Cuddly joeys, stunning scenery, larrikin humour: why you should watch Kangaroo

Understandably, anticipation is building before the movie hits cinemas on September 18 with an all-star cast including Deborah Mailman, Ryan Corr, Ernie Dingo and Rachel House.

The fictional movie is based on local legend Chris 'Brolga' Barns, who opened a Kangaroo Sanctuary to rescue and raise injured joeys.

I'm invited to a tour of the sanctuary, the day before the Alice Springs movie screening - a red carpet event in the red centre.

Brolga enthusiastically calls to his joeys (he knows them each by name), whilst holding a bucket of food.

Watching the tall man in his khaki outfit and boots lean down to hug a joey may be the most picturesque Australian scene I've ever witnessed. It's no wonder some call him Kangaroo Dundee.

A few weeks ago, the sanctuary had 70 orphaned joeys, they've since released 51 back to the wild (including some of the joeys from the movie).

"They were born wild, so they go back to the bush," Brolga said.

"It's just ones that are injured, or for some other reason wouldn't survive in the wild we keep, but we really do try to get everyone back to the bush."

There are three main joeys in Kangaroo but the sanctuary raised 20 joeys to ensure there were extras on set. The film crew tell us they used a bottle of milk to get them to look directly at the camera but most of the magical moments were unscripted.

Brolga was only passing through Alice as a tour guide in 2005 when he became stuck in a hotel with three injured joeys.

He desperately searched for a place to take them to with no luck. Owning a pet kangaroo is illegal. So Brolga was left with an ultimatum: create a rescue sanctuary or have them euthanised.

Brolga presents two adorable joeys in a basket to the group. As he passes them around for cuddles, he tells us that every orphaned joey is paired with a buddy.

Most orphaned joeys in the sanctuary are rescued after the mother kangaroo is hit by a car.

"The most important thing with a dead kangaroo on the highway when you see it is don't drive past it because everyone else is," Brolga advised the group at the sanctuary.

"Get out, park your car safely on the side of the road and check it for a joey."

After a tour of the sanctuary, I look down at the tiny joey cradled in my arms, and I feel his leg stretch within the pillowcase and their eyes slowly close. I reluctantly hand the sleepy joey back to Brolga as I enter 'Brolga's shed' for a roundtable interview.

Kangaroo follows an unlikely friendship between weatherman Chris Masterman (played by Ryan Corr) and young Aboriginal girl Charlie (Lily Whiteley), who together care for orphaned joeys.

Director Kate Woods said the movie is about "finding your place".

"They're both feeling out of place and through their interaction with nature with animals, they slowly find where they really belong and who their family is," Ms Woods said.

On the day of the screening, a very long line snakes around the car park of the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs.

The event is nearly sold out with just four spare seats left in the venue. Children are in line talking about their moment acting on set.

Every local kid is encouraged to step onto the red carpet and have their photo taken with Brolga and the movie stars before they watch the movie.

Aside from the bubbly excitement, there's a strong feeling of pride amongst the crowd. It's a movie showcasing both the beautiful landscapes of the area and the people.

At just 15, lead actress Lily Whitely is the star of the movie. Her portrayal of Charlie's sarcastic humour, quick wit and intense passion will leave you with goosebumps.

At the end of the movie, all of the extras are invited to join the cast on the stage for a group photo. Suddenly, most of the crowd stands up!

Kangaroo encapsulates the strong community spirit in Alice, the cheeky larrikin humour and the everlasting passion to care for country.