Film hinged on border opening
The studio behind a big-budget film threatened to pull the pin on New Zealand if key staff couldn’t get through closed borders.
While nine in every 10 requests for special exceptions for overseas workers are rejected before reaching Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford’s desk, a charter plane carrying up to 56 film workers arrived in Wellington on Sunday.
The Avatar crew – plus workers for another, still-secret film – were allowed in after the Government granted an exemption.
National Party economic development spokesperson Judith Collins criticised the decision as unfair when many small businesses were still facing strict restrictions.
‘‘It certainly would seem some are not getting that same treatment. There must be a lot of small businesses wondering if there are different rules for different people," she said.
‘‘There doesn’t seem to be any particular criteria except what Phil Twyford thinks will help the economy. Why does this particular venture get preferential treatment?’’
Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment’s Iain Cossar confirmed one of the productions faced the ‘‘real possibility’’ of not being made without the exemption to enter New Zealand ‘‘as key cast are committed to future projects’’.
Stuff has had confirmation this was information that came from the studio of the yet-to-be-announced project, not Avatar.
‘‘The two production companies met the criteria, providing employment to around 600 New Zealanders, and because of the significant level of economic activity from each production,’’ Cossar said.
‘‘In the event that the exception applications had not been approved, the two productions would have remained in hibernation, leaving the New Zealanders working on these projects without work.’’
Avatar director James Cameron and producer Jon Landau are among the film workers who arrived.
Twyford has confirmed the 56 film workers were among the 201 special exemptions made.
He had approved every application for special exemptions for overseas workers that had been recommended by officials. But 90 per cent of applications were rejected by MBIE before they made it to him.
Twyford said he was not lobbied by studios and those allowed in had to meet strict criteria. They were judged on a case-by-case basis and had to have a ‘‘highly unusual talent or skill’’. The project had to be timecritical and have a big financial value to New Zealand.
During the two-week quarantine, Health Ministry, Regional Public Health, Wellington City Council, and Aviation Security Service have staff at QT Hotel in Wellington. Jeremy Holmes, from Wellington Region Emergency Co-ordination Centre, confirmed taxpayers were footing the bill for the staff time as quarantined workers serve out their time at the hotel. The crew were paying for the accommodation and associated costs.
Some government workers were staying at the hotel and that bill is being paid for by the production company.
At any given time there would be at least four taxpayer-funded
staff at the hotel, he said. He couldn’t say how many security staff were working but said there was capacity to escalate their numbers if needed.
The guests were allowed out, accompanied by security, to isolated areas outside the city limits. They were not allowed in shops.
By yesterday, Los Angeles had a tally of 55,001 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 2362 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The 2014 Screen Production Grant enables international film and television productions to receive a cash grant equivalent of
20 to 25 per cent of their eligible budgets. Not all spending qualifies.
The Film Commission 20182019 annual report shows Avatar spent $146 million in two interim stages and qualified for just over
$29m in cash back from those. A 2018 report by New Zealand Institute of Economic Research showed film-making created 2500 jobs in the Wellington region, and added about $260m to the capital’s economy in 2017.