INDUSTRY THE VIEW FROM...
THE VIEW FROM…
We sit down with Ainsley Gardiner, head of funding at the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), and Philippa Mossman, NZFC head of international attraction and inbound production, about the country’s incentives, offerings, pride in telling local stories and hopes for the future NEW ZEALAND
WORDS OLIVER WEBB IMAGES NEW ZEALAND FILM COMMISSION
W hen I think of New Zealand, my mind goes to the stunning landscapes, the All Blacks rugby team, kiwis and, of course, The Lord of the Rings . Due to its isolated location, NZ was a somewhat late bloomer when it came to commercial filmmaking. In 1898, photographer WH Bartlett shot the country’s first motion picture, documenting the opening of the Auckland Industrial and Mining Exhibition. The country’s first feature length film, Hinemoa , was released in 1914, but sound films weren’t introduced there until 1935. Non-fiction was the foundation of its early cinema. The 1955 short documentary Snows of Aorangi marked the first NZ film to be
nominated for an Academy Award, and at the time, the country was primarily known for its documentaries. This all changed in 1977 with the release of political thriller Sleeping Dogs . This put the country’s film industry on the map and launched a new-wave movement, as well as introducing global audiences to Kiwi actor Sam Neill. Perhaps the most significant moment for NZ’s film industry was the 1978 establishment of the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) to encourage, promote and financially support it. The NZFC champions the power of storytelling to reflect the identity of Aotearoa (NZ’s Māori name) on-screen, and invests in the development, production and promotion of NZ films. Through incentive
schemes, it has been involved in more than 300 feature films. MIDDLE EARTH MAGIC One of the biggest breakthroughs for Kiwi cinema was, of course, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Return of the King smashed Oscar records when it won all 11 categories it was nominated in. The trilogy totalled 30 Academy Award nominations, winning 17, as well as earning nearly $3bn in box office receipts. The movies were responsible for transforming NZ’s film industry by establishing the country as a global hub for blockbuster filmmaking, visual effects and tourism. According to Philippa Mossman, the trilogy also drove investment, expanded
66
DEFINITIONMAGAZINE.COM
Powered by FlippingBook