Chasing Asylum director, Eva Orner.
The director of documentary Chasing Asylum has offered Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull a free ticket and a box of popcorn to entice him to the cinema after the film collected $144,236 at the box office.
Chasing Aslyum has been in cinemas for four days and has held premiere screenings around the country.
From Academy Award winning Eva Orner (Taxi to the Dark Side; The Network), the film is an explosive look inside Australia’s offshore detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru.
The film features secretly filmed footage from inside the centres, testimonials from whistleblowers and stories from asylum seekers and refugees who have tried to make Australia home.
Orner has visited and spoken with 21 audiences in the last few weeks with 16 Q and As still to come.
Extra Q and A sessions have been added at the Sun Theatre Yarraville and Cinema Nova Carlton on June 11-12.
Cinema Nova, general manager, Kristian Connelly, said audiences were responding to the film with an engagement and frustration rarely seen for a feature documentary.
"Interest in the film has been extraordinary, through audience engagement and a clear hope that it will lead to a more humane treatment of refugees," he said.
"Following four sold out Q and A screenings with director Eva Orner we fully expect Chasing Asylum to be another break-out documentary at the Australian box office”.
Showing nationally on 11 screens and on demand via Tugg – anyone can request a screening in their local area.
More than 33 Tugg screenings have been requested.
Requests in regional locations have been strong – due to popular demand the film will be screening in Ipswich, Newcastle, Maroochydore, Toowoomba, Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo, Avoca Beach and many more suburban locations, according to Tugg.
Orner has invited all politicians to see the film.
"Specifically we offer a free ticket and box of popcorn to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten," she said.
“Please join us for a screening Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten. Neither of you have ever been to the camps on Manus or Nauru so I invite you to the film so you can see what your policies look like.
"And I’m sure audiences would be delighted if you would stick around for a Q and A afterwards. Mr Dutton can buy his own ticket.”