Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga I The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) says Dame Jane Campion’s Oscar success will ultimately benefit all of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Dame Jane has picked up the Academy Award for Best Director for The Power of the Dog at the 94th Academy Awards. The movie, filmed entirely in New Zealand, received 12 nominations altogether.
Speaking from the award ceremony, NZFC CEO David Strong has congratulated Dame Jane and all those involved with making the movie. “We are immensely proud of this achievement. Dame Jane is an artisan, a powerhouse in the film world, and surrounds herself with people of equal calibre. A win like this reinforces our national identity, bolsters national pride and it has put New Zealand firmly on the world stage.”
The Power of the Dog employed 328 crew, 290 extras and 28 cast. Filming took place over 50 shooting days, with 17 weeks of pre-production.
The Production Design team led by Grant Major and Amber Richards received a nomination for their work along with Richard Flynn for sound production.
“The nomination for Grant and Amber, and Richard Flynn, is testament to the incredible depth of talent we have here in New Zealand working on such world class productions. What the production design team were able to achieve, the quality of craftmanship of all the 1920’s ranch buildings, the set design and attention to detail were breath-taking,” said Strong.
The movie has already enjoyed global success, with an impressive haul of awards including two BAFTAS, three Golden Globes, and Dame Jane took the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival.
David Strong says the NZFC had every confidence in the remarkable talent of Dame Jane when the decision was made to back it. “We always believed in The Power of the Dog. And it was good business for us. The production received $8 million dollars in Government investment and in return $28 million went into our economy. It provided over 600 jobs, a boost to service industries like accommodation, catering, manufacturing, and construction. The Power of the Dog has put New Zealand in the spotlight and increases New Zealand brand awareness for our exports and of course film tourism.”
David Strong also paid tribute to Wētā FX and Sean Walker who received a nomination for their work on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings. “It is an amazing achievement. Sean has worked on nearly every Marvel film that Wētā FX has been involved in and is at the top of his game. One of the reasons the world comes to work with Wētā FX is because they have people like Sean.”
Dame Jane Campion said New Zealand could stand with her on the podium. “I am very proud of everyone who worked on The Power of the Dog, especially the hundreds of crew who transformed the stunning Maniototo into 1920’s Montana. The location sets built in Central Otago and the studio sets built in Auckland are testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the production design team, led by Grant Major and including Amber Richards Set Decorator, Mark Robins – Supervising Art Director, George Hamilton – Art Director, Phred Palmer – Props Master and the rest of the Art Department crew.
“Coming home and working in New Zealand is always such a joy. The highly skilled creatives and calibre of the crew make it so easy. We are spoiled for choice when it comes to locations, all so diverse and accessible. The government’s investment through the New Zealand Screen Production Grant is a pivotal incentive to film in New Zealand.”