Eight years later it was back on international screens when Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving and Terrance Stamp hiked up Kings Canyon wearing peacock feathers in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Now, it’s been 32 years since Paul Hogan charmed the world and 25 years since Priscilla left a trail of red dust and sequins.

It’s time for another groundbreaking film in the NT and Top End Wedding is set to propel the Territory back into the spotlight.

Lauren and Ned’s wedding is in 10 days. A dispute between Lauren’s parents has sent her mother, Daffy, on a journey of self-discovery with no indication of her whereabouts.

The to-be-weds travel from Adelaide to Darwin, Kakadu and the Tiwi Islands in search of answers.

On this journey Lauren finds more than her mother and reconnects with her family and the ancient land of her ancestors.

For star and writer Miranda Tapsell the film is a labour of love.

Born in Darwin and raised in Kakadu, Top End Wedding blossomed from her passion for the Territory and romantic comedies.

“When I met my co-writer Josh Tyler and told him I’d grown up in the Territory, he told me he’d been up here and how much he loved it,” Tapsell says.

“That really surprised me because most people I’ve met in Melbourne or Sydney hadn’t been here and if they had, they complained about how hot and expensive it was.

“It was a really refreshing perspective to hear it from Josh and the fact he loves rom-coms as much as I do was the reason why we set one up in the Northern Territory.”

Her busy career doesn’t afford trips back to the NT often but bringing her work to Darwin gave Tapsell a new appreciation for her home.

“It was lovely seeing the Territory through new eyes,” she says.

“Everyone from Gwilym (Lee) (who plays Ned) and many of the cast and crew were so in awe of the Territory’s beauty. I think I really took it for granted growing up. Obviously I knew it was beautiful but to see a new appreciation of it made me realise I should probably come up more often.

“I love the fact there’s real peace and tranquillity there. I always love coming back home and slowing down a couple of paces. It’s so important to have that step back and reflect on what your priorities are and that can get lost when you live in a big city.”

The Territory’s adventurous spirit coursed through the veins of every member of the production.

“I loved that everyone was there for the adventure,” Tapsell says.

“That’s what the Territory’s about. You’ve got to be up for the long drives and the camping, hiking and swimming. That’s all part of the fun.”

As a Larrakia woman, it was important for Tapsell to pay tribute to her heritage and to share the Territory’s ancient cultures.

“I loved that the knowledge of the traditional owners grounded the film,” she says.

“It reminded people how special the arts, the songs and the are, how incredible the particular culture groups are.

“It is a very unique film and we showcase the Territory’s uniqueness of the Territory in a very lighthearted, joyous way.”

TOP End Wedding was thrust onto the world stage at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah and at the Australian Screen Forum in New York.

Its international launch will be a key driver in its success and in promoting the Northern Territory as an attractive location for tourism and film productions.

Screen Territory director Jennie Hughes is watching the film’s progress in the industry and says it is a groundbreaking production for the NT.

“Films like Top End Wedding have a flow on effect in terms of tourism and raising awareness of the NT,” she says.

Ms Hughes believes the film’s fresh perspective and storyline will shift audience’s views of Australia’s outback.

“This film shows a different viewpoint than you normally get,” she says. “It’s a romantic story, therefore the way the landscape is portrayed is in that vein. You’re seeing other things as well, not just the landscape. You’re seeing quite a bit of the culture and I think that’s important because one thing that’s interwoven in the NT is that culture.

“The strength of the indigenous culture is prevalent wherever you go in the NT and so is the multiculturalism.”

Top End Wedding is a necessary update of the NT. It shows an evolution from the frontier desert shown in previous films.

Already the film has delievered a local economic contribution of $1.5 million using 180 local suppliers and vendors. It’s also created 190 local jobs.

“When you get these films that really work, they capture attention, especially of the international market and even around Australia,” Hughes says.

“It reinvigorates interest here and shows something a bit different, a more contemporary. Crocodile Dundee is fantastic and Priscilla is great but this shows another element, a contemporary Northern Territory.

“Those films are a number of years old and the face of the Territory is changing all the time. It’s good to have a look at the Territory which is very up to date.”

Ms Hughes believes the best marketing tool is Tapsell herself and her love for the Territory. “When Miranda talks about here, she always talks about it with passion,” Ms Hughes says.

“She’s a Territorian at heart. It makes an enormous difference because in every interview I’ve heard with her, it’s always about her background, her culture and growing up here.

“She understands it, she gets it and I think unless you’re born here and have that background, you can’t have that authenticity. She comes across as being incredibly genuine in the way she talks about the film and her passion for the Territory.”

The world has a keen eye on Tapsell’s co-star Gwilym Lee, who’s come straight off the red carpet from the phenomenon Bohemian Rhapsody.

He brings invaluable star power to the film.

“This film already comes with good credentials and then you have the value with having someone who’s come just off a really successful film in which he was one of the key characters,” Ms Hughes says.

“That’s enormously beneficial. Sometimes you have those films where everything works and I think that’s the case with Top End Wedding. The stars align and it will certainly help internationally, in terms of getting out onto the market.

“Because he has that platform now where he’s been in that successful film, people will be interested in him in terms of publicity. It’s a win-win.”

Top End Wedding brings much-needed attention to the Territory and its impact is already felt in the tourism sector.

Tourism Minister Lauren Moss says support for the film came from the $103 million Turbocharging Tourism package. Moss hopes the picturesque wedding will entice visitors to exchange nuptials with the Territory’s sunset for a background. “Top End Wedding celebrates the best the Top End of the Northern Territory has to offer tourists,” she says.

“And those seeking a unique wedding destination and will be shared with millions of potential visitors right around the world.”

The film opens in theatres in less than a month but it’s already woven its way into Australian hearts.

Top End Weddingmakes its Darwin premiere at Event Cinemas Gateway on 11 April