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Film lights up screen industry in 2011

Monday 2 April 2012, 3:25PM

By Statistics New Zealand

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A healthy year for film in New Zealand helped nudge gross revenue for the screen industry to nearly $3 billion in 2011, Statistics New Zealand said today.

"Feature film revenue rose 15 percent to more than $700 million," said Screen Industry Statistics manager Hamish Hill. "This means that almost 1 in every 4 dollars in the industry came from work on feature films."

"While not every film made is a blockbuster, they are often major works that can take years to complete and can have a big impact on the industry. Over a thousand businesses, both big and small, contracted services to producers of feature film projects. Thirty-five feature films were completed in New Zealand in 2011."

Sales from completed works rose five-fold to $116 million, most of which came from overseas. Investment in film productions also increased by a third, to almost a quarter of a billion dollars in 2011. "Investment gives us some indication of the level of activity going on in the industry right now."

Kiwis were not only big on making movies; they also turned out to watch them. Film exhibition revenue rose 6 percent to $162 million, which is at least partially due to the number of 3D films on offer.

This information comes from the 2011 Screen Industry Survey, which also covers television and commercial creation, as well as broadcasting and distribution activity.

See also:
Screen Industry Survey: 2010/11  –  Information release