Murray Milne NZCS and Donny Duncan NZCS attended the Government’s announcement on behalf of NZCS. The event provided a valuable opportunity to connect with key industry figures, including NZFC CEO Annie Murray, and to hear directly from the Minister about the future direction of New Zealand’s screen rebate settings.

The Government has introduced a suite of important changes to the International Screen Production Rebate. These updates are intended to strengthen Aotearoa’s ability to attract and retain international production, restore confidence and consistency across the sector, and ensure New Zealand remains competitive as incentives rise rapidly in other jurisdictions.

Minister Nicola Willis noted that the changes respond directly to industry feedback and address concern that New Zealand was falling behind international markets. She stated:

“The global fight for large scale productions has intensified, and the settings we inherited were putting New Zealand at risk. These updates will attract more productions, create more consistent work for New Zealand crews and businesses, and encourage greater foreign investment in our creative industries.”

Key Changes Announced

Lower QNZPE Threshold for Theatrical Features: The minimum Qualifying New Zealand Production Expenditure for theatrical features has been reduced from fifteen million to four million, significantly widening the eligibility pool for feature projects.

Removal of the Above the Line Cap: Fees for directors, producers, principal cast and screenwriters will no longer be capped. This aligns New Zealand with international incentive practice and removes a major barrier for attracting high profile creative talent.

Post, Digital and VFX Only Projects Now Eligible: Post production, digital and visual effects only projects can now qualify for the five percent uplift, recognising the strength and importance of New Zealand’s post and VFX sectors.

Simplified Uplift Criteria: Access to the uplift has been streamlined and simplified, making it easier and clearer for productions to meet the requirements.

Lower Uplift Threshold: The QNZPE threshold to qualify for the uplift has been reduced from thirty million to twenty million, allowing more productions in the mid to high budget range to access the higher rebate.

What This Means for NZCS Members

NZFC representative Philippa Mossman noted that these adjustments could have positive impacts for local Directors of Photography. With New Zealand’s rebate now more competitive and easier to access, productions may be more inclined to hire local HODs rather than bringing in international leads.

This may support:

• more consistent work for New Zealand cinematographers

• strengthened career pathways

• deeper involvement of local crew in creative decision making

• broader economic flow into the New Zealand screen sector

Acknowledgements

NZCS knows these changes did not happen because of one organisation alone. They came from many people and groups across our screen whānau stepping up, sharing data, opening doors, using their connections, and keeping the kōrero moving even when things felt tough. We may not have captured everyone involved, but we want to acknowledge that it was truly a collective effort.

From what we understand, the following rōpū carried much of the heavy lifting in this mahi, and we want to offer a heartfelt ngā mihi nui for the time, advocacy and persistence they put in:

• Screen NZ International

• Visual Effects Professionals Guild

• Studio Infrastructure Group

• New Zealand Film Commission

Your work helped shape and advance these changes in a very real way.
He mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa.

Read the press release on the NZFC website