A FULL house of beanie-clad people, buzzing with anticipation, greeted organisers of the second Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival on Friday night.
Just days after Winton was rocked by the loss of its Waltzing Matilda Centre to fire, it was the best possible scene for locals looking for ways to keep their spirits positive.
Not only did hundreds flock to the Queensland premiere of The Last Cab to Darwin and the opening night party at the North Gregory Hotel to meet the stars of the show, Michael Caton and Mark Coles Smith, but they welcomed an injection of funds for the festival from the state government.
Assistant Minister to the Premier Stirling Hinchliffe flew to Winton for the gala evening and to announce a donation of $42,000 "to ensure the success of the Winton film festival after last week's fire".
"It is so important that the festival, now only in its second year, has a secure and viable future," he said.
"Events and festivals make a big difference to the outback economy, attracting visitors, boosting communities and supporting local jobs."
The funding was provided to assist with a change in venue for daytime movie screenings after the fire, and to boost marketing and publicity.
It seemed to have worked, if the streets and pubs of Winton were anything to go by last weekend.
On one corner was a saxophonist serenading the footpath dinner crowd while buses rolled in from a day tour of Mystery Road shoot locations.
On the other, Winton's Motorsports Association was showing off its rumbling engines to get the audience in the mood for the screening of Mad Max: Fury Road as the sun set.
One of the highlights was the unveiling of Winton's Walk of Fame.
Roy Billing, best known for his roles as Bob Trimbole in Underbelly and as the mayor of Parkes in The Dish, now has his star embedded in the footpath outside Winton's open-air Royal Theatre.
Festival director Mark Melrose said a new inductee would be added each year, celebrating links to the regional film industry.
"Now we can walk all over Roy," Mr Hinchliffe quipped, declaring that Winton "truly is the Hollywood of the Outback".
He added that it celebrated the beginning of an industry in the region and said his government was committed to developing a film industry in western Queensland.
"The Premier is talking to the top executives in Hollywood about the breadth of locations in Queensland," he said.
On Sunday afternoon a special charity screening of The Man from Snowy River took place to help raise money for the rebuild of the Waltzing Matilda Centre.
Board member Sallyanne Atkinson said that as the only one of Banjo Paterson's poems so far turned into a film, it was a fitting choice.
"It symbolises the spirit of the people who've gone west to carve out a future," she said.
For mayor Butch Lenton, Winton's phoenix-like rise from the ashes showed what outback towns are made of.
As Winton football fans are proud to say, "Go the Devils!"