Reading Cinemas Queenstown and 20th Century Fox New Zealand announced yesterday Ice Age 4: Continental Drift would conclude the festival's family fun day on June 23.
The cinema complex and Queenstown Mall will be transformed into an Ice Age-themed "winter wonderland" for the Air New Zealand-sponsored premiere. Every seat in the complex will be available as 279 movie premiere tickets will be given away through competitions and promotions.
Complex manager Rebekah Moore said securing Reading Cinemas Queenstown's first New Zealand movie premiere was "a huge coup" for the resort and festival.
"Ticket winners will enjoy a true red-carpet movie-premiere experience, complete with movie characters on the specially themed blue carpet, and there will be plenty of entertainment for all to enjoy in the mall prior to the screening."
Fox spokesman Neil Lambert, of Auckland, declined to comment yesterday on which stars from the movie and VIPs might attend, as the aim had been to organise the event first, then announce it.
Premieres were usually held in Auckland, or sometimes in Wellington, but the Ice Age showcase was "the perfect fit" for the Queenstown festival and interested promotional partners were getting involved.
Festival director Simon Green said Winter Festival was a perfect stage for launching Ice Age 4 in New Zealand as "the synergy is superb, especially as the festival leads straight into the school holidays".
Destination Queenstown chief executive Tony Everitt said the Ice Age movies attracted millions of fans around the world and the theme was "a perfect fit" for the festival.
