Celebrating 40 years of NZ film: Black Sheep (2007)

When a pair of inept environmental activists release a mutant lamb onto a farm, thousands of sheep are turned into bloodthirsty predators. Photo / Suppled

To mark the 40th anniversary of the New Zealand Film Commission, NZ On Screen brings us the stories behind some of our most notable local films.

"There are 40 million sheep in New Zealand... and they're pissed off!"

Accompanied by possibly the best tagline in local film history, comedy horror Black Sheep marked the directorial debut of Jonathan King.

The film's plot centres on Henry Oldfield (Nathan Meister) who – terrified of sheep and dosed up on therapy – returns to his family's farm to sell out to his older brother Angus (Peter Feeney), unaware that something baaaad is going on: Angus' reckless genetic engineering programme.

When a pair of inept environmental activists release a mutant lamb from Angus' lab onto the farm, thousands of sheep are turned into bloodthirsty predators, and a woolly nightmare quickly develops.

Black Sheep was invited to more than 20 international festivals, scoring good reviews and multiple awards along the way. Here actor Tammy Davis reveals how his rural upbringing may have saved his audition for the film, and how a memento from the set continues to scare his children.

You can watch the trailer for Black Sheep here:

See more great New Zealand film moments here, in NZ On Screen's Film Commission Collection.