A dark experiment, the CIA and a violent group of townsfolk feature in original movies to screen in Ashburton next week.
Hotel of Tyranny and Tombstone will be at the New Life Church 6pm on Wednesday.
Writer and director Josh Holland is excited about the debut screening.
Describing the movies, the 17-year-old said Hotel of Tyranny is a psychological mystery based on a real-life experiment into the workings of the mind undertaken by the CIA in the 1950s.
He plays the protaganist, a detective named Mr Wright, who grapples with a fear of strangers as he navigates his way through a puzzling hotel.
‘‘Once Mr Wright opens the doors to the very heart of human nature, he finds he may never escape,’’ Josh said.
Tombstone follows Mr Wright’s escapades, this time into a Western movie setting and murder mystery.
In an old town, Mr Wright encounters a violent group of townsfolk, and evidence of a secret society as he dedicates himself to finding the murderer.
He said he did not really know what inspired him to come up with such creative scripts.
‘‘I’m not quite sure, it’s just that I get an idea, and I think maybe I could work with that.’’
Josh attends Ashburton Christian School. Among his fellow actors in the movies are students at the school, Dominyck Wiese who plays villain Dr Cameron in Hotel of Tyranny, and Masha Nel, Daniel Davidson and Falevalu Semisi.
Equally excited about the debut screening, the students said they had had a great time filming the movie, much of which was done in Christchurch, including at Ferrymead Heritage Park.
‘‘The places we go, it is real fun,’’ Masha said.
Braided Rivers Community Trust Ashburton is a proud supporter of Josh’s film projects. In February, the trust supported Josh with an $893 Quick Response Grant to help cover expenses.
All proceeds from the night will go towards future charitable events and Ronald McDonald House dinners.
â– Hotel of Tyranny and Tombstone screens October 22 at the New Life Church, 58 Melcombe St, Tinwald. Doors open 5.30pm for 6pm start. Entry $5 for movie tickets, dinner available for purchase. Parental discretion advised, as the films are aimed at secondary school audiences.
