NZ Film Market Research
NZ Film Market Research
What the NZFC does:
The New Zealand Film Commission provides loans and equity financing to New Zealand film-makers to assist in the development and production of feature and short films. Active in sales and marketing of New Zealand film it also organises participation at major international film festivals and markets.
The Ministry manages the New Zealand Film Commission's relationship with the Crown and administers government funding.
Organisation Details:
- Chair - Dame Kerry Prendergast
- Chief Executive - David Strong
New Zealand cinema can refer to films made by New Zealand-based production companies in New Zealand. However, it may also refer to films made about New Zealand by filmmakers from other countries. Due to the comparatively small size of its film industry, New Zealand produces many films that are co-financed by overseas companies.
The history of cinema in New Zealand is almost as long as the medium itself. The first public screening of a motion picture took place in 1896. A documentary made in 1900 is the oldest surviving New Zealand film, while the first feature film made in New Zealand premiered in 1914. A small-scale industry developed between the 1920s and the 1960s, but it wasn't until the 1970s that locally made films began to attract significant audiences.
From the 1990s onward, New Zealand-made films have increasingly achieved international success, including both those with local funding and themes, and overseas ventures such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was made largely with funding from Hollywood.
In October 1978, the New Zealand Film Commission was formalised by Parliament under the Third National Government.
Under Section 17 of the New Zealand Film Commission Act 1978, the functions of the commission are to:
- Encourage and assist in the making, promotion, distribution and exhibition of films
- Encourage and promote cohesion with NZ film industry
- Encourage and promote maintenance of films in archives
With this Act, the New Zealand film industry became more stabilised. Section 18 of the Act, entitled "Content of Films", defines what makes "a New Zealand film". To qualify, a film must have "significant New Zealand content", judged by taking into account the following:
- The subject of the film (settings, characters, source material, etc.)
- The locations at which the film was made
- The nationalities or places of residence of:
- the authors, scriptwriters, composers, producers, directors, actors, technicians, editors, etc.
- the owners of any company, partnership, or joint venture involved in making the film
- the copyright holders
- The sources from which the money is derived
- The ownership and whereabouts of the equipment and technical facilities
These defining aspects have in recent years caused debate on whether films like The Frighteners and The Lord of the Rings qualify as New Zealand films. The impact of the New Zealand Film Commission upon the industry was significant in getting films made, coming to a definition of NZ Film, and helping establish a Screen Industry in New Zealand.
Most New Zealand films are made by independent filmmakers often on a low budget and with sponsorship from public funding sources. Few New Zealand-made films have been specifically commissioned for the international market by international film distributors.
Recently, international film companies have become more aware of the skills of New Zealand filmmakers, and have increasingly used the country as a shooting location and also somewhere to finish production of their feature films.
Private funding for New Zealand films has often been in short supply, although for a period in the early 1980s, tax breaks resulted in a short term production boom. Some New Zealand directors and actors have been ignored in large part by their own country, despite success overseas, and often had to work in the US, Australia, and the UK as a result.
Highest Grossing Films in New Zealand:
| Rank | Title | Year of Release | Director | Worldwide Gross |
| 1 | Avatar | 2009 | James Cameron | $2,787,965,087 |
| 2 | Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 2003 | Peter Jackson | $1,119,929,521 |
| 3 | The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | 2012 | Peter Jackson | $1,021,103,568 |
| 4 | The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies | 2014 | Peter Jackson | $956,019,788 |
| 5 | The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | 2013 | Peter Jackson | $958,366,855 |
| 6 | Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002 | Peter Jackson | $926,047,111 |
| 7 | Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | Peter Jackson | $871,530,324 |
| 8 | King Kong | 2005 | Peter Jackson | $550,517,357 |
| 9 | The Last Samurai | 2003 | Edward Zwick | $456,758,981 |
| 10 | The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn | 2011 | Steven Spielberg | $373,993,951 |
- Ongoing audience research helps ascertain who is watching New Zealand films and where and how they watch them.
- This research is used to extend their understanding of audiences for New Zealand films beyond box office statistics
- Public test screenings are held for all feature films invested in, which gives valuable insight to filmmakers and distributors before the film reaches a locked cut.
- The NZFC wants New Zealand films to find an appreciative local audience through either a targeted release or a widespread campaign, whichever is most appropriate for the individual film
- They are keens to see distribution targeted at the right audiences and the right-sized audience and they offer a range of distribution grants to support films in finding and reaching their audience
- Film festivals remain an important platform for films, both locally and internationally
- Film Commission staff regularly attend key festivals and markets to meet with international sales agents and distributors, and to support filmmakers in the market.
- They facilitate sales agency relationships, using their experience and connections to help filmmakers achieve the best possible outcomes for their films.
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