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Three New Zealand films will premiere at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival (Berlinale).  Tusi Tamasese’s One Thousand Ropes and Jackie van Beek’s The Inland Road will have world premieres at the festival, and Tearepa Kahi’s Poi E: The Story of Our...

A new documentary from accomplished and much-awarded filmmaker, Annie Goldson (Brother Number One, An Island Calling) will have its World Premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival.  Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web details the battle between...

One-off, targeted and tailored, this is the course you need to take your film career to the next level.   The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), in conjunction with the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS), is offering a select...

Our congratulations go to John Gilbert for winning the 2017 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award for Best Editing. The award was earned for his work on Hacksaw Ridge, the Mel Gibson directed World War II epic starring Andrew Garfield...

The distinctly Kiwi world of competitive poultry pageantry (yep, you read that right!) will get the big screen treatment this year when the feature-length feel-good flockumentary Pecking Order hatches in cinemas nationwide mid-2017. Pecking...

The first reviews of Tusi Tamasese's One Thousand Ropes which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival have been positive. In his review, The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney said, "Childbirth becomes a powerful vessel for renewal in this deeply felt...

First time feature film writer/director Dorthe Scheffmann begins shooting Vermilion in Ponsonby and Central Auckland today. Vermilion tells the story of a group of women who are close to each other – mothers, daughters, friends and neighbours. Some of...

Congratulations to Niki Caro and Taika Waititi who have both signed on to direct major international projects. Caro, will direct a live-action version of Disney’s Mulan and Waititi will direct a stop-motion animated film about Michael Jackson’s pet...

Our congratulations go to Taika Waititi on being named New Zealander of the Year. The Hunt for the Wilderpeople director was awarded in recognition of his role in taking New Zealand cinema to the world. Waititi was unable to attend the ceremony to accept...

Two new publications by the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) show 2016 was a phenomenal year for New Zealand films. Hunt for the Wilderpeople was the top film for the year at the local box office, taking a record breaking $12,181,582, the highest ever...

The incredible larger than life story of former World Motorcycle Champion, Wayne Gardner will be given the big screen treatment as Matthew Metcalfe of General Film Corporation and Fraser Brown of FB Pictures announced today the feature documentary...

Principal photography begins in Auckland this week for family feature film, Kiwi Christmas, directed by Tony Simpson. It marks the next chapter for the creative team behind 2012’s family comedy, Kiwi Flyer. Fed up with the materialism of Christmas,...

The international bestseller (over 3 million copies sold worldwide) Capital in the 21st Century written by Thomas Piketty, (Editions du Seuil) will be given a big screen adaptation as Matthew Metcalfe of General Film Corporation and Yann Le...

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND (Friday 3 March, 2017) – New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), Warner Bros. Pictures and Gravity Pictures have partnered to form a new film studio in West Auckland, as a part...

In the lead-up to Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures’ Ghost in the Shell U.S. premiere in New York on 29 March, an iconic costume from the film has been unveiled at the Weta Cave on Wellington’s Miramar Peninsula, where it will remain on free...

Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures Ghost in the Shell has premiered in New York, showcasing another side of New Zealand’s world renowned screen industry: urban Wellington.  Wellington doubles for a futuristic version of Hong Kong in the...

Three New Zealand films will screen at Hot Docs, North America’s largest documentary film festival. Slavko Martinov’s Pecking Order and Florian Habicht’s Spookers will each have their world premieres at the festival, while Annie Goldson’s Kim Dotcom:...

With great sadness the NZFC and the New Zealand screen industry bids farewell to director and producer Nigel Hutchinson. Hutchinson began his film career in London where he worked as a press officer for the London branch of Walt Disney Productions....

Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami’s comedy feature film, The Breaker Upperers has today begun principal photography in Auckland. The Breaker Upperers is written and will be directed by van Beek and Sami who will also play the lead roles of Jen and Mel...

Gary of the Pacific will have its international premiere this week in the Hawaii International Film Festival’s Spring Showcase. It is the only New Zealand film included in the 36-film programme which focuses primarily on films from the Asia-Pacific...

Christchurch will host the New Zealand premiere of Pecking Order as part of NZIFF’s Autumn Events film screenings in May. Slavko Martinov’s documentary about the Christchurch Poultry, Bantam and Pigeon Club was shot in 2015 as the Club prepared for the...

The New Zealand Writers Guild (NZWG) and the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) are excited to announce an additional pathway for New Zealand writers under the highly successful NZWG Seed programme for new creative projects. The NZWG Seed Grants allow...

The NZFC and the New Zealand screen industry are shocked and saddened to hear that comedian, writer and performer John Clarke has passed away. While Clarke’s career was spent largely in Australia, to New Zealanders, he will always be Fred Dagg,...

It’s good news for the screen industry according to Statistics New Zealand’s annual Screen Industry Survey. New Zealand’s screen industry revenue increased by 3% to $3.3 billion, figures released today by Statistics New Zealand’s 2015/2016 Screen...

Seven films have been offered funding in the November Fresh Shorts round, three at the $10,000 level, and four at the $30,000. At the $10,000 level: Memory Foam Writer / Director - Paloma Schneideman; Producer - Elspeth Grant A middle-aged couple...

At the March 2017 Board meeting, the Board approved changes to several NZFC funds. The Feature Film Finishing Grant (FFFG) is offered to films made independently of the NZFC or any other Government funding that need help getting through post-production...

Nine New Zealand feature films and eight shorts have winged their way to Latin America to take part in a travelling roadshow through eleven cities in seven countries. Kicking off on 11 May in Buenos Aires, the Roadshow will travel through Argentina,...

The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) has announced its first eight titles for the 2017 Festival and three of them are New Zealand documentaries. Florian Habicht's Spookers, which recently had its world premiere at Toronto's Hot Docs,...

Budget 2017 will see $305.94 million allocated to support the New Zealand screen industry, both globally and domestically, say Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges and Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry. $240 million over the next...

We're pleased to announce the launch of a new Fresh Shorts online application system for the next round in 2017. This will make it easier for applicants to enter their work and allow speedier communication between the NZFC and applicants. To support the...

Wellington filmmaker Gaylene Preston will be the Guest Selector for the New Zealand International Film Festival’s (NZIFF) only competition strand, the New Zealand’s Best short film competition. Five to six selected New Zealand shorts will premiere in...

Kia Ora, As you may know, the NZFC is moving its funding application process online. We are piloting the process with the next round of Fresh Shorts funding on June 26th. A first step of this new application process is filmmakers creating user accounts...

Four New Zealand feature-length films and the festival’s first-ever long form television series have been announced today for the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF). Jane Campion’s Top of the Lake: China Girl, presented by UKTV and SKY, a...

New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) Chair, Kerry Prendergast, announced today that CEO Dave Gibson would step down from the role at the beginning of next year, after four years leading the agency. Speaking after the June Board meeting, Prendergast said...

The spine-tingling debut trailer for the supernatural young adult film The Changeover has been released today as well as the confirmation the film will hit Kiwi cinemas on 28 September 2017.   The Changeover trailer  ...

Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Maggie Barry has announced two new appointments to the New Zealand Film Commission Board. “The New Zealand Film Commission is successfully bringing our stories to New Zealanders and people overseas and these two new...