Ministers' joint foreword
We are incredibly proud of the achievements of the New Zealand screen sector and its contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand. This public consultation document is an important step in seeking feedback from the sector and the wider public on the options we’re putting forward for further enhancing the New Zealand Screen Production Grant settings, and the value it provides to our screen sector, our wider economy, and to all New Zealanders.
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The industry itself contributes more than $3.5 billion to the economy each year, and directly employs more than 13,900 people. The sector also creates benefits for other industries, such as hospitality, construction and tourism. It’s important we ensure it continues to thrive and deliver even greater benefits across New Zealand as we aspire to become a high wage, low emissions economy that provides security for all.
Accelerated by the government’s support, New Zealand is now a part of the international screen industry, with our jaw-dropping scenery, state-of-the-art post-production facilities and skilled screen workforce attracting major international productions such as 'Sweet Tooth', 'Cowboy Beebop' and 'Avatar.' A brilliant and increasingly diverse range of New Zealand’s creative talent and stories – such as 'The Power of the Dog', 'Savage and Cousins' – are reaching local and global audiences and trailblazing the way to critical acclaim.
The proposed options for updating the New Zealand Screen Production Grant settings are designed to help to unleash business potential in the screen sector, enhance the sector’s growth and resilience, support Māori and Pacific aspirations in the sector, and bring wider benefits to all of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The options aim to encourage a steady pipeline of screen productions, enhance screen sector skills and career pathways for Kiwi talent on and off the screen, and support the development of high-quality, homegrown content that reflects the cultural diversity of New Zealand. We anticipate the proposals will improve how we attract productions to New Zealand and promote ourselves as a world class screen sector.
We want to hear from the sector and the wider public what they think about the proposals we’re putting forward as part of this consultation process. We remain committed to attracting international productions to New Zealand, to nurturing compelling local screen content for New Zealanders to enjoy, and to taking New Zealand’s stories to the world through screen.
New Zealand’s screen sector has a bright and exciting future ahead of it, and we’re fully committed to securing its long-term success. Your feedback will help inform how we do this. Thank you in advance for your contribution and we look forward to hearing your views.
Hon Carmel Sepuloni
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
Hon Stuart Nash
Minister for Economic and Regional Development