Best bike films picked

WINNER: Dark Night won the award for Best Mountain Bike Film. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

The Big Bike Film Night has announced its 2016 line-up which will be coming to Rotorua later in the month with an unprecedented collection that features the full array of cycling genres.

Curator and event director Brett Cotter said the Big Bike Film Night connected cycling fans through the art of imagery, storytelling and incredible filmmaking.

"It's exciting to bring a film collection of this calibre to the big screen. I wanted to share the best short cycling films from around the world with Kiwi audiences and this collection surpasses my wildest expectations," Mr Cotter said.

Filmmakers from around the globe submitted films for inclusion in the 2016 collection, with a judging panel of six "film and bikey types" viewing all of the submissions at Starlight Cinema in Taupo.

The judges selected three films to receive category awards, and 11 others to be included in the screenings.

The winner of the coveted Best Bike Film for the 2016 Big Bike Film Night was Davis and Connie, a film by London-based Ben Ingham.

The Best New Zealand Made Film award for 2016 was presented to Ryan McCrae's impressive The Hills.

The Best Mountain Bike Film for 2016 was awarded to Dark Light, which takes viewers into a world of light and colour.

Rotorua's premiere screening will bring guest speaker Brett Bellchambers from Australia, and a film that exemplifies the tenacity of the three-time WEMBO Singlespeed 24-Hour Solo World Champion.

The 2016 season starts with a premiere screening in Rotorua on Monday, February 15, as part of the Rotorua Bike Festival programme. It then hits the road with screenings in Taupo on March 19, Cambridge April 5, Napier April 30, Tauranga May 14, Auckland May 24 and 26, and finishes up in Christchurch on June 10.

?For more information on the Big Bike Film Night go to www.bigbikefilmnight.nz