Fund injects $73.4m into film and TV production sector

New Zealand as a screen production location remains very strong.

Phil Twyford

The Government has unveiled its screen sector recovery package to protect jobs and investment in New Zealand productions after Covid-19.

That includes a $73.4 million Screen Production Fund, $50m of which will be used to produce up to five feature films or limited series screen productions.

The remaining $23.4m will be distributed through NZ On Air and the New Zealand Film Commission to provide funding for the additional costs incurred by productions that have been shut down, delayed or constrained by Covid-19 restrictions.

Associate Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage Carmel Sepuloni said the fund would ensure that more than 230 productions, employing thousands of Kiwis, were not abandoned due to additional costs.

The industry contributes around $3.3 billion to GDP and employs 16,200 people.

This year’s Budget earmarked $140m to cover ongoing commitments under the screen production grant for international productions. That includes $25m of funds that will be reallocated towards Kiwi feature films.

Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford said New Zealand’s quick response to Covid had given the nation a competitive advantage.

“Not only is it safe to resume screen production, [but it’s] sooner than our international competitors,” he said.

Twyford said New Zealand continued to attract a number of international screen projects, including the Avatar sequels, and Amazon’s television series based on The Lord of the Rings.

“Beyond these large projects, we are also pleased to be attracting a range of other international productions and interest in New Zealand as a screen production location remains very strong,” he said.

A further $25m would also be given over four years to NZ On Air to make sure diverse audiences could get the information they need.

Minister of Broadcasting Kris Fa’afoi said the cultural sector was hit hard by the effects of Covid-19, reinforcing the fact vital information such as health messages needed to be easily available to all.

“Many media have had a significant increase in audience numbers during Covid19, which highlighted the crucial role our media play in connecting people with information,” Fa’afoi said.

“At the same time our media, which has been grappling with financial challenges for some years, is now experiencing a further dramatic drop in advertising revenue since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.