Hon Christopher Finlayson
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage

20 May 2014

Film and television co-production agreement signed with Denmark

A film and television co-production agreement signed overnight between New Zealand and Denmark will provide exciting opportunities for collaboration between both countries’ screen industries, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson said today.

New Zealand Film Commission Chief Executive Dave Gibson and Danish Film Institute Chief Executive Henrik Bo Nielsen signed the agreement on 19 May at the Cannes Film Festival. The market of the Festival is considered the annual meeting place for film industry professionals and those actively seeking international co-productions.

Co-production agreements enable approved joint film and television projects to gain “official co-production” status. This status gives co-production film makers access to funding and incentives in line with those available for ‘national’ programmes in each country.

These agreements provide opportunities for New Zealand filmmakers to secure overseas finance, as well as assisting with temporary immigration and importation of equipment.

The agreement with Denmark follows the debut of New Zealand director Daniel Joseph Borgman’s feature film The Weight of Elephants in Berlin in 2013. Shot in Southland, New Zealand, The Weight of Elephants was a co-venture between the New Zealand Film Commission and the Danish Film Institute and Film i Väst, and was the first unofficial film co-production between New Zealand and Denmark.

“This agreement will provide incentives for more co-productions between New Zealand and Denmark, but now with the benefits that come from having official co-production status,” says Minister Finlayson.

New Zealand currently has 14 bilateral film co-production agreements or arrangements in force with the likes of Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. The most recent agreement to be signed was with Chinese Taipei in July 2013.

Applications for co-productions involving New Zealand are administered by the New Zealand Film Commission. Further information is available here: http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/international-productions/co-productions

ENDS

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