Essential information

Supporting resources

The Distribution Fund helps distributors of NZFC-funded New Zealand films maximise the domestic theatrical audience.

What we fund

Financial assistance for domestic distributors of  NZFC-funded New Zealand feature films to help maximise the New Zealand domestic theatrical audience.  There are four grants available:

Publicity & Advertising Grant

Up to $50,000 to cover up to 25 percent of publicity and advertising spend for the domestic theatrical release of a New Zealand film.

Audience+ Grant

The Audience+ Grant supports campaigns designed to target audiences who are not regular cinemagoers and/or those who are regular cinemagoers but not for New Zealand films. Up to NZ$15,000 is available to cover up to 50% of the total spend on promotions or advertising to reach these audiences.

Regional Grant

The Regional Grant supports regional/country cinemas releasing NZFC funded films to embrace local marketing aspects of the main release campaign. Up to NZ$10,000 is available to cover up to 70% of the total spend on promotions or advertising in regional areas. 

Premiere Grant

The Premiere Grant offers a flat NZ$5,000 toward the cost of an NZFC-funded film’s New Zealand premiere.

Who can apply

This fund is only open to applications from established distributors attached to films that have received NZFC Production Financing, Post-Production Funding or the Feature Film Finishing Grant.

How to apply

The NZFC's funding portal is not yet open to applications for this fund.  Please send your application to marketing@nzfilm.co.nz.

Ideally your application will be made eight weeks from the intended release date. Please allow two weeks for processing of your application.

What you need

  • Release plan - to be considered a theatrical release, your film needs to be booked into at least five cinemas across two major cities for a minimum of one session per day for seven consecutive days.
  • Proposed budget - the attached template must be used
  • Marketing or publicity strategy - this needs to outline how you propose engaging with your primary and secondary audiences
  • Breakdown of any advertising spend
  • List of cinemas in which the film will screen 
  • Box office expectations
  • Comparative titles and their New Zealand box office figures.

 

Project type
Audience
New Zealand Filmmakers, Screen Business
Funding type
Grant
Last updated: 
Tuesday, 13 September 2022