New Zealand Film Commission Update
As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2022, I’ve reflected on the last few months and how much our world has changed yet stayed the same. My thoughts go out to the people of Ukraine for the trauma they are experiencing and everyone in Europe who has welcomed refugees into their homes. I served as a peacekeeper in Bosnia in the 1990s and witnessed the horrific impact of war on people and a nation. My father-in-law was a child refugee in 1940 after the Soviet Union invaded Eastern Poland, which is now part of Ukraine. What we thought would never happen again, is. Watching the high-definition imagery and mobile phone footage reminds us all of the power of the screen to democratise stories and share them with the world.
At home, as an industry and a country, we’ve continued to adjust to COVID-19 and its impact on us.
The pandemic continues to disrupt our sector with productions either shutting down for short periods or postponing their shoots. This uncertainty is challenging and I know many are experiencing significant stress and anxiety.
Our number one priority this year is to support the industry through COVID and this has taken a variety of forms. In late 2021, alongside NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho, we offered an interim round of Te Puna Kairangi Premium Production Funding which resulted in over $11.5M to four high-quality, large-scale projects. In addition, we have put significant investment into development to ensure a pipeline of projects will be ready to move toward production once restrictions and uncertainty ease. This has been both through Te Puna Kairangi Premium Development and the NZFC’s Early Development Funding. Our project tracking indicates that between 14 and 18 long-form New Zealand projects will go into production this year – the highest number ever in a single year. That’s great news for everyone in the industry and I’m also aware of the potential for them to shoot over similar time frames in the second half of 2022.
Throughout the pandemic we have been in constant contact with our Ministries, MCH and MBIE, to communicate your challenges and concerns, and opportunities to mitigate these. In February we welcomed the Government’s additional support for the arts sector which includes a further $15M for the Screen Production Recovery Fund, with $7.9 being allocated to the NZFC and $7.1 to NZ On Air. This additional funding will allow us to keep the Fund open through to the end of this year to help minimise the impacts of any outbreaks and maximise production.
I have had numerous conversations with colleagues around the world and COVID has affected everyone. The global screen industry was already changing rapidly pre-COVID and the challenges the pandemic threw up has forced acceleration of this. The NZFC is looking closely at international screen sector trends and what they mean to our industry, and how the NZFC could better support our industry strategically. For example, are there any big changes that could enable a more sustainable and thriving industry, and what is the NZFC’s role in leading or facilitating this? In the end, we wish to ensure the organisation remains relevant and fit-for-purpose in this changing world.
David Strong
NZFC CEO
