11pm 21 May 2004 (NZ time)
Media Statement

NZ, Italy sign agreement on film production

New Zealand and Italy are expanding an agreement on film co-productions between the two countries.

Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Helen Clark and Giuliano Urbani, Italy’s Minister of Culture, today signed and exchanged letters formally amending the text of the film co-production agreement between the governments of New Zealand and Italy.

This agreement, signed in 1997, was to enable producers from the two countries to work jointly on film projects.

Approved co-production projects benefit through having access to incentives and funding normally available to both countries’ ‘national films’, and through the respective governments facilitating temporary immigration and importation of equipment.

The range of eligible financing arrangements for co-production projects has been extended so that it may now be possible for the contribution of one of the producers to be limited to finance only.

The definition of film has been widened to include recent and evolving audiovisual formats, production technologies and distribution media.

Helen Clark said it is anticipated that these changes will make it easier for New Zealand and Italian screen production companies to collaborate in the future.

“We have just announced two new co-productions with Britain. The widening of the agreement between New Zealand and Italy will, we hope, allow for similar collaboration between our respective industries.

“The Italian film industry is one of Europe’s strongest while the New Zealand industry is enjoying a wave of international interest. New Zealand-Italian co-productions would have both economic and cultural benefits for both our countries.”

New Zealand is currently party to five film co-production agreements with, Australia, Canada, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. Each agreement is jointly administered by the New Zealand Film Commission and an equivalent organisation in the other country.

In its report to government in March 2003, the Screen Production Industry Taskforce recommended that New Zealand makes wider use of co-production agreements.

ENDS

© Scoop Media