Rt Hon Helen Clark
Prime Minister of New Zealand
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage
3 July 2008 Media Statement
New scheme to boost Kiwi film and television
Prime Minister Helen Clark said today that the new fund designed to boost New Zealand film and television is available
to qualifying projects from this week.
“Cabinet has now approved the eligibility criteria for the New Zealand Screen Production Incentive Fund. It will be a
very important source of production finance for New Zealand screen projects,” Helen Clark said.
“Cabinet has agreed to a five-year pool of funding for the new Screen Production Incentive Fund of $68.5 million. This
pool contains significant new funding plus funding reprioritised from existing Film Commission funds, as was announced
in the Budget.
“The New Zealand screen industry has been rightly concerned about the risks of important New Zealand screen projects
moving offshore to take advantage of other opportunities, such as a grant scheme similar to this in Australia.
“It is very important to me and our Labour-led Government that New Zealand has a strong film and television sector,
employing local talent, using our superb screen production infrastructure, and telling the stories our people have
created.
“Minimum and maximum qualifying New Zealand production expenditure thresholds apply to the Fund, along with eligibility
criteria relating to New Zealand content.
The fund will provide a forty per cent grant on qualifying New Zealand feature film production expenditure, and a twenty
per cent grant on qualifying New Zealand television and other screen production expenditure – primarily drama/comedy,
documentary and animated content.
“The funding is structured in such a way that fluctuations in demand on the Fund can be managed across multiple years,
to ensure that all eligible projects will receive a grant. The funding is baselined at $14.75 million a year.
“The Fund will be administered by the New Zealand Film Commission on behalf of the Government. The Commission has been
actively involved in the development of the Fund and its eligibility criteria.
“With the creation of this new fund to support domestic film and television, the Large Budget Screen Production Grant
and other government initiatives such as the funding available through Creative New Zealand, New Zealand On Air, Te
Mangai Paho, and TVNZ’s charter funding, we now have a full slate of government mechanisms to support the Kiwi screen
industry.
“I am confident that this Fund will bring considerable benefits to the New Zealand screen production industry. The
feedback received from the sector on the concept for the Fund has been extremely positive. I look forward to seeing the
new investments in screen production which the fund will make possible,” Helen Clark said.
ENDS
Further information, including details of eligibility criteria will be available on the Film Commission’s website:
www.nzfilm.co.nz