New Zealand film Boy has been illegally uploaded to the internet, potentially damaging its overseas and DVD releases.
The film was uploaded to a peer-to-peer filesharing site this month, and has since been found on a number of other sites, the Federation Against Copyright Theft has been told.
The movie, written and directed by Taika Waititi, has taken $8.7 million at the New Zealand box-office.
The Film Commission says it has yet to be released overseas and there's no telling how much the film's true international potential has been hurt by the piracy.
Boy is to be released in Australia in August.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft is trying to track down where the original uploaded copy came from.
Executive director Tony Eaton says DVD rental stores will be hit by the illegal downloading, as will the entire local film industry.
If the film doesn't recoup its investment, he says, the Film Commission won't have the money to put into another local production.
Anyone found guilty under the Copyright Act faces five years in jail and a fine of $10,000.
