Table Tennis Takes Centre Stage On Opening Night Of Marty Supreme, Auckland, New Zealand

19 January 2026

Table Tennis New Zealand (TTNZ), the Auckland Table Tennis Association, and Rialto Cinemas have come together for a special opening night collaboration celebrating Marty Supreme, one of the few Hollywood feature films to place table tennis at the heart of its story.

On opening night, cinema goers will not just watch table tennis on screen. They will see it played live, just metres from the big screen, in a rare fusion of film, sport and community.

The opening night activation will take place on Thursday, 22 January 2026. Audiences attending the 6.00pm screening at Rialto Cinemas, Newmarket, will experience a live pre-screening table tennis activation, bringing the energy of the sport into the cinema. The 15-minute programme, beginning at 5.45pm, will feature an exhibition match between Barry Griffiths, Olympian #554, and Jocelyn Lam, one of New Zealand’s leading female players and a current member of the New Zealand National Squad.

Barry Griffiths is an icon of New Zealand table tennis, having won eight New Zealand Open singles titles, earned five New Zealand Player of the Year honours, represented New Zealand at the 1988 Olympic Games, and been inducted into the New Zealand Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.

The activation marks one of the very few occasions a live table tennis exhibition has taken place inside a New Zealand cinema, offering a distinctive opening night spectacle. The match will be staged inside the cinema with a table tennis table and players in national uniforms. This will create strong visual moments for photography and broadcast coverage.

Following the exhibition match, selected movie goers will be invited to take part in an interactive audience challenge, returning serves from the players and competing for spot prizes. Prizes include table tennis merchandise and coaching lesson vouchers provided by the Auckland Table Tennis Association.

Izania Downie, Chief Executive Officer of TTNZ, said the opening night activation is a chance to shine a spotlight on the sport and connect with new audiences.

“This movie will generate fresh excitement around table tennis and bring people together through our sport. Table tennis is inclusive, accessible, and enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. Importantly, it also supports brain health by keeping people mentally active, socially connected, and engaged through movement, coordination and decision making. We see this through initiatives such as Ping Pong Parkinson, which highlight how table tennis can play a positive role in supporting people’s wellbeing. This activation reflects what we continue to promote through our Brain Health work, that table tennis is a sport people can enjoy for life, with benefits that go well beyond the table.”

Shane Warbrooke, Chief Executive Officer of the Auckland Table Tennis Association, said the collaboration highlights the strength of long-term partnerships.

“Rialto Cinemas has been a long-term supporter of table tennis in Auckland, and we are pleased to deliver this special opening night activation with one of our supporters. We hope the movie inspires people to visit our stadium in Newmarket and get involved in the sport.”

Rialto Cinemas said the collaboration reflects its commitment to community engagement.

“We have supported table tennis for many years, but this is the first time we have worked with a national sport organisation. It is a great way to engage our movie goers and the wider community through a shared opening night experience that connects film and sport.”

Marty Supreme

Marty Supreme is a 2025 feature film that places table tennis at the centre of its story, a rare focus for a Hollywood-style sports movie.

The film follows Marty, an unconventional and fiercely driven competitor whose journey through the world of competitive table tennis explores ambition, resilience, identity, and the pressures of high-performance sport. Set against intense match play and personal challenges, Marty Supreme blends sporting drama with character-driven storytelling, highlighting the mental toughness, precision, and passion required to succeed at the top level.

With table tennis portrayed not just as a backdrop but as the heartbeat of the film, Marty Supreme has resonated strongly with players and fans of the sport, while also appealing to wider audiences through its human story of perseverance and self-belief.

Event details

Date: Thursday, 22 January 2026

Venue: Rialto Cinemas, Newmarket
Activation starts 5.40pm
Film screening Marty Supreme at 6.00pm

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