Latest news with #ScreenProductionRebate
NZ Herald
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
TVNZ confirms Celebrity Treasure Island to return for Season 7
Past winner Matty McLean and Herald Entertainment Editor Jenni Mortimer dissect the latest batch of celebrity contestants on the hit show. Video / Cameron Pitney Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Already a subscriber? Sign in here Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Celebrity Treasure Island has been greenlit for a seventh season to air in 2026. TVNZ confirmed the hit reality show, which sees 18 larger-than-life Kiwi celebrities battling it out to take home the $100,000 cash prize for their charity of choice, will return to TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+ next year. 'Sharing world-class local content with heart is a key commitment for TVNZ, and Celebrity Treasure Island embodies that," said TVNZ interim chief news and content officer Brent McAnulty. 'Its unique blend of emotion, humour and high-stakes competition sparks conversation and connection across the motu, while amplifying local stories and values.' Produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production New Zealand, the reality series received funding as part of NZ On Air's Non-fiction funding round alongside eligibility for the Screen Production Rebate.
Scoop
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Shortland Street Returns For 2026 - Thanks To NZ On Air
TVNZ and South Pacific Pictures are pleased to announce Shortland Street will return for its 2026 season, thanks to ongoing funding support from NZ On Air. NZ On Air funding, which was confirmed this morning, combined with eligibility for the Screen Production Rebate, will enable the continuation of New Zealand's longest-running drama in the new year. Shortland Street is one of the most recognisable and loved television programmes in Aotearoa. It provides immense cultural value on screen, while also offering a rich training ground for actors and crew behind the scenes. Shortland Street is a key pillar of the TVNZ 2 slate, but its dedicated rangatahi audience has placed it at the forefront of audience fragmentation. As one of TVNZ+'s most streamed programmes, Shorty fans are split across broadcast and digital platforms. With audiences migrating online, effort is underway to increase the digital revenue needed to support Shortland Street as a digital first content proposition. Prior to 2023, Shortland Street operated without funding support for 28 years. TVNZ and South Pacific Pictures are focusing on transitioning Shortland Street to a commercially funded, digitally delivered show and NZ On Air's funding provides a crucial pathway towards making that ambition a reality. TVNZ's Chief Executive, Jodi O'Donnell says, 'We're extremely grateful for NZ On Air's support in helping us keep this taonga on screen. Our audiences love Shorty and NZ On Air's funding ensures we can continue to bring this iconic drama to viewers in 2026 while we work through its digital transition.' South Pacific Pictures Chief Executive, Kelly Martin says ' Shortland Street continues to entertain NZ audiences with its diverse and relatable stories, and it continues to play a crucial role in the NZ production sector, providing consistent employment and fostering local talent. We are incredibly thankful to both TVNZ and NZ On Air for their support.'
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
$577 Million To Support Film And TV Production
The Government is providing certainty to New Zealand's film industry by providing the funding needed to sustain the International Screen Production Rebate, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis announced today. 'This funding will help bring investment, jobs and income to New Zealand, boosting our economic growth. 'We are sending a clear message to the world: New Zealand is the best place in the world to make movies. Bring your productions here to take advantage of our talent and locations. 'The Budget increase of $577 million across this year and the next four takes total funding for the rebate scheme to $1.09 billion over the forecast period, better reflecting expected demand for the scheme. Settings remain unchanged,' Nicola Willis says. 'The rebate scheme is working and we want New Zealand's film industry to know the Government is backing them to grow into the future. 'At last count our screen sector provided work for about 24,000 people and generated about $3.5 billion in annual revenue. 'While industry incentives are not generally our favoured approach, the reality is we simply won't get the offshore investment in our highly successful screen sector without continuing this scheme,' Ms Willis says. 'New Zealand competes with more than 100 territories world-wide that provide screen incentives, including countries like Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom that provide more generous incentives than ours. 'Eligible productions can access a 20 per cent cash rebate on qualifying New Zealand production expenditure where production costs are more than $15 million for feature films and $4 million for TV productions. 'A further 5 per cent rebate is available to productions spending more than $30 million which meet additional criteria for industry and economic growth. 'Inbound productions invested nearly $7.5 billion in New Zealand in the past 10 years, supported by $1.5 billion in rebate payments. 'Following a review of the rebate settings completed in late-2023, 10 big international productions have been attracted here, including eight from the major Hollywood studios. They include A Minecraft Movie, the second highest-grossing film of 2025 so far, and Taika Waititi's Klara and the Sun now in production. 'Along with investment and jobs, New Zealand has benefited from acquiring a highly skilled screen industry workforce. Film production companies provide work for thousands of people and create fantastic opportunities for young New Zealanders. 'The Government will continue to work with the New Zealand Film Commission to ensure we continue to attract high-value productions from around the world.' Notes Through Budget 2025, the Government is increasing baseline funding for the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate – International so it better reflects current forecast demand for the rebate. Previously the Government was regularly called on to provide time-limited funding on top of baseline funding for the scheme. The changes mean that funding for 2024/25 is increasing to $250 million, and to $210 million from 2025/26 onwards, which better reflects the expected costs of the rebate based on registered productions and current forecast demand.
The Spinoff
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
‘Lacking in logic': The NZ screen industry reacts to Trump's 100% tariff on non-US films
Following the US president's announcement of a 100% tariff on all films made 'in foreign lands', the local screen industry has been left concerned – if not slightly confused. Only 3.2% of The Spinoff's readership supports us financially. We need to grow that to 4% this year to keep creating the work you love. Please sign up to be a member today. Donald Trump has announced that a 100% tariff will be put in place on all films made outside of the United States of America. 'The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death,' he posted on social network TruthSocial. 'Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated.' Trump continued by saying that those filmmaking incentives, which would include the New Zealand Screen Production Grant, are 'a national security threat' that also amount to 'messaging and propaganda'. He then authorised the beginning of a process instituting a 100% tariff on 'any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands' concluding with this: 'WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!' The announcement has potentially huge implications for Aotearoa. Our gross screen sector revenue is around $3.5 billion per annum, and a significant portion of that is from overseas productions. Since 2014, the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate has provided up to a 25% rebate to international screen productions shooting in Aotearoa, and has been accessed by such blockbuster American titles as Avatar: The Way of Water, M3GAN and The Meg. A report evaluating the impact of the grant in 2018 found a net economic benefit of $336.1 million in its first three years alone. By 2022, it was found that productions accessing the rebate spent an estimated $5.2 billion in New Zealand, including on local jobs, hospitality, building and construction. 'This represents a significant investment into New Zealand's economy and far outweighs the cost of the rebate,' reads the Ministry of Culture and Heritage website. So where does Trump's announcement leave all those US productions coming to our shores? Anne Murray, CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission, told The Spinoff that conversations were happening off the back of the announcement. 'We're in the process of speaking with our international partners about what the implications could be,' she said. 'We're mindful, however, this is an evolving situation and it's too early to speculate on what this could mean.' Irene Gardiner, president of Screen Producers NZ (SPADA), found the wording of the announcement 'a little confusing'. 'He seems to be worried about US films being 'shot/post produced' in other countries, with the incentives that are offered,' she said. 'But then he talks about movies 'produced' outside of the US being subjected to tariffs.' She offers a local example: 'Does he mean NZ-produced movies like Tinā couldn't be released in the US without a tariff? Or does he mean American-produced movies that are shot here will be targeted?' Regardless of where the tariff is directed, Gardiner says it would be 'a terrible shame' for the industry if implemented. Recent US productions on our shores include Heart of the Beast, a Brad Pitt film in Queenstown, and Florence Pugh's East of Eden in Ōamaru. 'We love having American productions working here – it's great for the economy and it's great for the screen industry. And we love our best NZ movies and stories being seen by American audiences.' Local screen industry veteran John Barnett agrees that while there is concern out there, there's also a lack of clarity about how the tariff process would be carried out. 'Nobody knows whether it includes television content or streaming content, or at what point the tariff is actually going to take place,' he says. 'What is Trump going to do if M3GAN comes here and spends $200 million here? Is he going to charge them $200 million? And who's going to pay it?' Nonetheless, Barnett understands why people would be feeling rattled. 'Right now US productions are the biggest source of of continual production in New Zealand – East of Eden was here for eight months and employed hundreds of people, or Cameron's Avatar films that had hundreds of people working for years,' he says. 'Then there's the post houses like Wētā FX who do a lot of finishing work – everybody will be trying to find out what that 100% means.' At his post-cabinet press conference this afternoon, prime minister Christopher Luxon said that New Zealand was 'the best place to make movies in the world' but it was 'way too soon' to talk about whether the government would consider any changes to the screen rebate as a result of Trump's announcement. Paul Goldsmith, minister for media and communications and minister for arts and heritage, did not reply to The Spinoff's request for comment. According to Trump's social announcement, the process has already begun to implement the 100% tariff. While the screen industry in Aotearoa awaits further detail, Barnett gently adds another point to consider. 'Not unlike everything else Trump has done, it is totally lacking in logic,' he says. 'If there's one thing we've learned in the first 100 days, is that what he says today isn't necessarily what he'll say tomorrow.'
