NZ Named One Of Top Ten Film Locations In The Universe

December 19, 2011

Media release:

New Zealand Named One Of Top Ten Film Locations In The Universe

New Zealand is one of the ‘Top Ten Filming Locations in the Universe’, according to the December issue of leading United States’ film locations magazine, P3 Update.

New Zealand and Canada were the only two countries individually named in a list comprising the United Kingdom and several states of the USA.

Gisella Carr, Film New Zealand’s Chief Executive, says New Zealand’s screen industry has had great success in providing appealing locations, along with being able to claim savvy screen businesses and highly skilled personnel.

“This accolade is a tribute to the hard work of our industry over the past years and also an incentive to invest further in our talent”, says Gisella Carr.

“Given the current economic climate, it’s especially pleasing to see that New Zealand is an economically viable and desirable location for large budget international productions.”

2012 is already shaping up to be a big year for the New Zealand screen industry with Peter Webber’s Emperor starting filming in January, The Hobbit continuing to film (with Wellington hosting the world premiere in November) and the Jane Campion mini-series ‘Top of the Lake’ filming in Queenstown late in the year, she says.

“These films aren’t even scratching the surface of the many ways New Zealand is contributing to the international screen industry and boosting our local economy. Our production and post-production industries continue to grow and build upon success in previous years with international productions like Tintin, Avatar, Yogi Bear, and Spartacus all made here alongside successful local films such as Boy and The Orator.

“As ambassadors for the industry, the services New Zealand screen businesses offer are competing, and leading, the industry internationally,” Ms Carr says.

Film New Zealand is the screen industry-founded organisation which markets New Zealand as an international centre for screen production. Latest figures released by Statistics New Zealand in March show in 2010 the screen industry was worth more than $2.8 billion to the New Zealand economy.

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