The coming of age film Boy has been screened at a number of international film festivals, and drawn wide acclaim for its take on childhood and the experience of growing up. The film’s director, Taika Waititi, has succeeded in capturing the spirit of 1980s New Zealand – Michael Jackson tributes and all – in a funny and endearing story about a young boy whose dreamy expectations of his ne’er-do-well father are shattered once his dad is released from prison.
Despite it being the most successful domestic grossing New Zealand film of all time, Taika is crowdsourcing funds at Kickstarter to help release the film in theatres throughout the USA. Funds raised will go towards creating prints of the film and providing marketing support. It would be great to see this homegrown movie become a success overseas, so if you can, go to BOY: the American release! and support this movie so that as many people as possible can have the opportunity to experience some great New Zealand talent. The fundraising initiative has already raised over US$90,000 – a great start but small beer when you’re wanting your product to succeed in the vast territory of America.
For New Yorkers, Boy opens at the Angelika Film Center on Houston St and at the Lincoln Center this Friday before showing in Santa Monica, Pasadena, San Francisco, Seattle, DC, Boston, Atlanta and Santa Fe (and hopefully on many more screens).
