Mr Sadd said The Taneatua Express was a humorous and heartfelt story about two brothers from the Bay of Plenty who had to devise a plan to keep their small-time bus tour operation alive.
The title also referred to the Taneatua Express, which was a train service from Tauranga to Taneatua that stopped running in the 1960s.
Mr Sadd said he wanted to tell stories from a personal perspective that came from real life.
The Make My Movie competition is a collaboration between the Film Commission, NZ On Air and Ant Timpson, who is also responsible for the increasingly popular annual V 48 Hours competition.
Participants had until October 31 to enter their pitch and poster art for a movie they'd like to make. The entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts. Public votes will also be incorporated into the final decision.
A shortlist of 12 entries will be revealed early this month and an eventual winner announced on January 26, with the film to open in April next year.
About 800 entries were understood to have been received, with many being about zombies - currently the hottest movie idea.
Mr Sadd said if he was successful, it would be a real challenge to complete The Taneatua Express on a tight schedule and a shoestring budget. "I'll need to call in a few favours and we'll be doing it all on No8 wire," he said.
Shonky Productions' entry in the V 48 Hours competition was selected by movie-maker Peter Jackson as a wildcard finalist.
"That was a nice compliment to be picked by him," said Mr Sadd.
