Psst... wanna be a movie star?

48 Hours - Officially NZ's largest film competition.

Hundreds of teams of film-makers kick off tonight all around the country & finish on Sunday night.

Damian Christie suggests "if you're approached by a bedraggled film crew (the chances are high, there's a couple of hundred teams around the country), be nice to them, do what they want, and offer them a cuppa if you can."

To increase your chances, maybe hang around the Paramount Theatre in Courtenay Place, from about 6pm tonight, looking photogenic.

Failing that, be prepared during the rest of the weekend for whatever may happen...

And failing that even (you must be ugly & untalented), tickets for the heats (screening between May 19 & 24) go on sale from May 16th, and tickets for the City finals (May 29 at the Paramount) are on sale now.

The Grand Final is live on C4, 8pm Sunday June 12 (which coincidentally, is also Rose Pruning Day at the Botanic Gardens - more on that later).

So see you on the big screen?