NZ & Canada Sign Co-Production Treaty

New Zealand and Canada have “signed a co-production treaty that will allow enhanced film and TV industry cooperation between the two English-speaking territories,” writes Patrick Frater for Variety. “The treaty was signed on the margins of the Toronto Film Festival at a ceremony held at the city’s Campbell House Museum,” as reported in the article.

“This is a reboot for contemporary times which we hope will lift co-productions again,” said Dave Gibson, CEO of the New Zealand Film Commission.

“Co-production treaties typically enable joint productions to have two passports and be considered as local in both countries,” writes Frater.

This year New Zealand movies have “claimed an unprecedented 10% of their domestic box office”, Hunt for the Wilderpeople became the nation’s top grossing film of all time, and other films Born to Dance, Mahana, and Poi E also have crossed the NZ$1 million mark.

“New Zealand films have certainly played a major role so far this year in assisting the national box office to a very healthy 9% uplift to the end of August 2016, when compared to the same period last year,” said Peter Garner,  president of the Motion Picture Distributors’ Assn. of New Zealand.

Article Source: Variety, Patrick Frater, September 11, 2016

Image Source: Wikipedia


Tags: Canada  New Zealand  Toronto Film Festival  Variety Magazine  

Dunedin Swimmer Erika Fairweather Wins in Doha

Dunedin Swimmer Erika Fairweather Wins in Doha

Erika Fairweather has won her maiden swimming world championship title with victory in the women’s 400m freestyle final in Doha. The 20-year-old from Dunedin is the first New Zealander to win…