The Te Puke-made, community-resourced feature film ‘The Z Nail Gang' is holding its world premiere in its home-town next month with a red carpet, black tie event with 300 guests.

Announced today, Maketu husband-and-wife filmmakers Anton Steel and Kylie DellaBarca Steel say the film's world premiere will be held in Te Puke's Capitol Cinema on July 31.

A class from Pongakawa Primary perform as extras in ‘The Nail Gang' with their teacher Laurie Bonsor, when the movie was shot earlier this year. photos courtesy of Andy Belcher. Watch the films official trailer below.

Actors Coben Storer and Geoff Dolan play police officers in ‘The Z-Nail Gang' when it was shot on location in Summerhills Recreation Farm. photos courtesy of Andy Belcher.

About 300 guests will attend the first showing at the cinema, while a further number of guests will be invited to an after-function generously being hosted by The Te Puke Hotel.

The evening is set to be a celebration of Te Puke's local community, with guests representing hundreds of individuals, organisations and businesses that helped resource the production of the film in February this year.

‘The Z Nail Gang' is based on true events about a community united in their fight against mining that threatens a small coastal town – and was filmed in multiple Bay locations including Paengaroa, Maketu, Pongakawa, Pukehina Beach and the Te Puke township.

Kylie says actors will be attending the world premiere from Auckland 'and it will be the first time they've seen the completed product”.

Following the premiere ‘The Z Nail Gang' will be viewing to the public at Te Puke's Capitol Cinema, Tauranga's Rialto Cinema, Whakatane's Whakamax and Rotorua's Basement Cinema – 'so the rest of the Bay of Plenty community can celebrate this home-grown achievement”.

The film will then be released in the region that inspired the story – the Coromandel – with Thames and Whitianga cinemas confirmed to host it from August 14. It will then be widely available throughout the country by August 28.

Although not a typical distribution model, by releasing first in the Bay and then Coromandel, Anton and Kylie are keen to first honour the very communities that placed the story close to their hearts.

'It also gives them a chance to be present during the release period, which is really important to their kaupapa,” says Kylie.

'Many of the volunteer community groups which played an important role in the production of the film will directly benefit from any profits made from the release.

'This is all part of the commitment to valuing and appreciating the community that rallied behind its production,” says Kylie.

At a successful test screening last weekend, some of the feedback included: 'moving, inspirational, funny” and 'staunch Kiwiana, fun and strong, very cool” and 'thought provoking” and 'a great home-grown movie, with current storyline and great humour as well” as well as 'funny moments – too many to count”.

With such a unanimously positive response, Anton and Kylie are confident the film will be well-received – 'not only in the Bay of Plenty but throughout New Zealand”.

They're already receiving emails from communities and local interest groups from around the country to book screenings.

Other venues are also being booked, including Auckland, Christchurch and Motueka.

'The response has been incredibly encouraging with cinemas keen to support an independently produced NZ film telling an important and timely story,” says Kylie.

Details of hosting cinemas will be made available on ‘The Z Nail Gang' website at www.znailgang.net.nz in coming weeks.

Actor Vanessa Rare performs an emotional scene in her part as ‘Aunty' in the climax of ‘The Z Nail Gang', shot early this year. photos courtesy of Andy Belcher.

‘The Z-Nail Gang' climax scene shot on location in Summerhills Recreation Farm earlier this year. photos courtesy of Andy Belcher.