NZ and Korea sign film co-operation agreement

Prime Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Helen Clark, and Korean Minister of Culture and Tourism, Chung Dong-Chea, today signed a bilateral arrangement for co-operation between the two countries’ film and television industries.

The arrangement between the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Korean Broadcasting Commission will support and encourage greater co-operation between the two countries’ film industries.

The arrangement was signed in Busan, Korea, where Helen Clark is attending the APEC Leaders’ summit.

"Film has the ability to transcend language and cultural differences and is a powerful medium for the promotion of cultural understanding," Helen Clark said.

"In economic terms, co-operation between our two film industries can bring significant benefits to both countries. In New Zealand, we are well aware of the substantial economic advantages to be gained from strong associations between the New Zealand and international film sectors.

"The film industries in both New Zealand and Korea have been making their mark internationally in recent years. Korean films have been honoured at international film festivals, including Cannes and Venice; and have been hugely popular at home and in other Asian markets.

"New Zealand, too, has had a string of domestic and international successes. Quite apart from the phenomenal success of “Lord of the Rings”, recent New Zealand feature films like Whalerider, In My Father’s Den, and The World’s Fastest Indian continue to consolidate New Zealand’s reputation as an international centre of film making excellence.

"The growing success of the respective film industries in our two countries, makes this a particularly timely arrangement.

"Recently links have been strengthening between the New Zealand and Korea film industries, with the announcement of the alliance between the Daesung Group and Park Road Post in the production of Jonathan King’s Black Sheep.

"As well some of Korea’s top movies have been filmed in New Zealand," Helen Clark said.

The New Zealand-Korea arrangement will promote and assist co-operation between the two countries’ film industries through:

encouraging and facilitating the participation of representatives from the industries of both countries in film festivals and international broadcasting events held in either Participant’s country;

encouraging and facilitating business to business contacts and visits from industry representatives to meet with their counterparts in the other country to explore ways of furthering joint projects;

encouraging and facilitating the exchange of information, transfer of technology and training, including in audiovisual production and post production;

promoting the exchange of the national audiovisual archives of each country;

encouraging and facilitating private investment from both countries for the co-production of international standard audiovisual productions for both domestic and international markets; and

encouraging and facilitating cooperation between both film and television programme makers in both countries in all elements of production and post production.

© Scoop Media