Annual Report 2019 – 2020 TE TUMU WHAKAATA TAONGA | NEW ZEALAND FILM COMMISSION Annual Report – 2019/20 1 G19 REPORT OF THE NEW ZEALAND FILM COMMISSION for the year ended 30 June 2020 In accordance with Sections 150 to 157 of the Crown Entities Act 2004, on behalf of the New Zealand Film Commission we present the Annual Report covering the activities of the NZFC for the 12 months ended 30 June 2020. Kerry Prendergast David Wright CHAIR BOARD MEMBER Image: Daniel Cover Image: Bellbird TE TUMU WHAKAATA TAONGA | NEW ZEALAND FILM COMMISSION Annual Report – 2019/20 1 NEW ZEALAND FILM COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION COVID-19 Our Year in Review ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4 The screen industry faced unprecedented disruption in 2020 as a result of COVID-19. At the time the country moved to Alert Level 4, 47 New Zealand screen productions were in various stages Chair’s Introduction •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 6 of production: some were near completion and already scheduled for theatrical release, some in post-production, many in production itself and several with offers of finance gearing up for CEO Report •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 7 pre-production. Work on these projects was largely suspended during the lockdown. There were also thousands of New Zealand crew working on international productions who found themselves NZFC Objectives/Medium Term Goals •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 8 without work while waiting for production to recommence. NZFC's Performance Framework ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 8 COVID-19 also significantly impacted the domestic box office with cinema closures during Levels Vision, Values and Goals ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 9 3 and 4 disrupting the release schedule and curtailing the length of time several local features Activate high impact, authentic and culturally significant Screen Stories ••••••••••••• 11 played in cinemas. Social distancing requirements limited cinema audience numbers for those Sustain and strengthen economic outcomes for our thriving screen industry •••••••••• 19 films released in the early part of 2020 while NZFC funded films scheduled to release between Facilitate dynamic pathways for outstanding people, projects and businesses ••••••••• 27 mid-March and June 30, 2020 were forced to move their release dates to later in the year. Maximise interest and audiences for New Zealand screen stories here and overseas ••••• 33 Build and maintain stakeholder relationships to generate excellence in partnerships ••••• 41 During the lockdown, NZFC staff worked from home and continued to provide a full range of programmes and services. The only exception was funding for travel to overseas festivals and NZFC Governance ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 45 markets. With overseas travel no longer a possibility, funding for this area was re-allocated to other programmes to support filmmakers and screen businesses while production was Independent Auditor's Report •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 46 shut down. This re-direction of funds impacted many areas of business including the Talent Development team’s professional development programmes. NZFC Operations ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 50 The Screen Sector Recovery Package announced by Government at the start of July was Organisational Health & Capability ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 51 welcomed by the sector. The NZFC has been allocated $13.4M for domestic screen productions impacted financially by COVID-19, $2M for cultural capacity funding, spread over the 2020/21 Statement of Responsibility •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 53 and 2021/22 financial years and $50 million jointly with with NZ on Air and Te Māngai Pāho to operate a premium fund for high-quality productions that tell New Zealand stories for Financials •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 54 global audiences. Statement of Service Performance ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 81 for global audiences.The disruption caused by COVID-19 means the organisation has met or exceeded only 65% of its performance measures in the period. We anticipate that the effects of Appendix •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 89 COVID-19 will continue to impact both core business and bespoke programmes and have taken this into account when setting performance targets for the 2020/21 financial year. NZFC Operational Units/Staff ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 99 Glossary •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••100 2 TE TUMU WHAKAATA TAONGA | NEW ZEALAND FILM COMMISSION Annual Report – 2019/20 TE TUMU WHAKAATA TAONGA | NEW ZEALAND FILM COMMISSION AnnualAnnual Report – 2019/20 3 OUR YEAR IN REVIEW 2019-2020 RAUTAKI MĀORI NZ FILM ON DEMAND 1 NZ feature film project in Subscribers 47% increase PRODUCTIONS Te Reo 16,697 PRODUCTION FINANCING projects with NZFC/NZSPG support that 5K of which were new commenced production in 2019/20 $175K Māori joiners in the 19/20 period NZ feature film projects granted by Rautaki Māori was committed received production towards projects financing offers $2.4M in 10 in development production 10K+ financing sales and rentals 11 13 across the 166 titles NZFC committed NZ Feature Films PDV Projects* $14.1M 900+ jobs for *Post, Digital & on offer in equity production NZ cast & crew Visual Effects investment funding (new productions) 15% of International4 Projects total budgets 2,000+ jobs for films with NZFC $90M NZ cast & crew FESTIVALS total budget of support were NZ films with selected to screen at GENDER & DIVERSITY IN FILM (shorts & features) NZFC funding NZ SCREEN PRODUCTION GRANT 20 films A-List Festivals 47% 48% 46 Other FEMALE MALE $630M 28 films International spent on productions in NZ Festivals & Events Gender Identity of Key Creatives* across 27 productions triggered by the NZSPG 1% Female Directors Asian Filmmakers Gender Diverse SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT FUNDING 17 final NZSPG International certificates were approved A record 50% 50% 10 final NZSPG NZ of new feature films of short films funded VIRTUAL CANNES certificates were approved financed through through Fresh Shorts M 49% production had female were written & directed $3.1 842 increase between NZ directors by Asian filmmakers committed in script APPLICATIONS producers & international sales development funding for script development *Projects offered development or production funding (long form projects) agents were held Key creative roles = Director / Producer / Writer funding were received 122 through a Virtual 4% of creatives chose not to disclose their gender meetings Cannes Market including Application Volumes TALENT DEVELOPMENT 842 NZFC pavillion Women Working $1.5M 564 at the Marche du committed across in Comedy Film Online was 291 Coup de awarded the 6 new or expanded The NZFC 2020 CO-PRODUCTION MARKETS Coeur 'Coup de Coeur' development funds Gender Scholarship 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 in the Pavillion Māori Pacific attracted the Design Awards Directors Writers highest number of NZ producers took part in 11 12 123 Applications applications the Berlinale Co-production Berlin Market Visitor's Programme 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 since its inception 5 CO-PRODUCTIONS Singapore Over 100 introductory of projects funded had a 36% Māori creative in 2 out of 3 meetings were held key creative roles* official co-productions between NZ producers 35 received provisional & Singaporean 13 or final approval 100 producers/industry filmmakers were offered 2/3 Online Mentorship or On the Job AUSTRALIA Development opportunities FRANCE *Projects funded through development UK or production. Key creative roles = CANADA Director / Producer / Writer CHINA GERMANY 4 5 CHAIR’S INTRODUCTION FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE Kerry Prendergast Annabelle Sheehan It is my pleasure to introduce the New Zealand Film Commission’s annual report for the 2019/20 financial year. The past year has presented many changes and challenges for those in the screen sector. The COVID-19 pandemic required the Government to move the country to Alert Level 4 in March, resulting in a national This has been a challenging year for everyone, including those in the screen sector. COVID-19 impacted 47 New shutdown of non-essential activity. Screen production was inevitably disrupted and disabled, impacting the Zealand productions when the global pandemic required the Government to move New Zealand into Alert Level livelihood of our producers, production companies, cast, crew and key creatives. The New Zealand screen 4. These projects were all in various stages of completion: productions scheduled for theatrical release, those in sector has discovered new ways of working and collaborating to ensure our industry continues to flourish. While post-production, and many in production as well as those with offers of finance. mindful of the significant hardships the industry has faced, it is also important to acknowledge the achievements of the New Zealand screen sector over the past year. Since the New Zealand government lifted Alert Levels, allowing production to re-start, the industry has proved its resilience. Both local and international productions have re-started, providing numerous jobs for New International and New Zealand productions were on track to reach record levels in the 2019/20 year, however, Zealand’s skilled cast, crews and those that support them. As I sit to write