Staffer Leo gave us a ring to let us know that Stuff has an article about New Zealand film industry folks getting a look at the now legendary 20 minutes of Lord of the Rings movie footage:

... the screening... was to give cinema owners and distributors a taste of what to expect in the [NZ] $658 million epic directed by Peter Jackson. It was the first time it had been shown to the industry in New Zealand...

Here's the rest.