G19 NZ Film Commission Annual Report 2009 G19 Contents Report of the Highlights ................................................................................... 2 Chair’s introduction ................................................................... 4 New Zealand From the Chief Executive .......................................................... 5 Goal 1: To create significant cultural capital with quality Film Commission New Zealand films ..................................................................... 6 Goal 2: To build a talent pathway ............................................ 10 Goal 3: To maximize the domestic profile of NZ films for the year ended 30 June 2009 and the NZ public’s access to them ......................................... 14 In accordance with Sections 150 Goal 4: To maintain a high international profile to 157 of the Crown Entities for New Zealand films and filmmakers .................................. 18 Act 2004, on behalf of the Goal 5: To maintain strong stakeholder relationships .......... 22 New Zealand Film Commission we present the Annual Report Goal 6: To maintain standards of good covering the activities of the governance, business practice and accountability ................24 NZFC for the 12 months ended 30 June, 2009. Statement of Responsibility .................................................... 28 Financial Statements ............................................................... 29 Statement of Service Performance ........................................48 Audit Report ............................................................................. 51 Appendix ................................................................................... 52 Patsy Reddy Bill Birnie Chair Deputy Chairman PO Box 11-546 Wellington www.nzfilm.co.nz Funded by the New Zealand Government through the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and by the Lottery Grants Board NZ FILM COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 08/09 The NZFC committed production The most popular new domestic Maori Television licensed 56 NZ Film organized New Zealand’s financing to 7 new feature films cinematic release in the period, NZFC financed short films for the 30th consecutive participation at and 9 short films during the The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, television series Iti Pounamu. the Cannes Film Festival with financial year. It also supported attracted an audience of 177,000, a high-profile sales and Highlights the completion of 9 digital making a total of seven NZFC- marketing office. Twenty-four features. financed features in the last four New Zealand filmmakers and 44 NZFC short films were years with cinema audiences two New Zealand distributors licensed to NZONSCREEN for of more than 100,000. It is the were based in the NZ Film office. streaming on their website. highest grossing documentary The NZFC provided strategic, feature ever to screen logistical and financial support theatrically in New Zealand. in the form of prints and The NZFC financed short film The NZFC organised screenings advertising grants for the six The Six Dollar Fifty Man had its of New Zealand feature films at new features with NZFC world premiere at the 2009 65 international film festivals investment released in Box office hit Sione’s Wedding was Cannes Film Festival, winning (previous year 55) and screenings New Zealand cinemas during the most viewed NZ feature film the ‘Special Distinction’ award. of New Zealand short films in 120 the year. broadcast for the period. The film festivals (114 previous year). had a prime time Friday night screening in December on TV3 NZFC continued to provide and attracted an audience of Second-Hand Wedding continued administrative services for the 300,450. The 2008 Toronto International its successful domestic Government’s Large Budget Film Festival in September cinematic run into the 08/09 Screen Production Grant featured the world premiere year and became the most Scheme. During the year a total screening of Dean Spanley and popular New Zealand feature of The NZFC completed digitisation of nine grants were approved. the North American premiere 2008. After 36 weeks it had of 31 of the 65 New Zealand of Apron Strings. attracted more than 188,000 features ear-marked for archival people with a box office of more restoration and digitization over NZFC took on the responsibility than $1.91M. the next two financial years. Nine of administrator for the of these titles were subsequently The Strength of Water screened Government’s new Screen released as part of Screenline’s in competition in the VPRO Production Incentive Fund NZ Cinema Collection. Tiger Awards at the Rotterdam (SPIF) in its inaugural year. Film festival. The film was A sub-committee of the NZFC also selected for the Generation was established to consider selection of the Berlin Film NZFC staff set up a YouTube applications. It met 8 times Festival. channel to house one minute in the period. clips of the latest NZFC short films. 2 Highlights 3 NZ FILM COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 08/09 Chair’s Introduction From the Chief Executive Patsy Reddy, October 2009 Graeme Mason, October 2009 I am pleased to introduce The period is bracketed by two of While I was only in That film’s performance was a Seven productions were offered our most popular recent films: at the fitting wrap up to the NZFC’s 30th financing totalling $12 million this annual report beginning, Second Hand Wedding, which the position of Chief anniversary year. The year saw resulting in $27 million of production which marks a year carried over its success from the Executive for a few numerous developments not least spend. Six new films were released of increased activity previous financial year to finish with months of the financial the introduction of the Screen in cinemas around the country. Four nearly 190,000 theatrical viewers and Production Incentive Fund (SPIF) which more features have appeared since by the New Zealand a strong DVD launch, and at the end year covered by this changed the dynamics of financing the end of the financial year under Film Commission and with The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls report my arrival luckily New Zealand films and which has review and a further five films which continued success for which was seen by 177,000 people and coincided with the already been used successfully by were in production during the 08/09 is New Zealand’s most successful ever several producers to get new projects financial year will be released in 2010. New Zealand films at theatrical documentary. terrific debut of the Topp into production. It also involved the Further financing offers are out to six the local box office. Twins; Untouchable NZFC, as administrator of the SPIF, projects many of which will soon be in I would like to pay tribute to the in implementing new processes and production. previous Chair, Dr David Cullwick Girls. That film forming new investment guidelines and the other board members whose Finally, I want to pay tribute to the smashed records and for NZFC co-investment in SPIF terms ended in June 2009: Vanessa Deputy Chief Executive, Mladen won the hearts of funded films. Alexander, Wendy Palmer and Shane Ivancic, and the staff who helped Simpson. David Cullwick left the New Zealanders. In In its ongoing review of effectiveness achieve many of these results in the six organisation in good shape and, doing that it exemplified the NZFC implemented an independent month period between the departure leading the other board members, the goals of the NZFC review of its sales and marketing of the previous CEO Dr Ruth Harley and strongly contributed to the growth of activities. At the time of writing the my arrival. They and I look forward to the past year. in creating cultural Ministerial review of the NZFC, led by continuing the Commission’s work with capital which reflects the Peter Jackson and David Court has yet the whole film industry. As with all organisations, the NZFC to report. We are looking forward to needs constantly to evaluate its breadth of New Zealand this. After 30 years it is fitting that the effectiveness in fulfilling its goals. In talent and stories NZFC be evaluated and it’s important that regard the Board looks forward and ensuring that that the wide range of stakeholders to the findings of the review currently who have been consulted are heard in being led by Peter Jackson and any New Zealanders get this process. recommendations that may come to see their cinematic from it. stories on screen. Yet while these are notable, the core work of the NZFC in financing and promoting New Zealand films continued. Graeme Mason, Chief Executive Patsy Reddy, Chair 4 Introduction 5 NZ FILM COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 08/09 Goal 1 To create significant Feature Film Predicament Falling Angels I’m Not Harry Jenson (aka production Producer: Sue Rogers, Vincent Burke, Producers: Angela Littlejohn, Rachel The Devil's Run) Novel Productions Ltd. Gardner Writer/Director: James Napier Robertson cultural capital with quality In the year under review, the NZFC Director/Writer: Jason Stutter Director/Writer: Scott Reynolds committed production financing to 7 new Producer: Tom Hern The NZFC committed finance in December feature films, with total expenditure of The NZFC committed conditional A true crime novelist obsessed with his 2008 for this film based on the Ronald New Zealand films $12,405,485 (Previous year: $20,718,614 investment towards the production of latest book and convinced he is losing his Hugh Morrieson novel of the same name. for 12 features). It also supported the this feature