The Australian Film Commission travelled to Darwin in August with a record 2,321 people watching Australian films during the four-day festival for Big Screen, Black Screen and School Screen.

As part of the Darwin Festival, the Big Screen travelling film festival hosted the world premiere of Greg McLean's new feature thriller Rogue under starry skies at Deckchair Cinema on 11 August.

"Having Rogue feature as part of Big Screen's tour to Darwin was amazing," said McLean. With financial backing from world-renowned executive producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein and a $25 million budget, many are predicting Rogue will become the Australian Jaws.

AFC guests McLean and actor John Jarratt, were joined by producer Matt Hearn and crew who all flew to Darwin to be at the special event.

Host of the event, AFC Commissioner Rachel Perkins said: “We are proud to bring films to regional Australia. It's really fantastic that we can be here.''

In introducing McLean, Federal Member for Solomon, David Tollner, said it was a thrilling occasion and great to see a film shot in the Northern Territory return home for its world premiere. Rogue is the first big budget film to have its world premiere in the NT. The director's first film Wolf Creek, made for just $1.38 million reached No. 1 film at the Australian box office in 2005. Tollner said that since 2001, Big Screen had travelled to over 90 regional centres and over 130,000 people had seen an Australian film with the touring festival. Tollner encouraged everyone to keep watching Australian films on the big screen.

NT Chief Minister Clare Martin welcomed the world premiere of Rogue and the wide benefits it would bring for tourism. “(The film) has captured attention everywhere,'' she said.

Director Greg McLean said “Rogue is so much about the landscape and environment it’s set in – from the incredible backdrop of the Northern Territory to the backwaters of outer Melbourne-the Australian environment is very much a part of the film for us.”

Rogue was front-page news each day for five days during Big Screen. Greg McLean told Daniel Bourchier of the Northern Territory News that the Big Screen premiere in Darwin was the “make or break'” screening for the film. “(The audience) will tell us what they think,'' he said. “I hope they love it.'' McLean thanked those who attended and the Territorians who helped make the movie a reality.

The audience comprised potentially the toughest of critics the crocodile experts of the NT. McLean was pleased by their response to the 7.2 metre angry crocodile. “They found the movement and behaviour realistic”, he said. The fully CG crocodile is a mixture of practical and CG water elements.

A total of 550 high school children and primary school children watched Ten Canoes and Opal Dream, for free as part of the AFC’s School Screening program. One High School art teacher reported that she had developed a learning unit around the film Opal Dream called ‘Stories from the Land and Sea.’

For the Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival tour the AFC, Indigenous Screen Australia and Sydney Opera House presented Northern Territorian premieres of films over two nights to a total audience of over 1,030 people. Special guests Darlene Johnson and actor Frances Djulibing presented Crocodile Dreaming, and AFC Commissioner Rachel Perkins introduced the AFC’s series of short films Bit of Black Business to very appreciative audiences.

Over 240 people enjoyed the Big Screen closing night screening and Northern Territory premiere of Tim Slade’s soaring documentary 4 – a bold and engaging celebration of friendship, homeland and the cycles of life using the much-loved music of Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. Martin Jarvis, Artistic Director Darwin Symphony Orchestra introduced Wilfred Lehmann OAM who performed several classical violin pieces as the sun set. Wilfred has played for London Philharmonic, and City of Berlin Symphony and is a composer in his own right.

Jacqui North, Festival Coordinator