What started as a response to vandalism in Taupō has grown into an international cycling film phenomenon, with the Big Bike Film Night set to premiere its eleventh season at the Great Lakes Centre tonight.
Festival founder and curator Brett Cotter, known as the "film peddler," has grown the event from three local screenings to an international tour spanning 80 venues across New Zealand, plus screenings in Australia, Scotland, and beyond.
"It's quite extraordinary to think that the event started back 11 years ago with just three screenings and Taupō was the pioneer," Cotter told Lake FM. "It's grown into this beautiful beast and I just love where it's taken me."
The 2025 programme features eight films spanning multiple cycling disciplines, including what Cotter describes as "probably the best selection of New Zealand films we've ever had." The curated collection includes stories from Pakistan, San Diego, Scotland, and Austria, showcasing everything from mountain biking to adaptive cycling.
The two-and-a-half-hour programme celebrates cycling's diversity, featuring films about mountain biking, gravel riding, bikepacking, and urban commuting.
Tickets for tonight's Taupō premiere are available through the Big Bike Film Night website (bigbikefilmnight.nz) or at the door.
The event begins at 7:00 pm at the Great Lakes Centre Theatre.
