Kununurra, Australia: Outdoor Movie Premier in an Open Air Cinema

When Twentieth Century Fox announced world premiere screenings of Baz Luhrmann's Australia in Sydney, Darwin, and Bowen -- three of the four principal shooting locations -- the community of Kununurra in Western Australia's East Kimberley was conspicuously absent. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman's characters were filmed in and around the area; locals were ready to charter a helicopter to fly the print from Darwin.

Fox resolved the logistics and confirmed a simultaneous invite-only premiere at Kununurra Picture Gardens -- the town's only cinema, which is an outdoor one -- on November 18. Aboriginal elders and traditional owners of the land, along with cast members and community contributors, were among the first in the world to see the film. “We are going to have a big party under the stars in the picture garden,” said the Visitor's Centre manager. The Kimberley community then had access to a two-week season at the outdoor cinema.