48 hours of movie madness (+video)

ROSS GIBLIN/The Dominion Post

RARING TO GO: The Goat Embryo Project, with three-year-old Matiu Somerville, will be filming on Matiu/Somes Island.

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A Wellington film crew are tackling this year's 48-hour film challenge from Matiu/Somes Island in the hope its lack of mod cons will inspire them to glory.

When the sixth instalment of the 48Hours competition kicks off tonight around New Zealand nearly 10,000 cast and crew, in 600 teams, will head into a weekend without sleep while they write, shoot and edit their films.

When the stopwatch starts at 7pm the teams find out the genre for their film and a few random elements they must include.

A 15-member group calling themselves the Goat Embryo Project, mostly made up of Matiu/Somes Island Conservation Department and iwi volunteers, have chosen the island, in the middle of Wellington Harbour, for the shoot.

Producer Terese Mcleod, who has competed for the past four years, said the location, with only a generator for power, would force them to "keep it simple" – a key to success.

"We will have to make it work no matter what. The island has unbeatable panoramic views of Wellington and amazing spooky buildings."

Director Alice Te Punga-Somerville said: "If we had to do a pastoral splatter movie then we're good to go."

Whatever the genre, her three-year-old nephew Matiu Somerville would star.

The last ferry back to Queens Wharf on Sunday is at 4.25pm, but one of the crew will use a pedal-powered kayak to get the film back by 7pm to be eligible for the $60,000 in equipment given to the winner.

Organiser Ant Timpson was looking forward to seeing what the group came up with. "If they pull it off it will be a miracle."

Peter Jackson has agreed to be a wildcard judge for the fourth year running.