Director Taika Waititi appeals for cash

Taika Waititi on the set of 'Boy'. Photo / Supplied

The director behind the country's most successful movie is appealing for cash to help promote the film in the United States.

Hit comedy-drama Boy has raked in more then $9.3 million in New Zealand since its release last year.

Now its Kiwi writer and director - and notorious prankster - Taika Waititi has started a campaign on Facebook to get $90,000 - and he is offering prizes to supporters.

"This is my Kickstarter campaign to release my film from captivity," he says.

"The people in New Zealand loved it and we are trying to release the movie into America where it belongs.

" We need to raise some money to promote it." "

Efforts to contact Waititi yesterday were unsuccessful.

However, about 60 people have chipped in almost $6000 since the Facebook campaign started on Thursday.

Fans have been asked to donate anything from $1 to $10,000-plus, in return for prizes that range from a digital Boy poster to a day tour of Waihau Bay, East Cape, where the movie is set, with some of the cast and crew.

Waititi says he'll even throw in dinner with his aunty for some big spenders.

Waititi's most famous prank was when he appeared to be asleep when presenter Jeremy Irons introduced his 2005 Oscar nomination for best short film for Two Cars One Night at the Academy Awards.

He later admitted: "It was all a joke".