Summer screenings of Te Puke's hit movie The Z-Nail Gang have begun with a bang thanks to a full house at the star location of the movie, Pukehina's bar and restaurant The Hippy Pipi.

This morning marked the first of four screenings of the locally made and self-funded film with all ticket sales going to the Pukehina Fire Brigade and surf club.

The Z-Nail Gang producer Kylie DellaBarca Steel says they have had to turn people away from the first lively boutique screening as all the lounges, tables and bar stools were full.

She says the screenings are for people to come along to and celebrate where it all began and how much has been achieved in the last year.

Independently produced the film features leading Kiwi actors, including Erroll Shand playing ‘Dave', Vanessa Rare as ‘Aunty', Geoffrey Dolan as ‘Sgt Smith', Tanya Horo playing ‘Mareeka', Jim McLarty as ‘Ted Bates' and Paul Ballard as ‘Ned'.

Shot in locations around the Bay of Plenty in February-March, hundreds of Te Puke, Pukehina and Pongakawa people, businesses and community groups came together to volunteer time, money and effort to make the movie – and more than 300 saw it first at the world premiere.

Kylie is thrilled at the turnout on a sunny summer's day and says that if the screenings are really popular they can always put on more.

"That's the fun of having made a community film, the whole way we screen it is about community too."

She adds these summer screenings have come full circle – announcing the screenings to Pukehina holiday makers with a recent letter drop, which is how the whole film began – a mail drop asking locals if they wanted to help make a film.

The rest is history with the culminating in a national release of the film, winning the BOP Trustpowers Supreme Community Award and being finalist in two NZ film award categories including best self-funded film.

'We're hoping for a mix of holiday makers who haven't yet had the opportunity to see the film and locals who were involved to come to the screenings and celebrate what our community has achieved and all those who gave their time over the last year to making this film a reality.

The movie's director Anton Steel, introducing the film to a jubilant crowd and with his four year old son Malachi at his side, says these community screenings are the best form of seeing the film, because, just like the way the film was made, they bring people together for a theatrical experience.

'It's not just about sitting in a cinema, it's about getting together with friends and family and your local community and having some fun together.”

Anton always hoped to make films that inspired people and brought them together, so for him this is definitely a dream come true.

Phyllis from the Hippy Pipi says she is proud to be hosting the films Pukehina premiere.

"Having the film crew feature the Hippy Pipi as a location and base themselves there for at least four filming days meant management and staff had a real investment and connection with the film and it will be real fun to sit in the same room that some of the most powerful scenes in the movie were shot."

The Z-Nail Gang film will screen at the Hippy Pipi at 11am tomorrow along with 8pm screenings at the Pukehina Community Hall tomorrow and Saturday January 3.

Tickets are $10 for an adult and $5 for children.

All the screenings are continuing to support local community organisations with proceeds from the ticket sales being donated to the Pukehina fire brigade and surf club.