A Wānaka couple has applied for consent to establish an annual open-air cinema event at Glendhu Bay, similar to the long-running Black Barn OpenAir Cinema, to be held each summer for the next 10 years.

Edelweiss Productions Ltd, owned by Urs and Doris Blum, applied for resource consent in September last year to establish the movie event in a paddock on the corner of Motatapu and Mt Aspiring Roads, opposite the Glendhu Bay motor camp.

The plan was to start this March but the ongoing Covid pandemic restrictions means the inaugural event is likely to be postponed to 2023.  

It’s proposed to hold the Glendhu event during either February or March each year, working in with other local events traditionally held at that time of the year, such as the Motatapu Race,Tuki Festival, Ripe Food and Wine Festival and so on. 

The proposed location of the outdoor cinema at Glendhu Bay opposite the Glendhu Bay motor camp. 

If approved, the event would last up to nine nights, from 6:30pm to 11:30pm, and is considered to be “small-scale” - hosting a maximum of 1,500 guests. Guest parking would be onsite and the application suggests a return bus service from Wānaka would be trialled over the first few years.

The consent application is supported by Glendhu Station landowners the McRae family as well as Glendhu Bay motor camp’s managers Phil and Pene Hunt.

Phil said the concept of an annual open air cinema event is great: “We’re up for anything like this which brings something new to Glendhu.”

Edelweiss Productions Ltd is based in Havelock North but is owned by Doris and Urs Blum who moved to Wānaka a year ago. Urs declined to comment.

Edelweiss has successfully operated the annual Black Barn OpenAir Cinema in Havelock North at Black Barn Vineyards for 17 years and in their consent application they said they were “keen to bring this unique experience of 'A movie night under the stars' to Wānaka”. 

The consent application to the Queenstown Lakes District Council is currently pending.

PHOTOS: Edelweiss Productions