Queenstown hit the big screens yesterday, with the resort landing a "cameo role" in Any Questions for Ben?.
The movie, billed as a fast-paced comedy from the creators of Australian hits The Castle and The Dish, features a star-studded cast of young Australians including Josh Lawson, Rachael Taylor, Daniel Henshall, Christian Clark and Felicity Ward.
Any Questions for Ben? follows Ben (Lawson), a 27-year-old with the world at his feet whose search for the true meaning of life leads him into a variety of entertaining situations - including a trip to Queenstown.
Scenes shot in the resort capture the cosmopolitan buzz of Queenstown, its lake and alpine scenery and world-renowned experiences including skiing and bungy jumping.
Producer Michael Hirsh said "visually superb scenery provided us with huge production values that money can't buy".
"Queenstown looks magnificent on the big screen. It was a pleasure to film there."
Regional tourism and film organisations Destination Queenstown and Film Otago Southland assisted Working Dog Productions with logistics and locations to maximise Queenstown's exposure.
The film and television production company is based in Melbourne and the team behind it includes some of Australia's best-known performers and writers, including Rob Sitch, Tom Gleisner, Michael Hirsh and Jane Kennedy.
Destination Queenstown chief executive Tony Everitt said the project was a fantastic opportunity to reach a broad Australian audience.
"The film gives audiences a real taste of our magnificent scenery, world-class visitor experiences and easy accessibility from Australia."
Film Otago Southland executive manager Kevin Jennings believed it was a great example of the local industry and an offshore production benefiting each other.
"Having world-class film crew and equipment available locally made shooting in Queenstown an attractive and cost-effective option for Working Dog.
"Australia is a key growth market for our film industry and we hope to encourage more production companies to take advantage of what we have on offer."
Any Questions for Ben? is the latest in a long line of films to be shot in Queenstown, including Wolverine, The Water Horse, 10,000 BC, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Vertical Limit, Prince Caspian, I Hate Luv Storys and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
