Night website.
