A King Kong-Sized Wellywood sign is set to celebrate Wellington’s film industry.

The Hollywood-style sign will stand 3.5-metres tall and stretch 28m along the hillside next to the Miramar cutting.

Sir Peter Jackson said that despite the gloomy economy it was good to see there was still room for some “cheeky fun”.

“It’s Kiwi tongue-in-cheek humour at its very best, but beneath the leg-pulling is genuine pride.

The film industry pumps an estimated $285 million a year into Wellington.

Due to Wellywood’s size everyone knows someone in the industry, one of my mountain bike buddies won a Sundance award this year.

Kiwi short film takes top Sundance award
28 Jan 2010

Kiwi short film The Six Dollar Fifty Man has won the top prize - the Jury Prize in International Short Film-making - at the Sundance International Film Festival in Utah.

The prestigious award is the latest in a string of successes for the film - written and directed by Wellingtonians Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland, and produced by Wendy Cuthbert - and puts the Kiwis on track for a possible Academy Award.

Set in New Zealand in the 1970s, the 15-minute film tells the story of a gutsy eight-year-old boy who retreats into a make-believe world to deal with playground bullying.

Go Welly

Andy

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