The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) is continuing its international trade activity in 2026, covering major screen industry markets: Los Angeles, the United Kingdom, the Cannes Film Market and Annecy International Animation Film Festival’s business marketplace, Mifa.
En route to Europe, NZFC spent time in Singapore strengthening Asia–Pacific relationships with studios, production companies and screen agencies, alongside a presence at the Singapore–New Zealand Leadership Forum.
“Overseas engagement is vital and needs to be sustained to be effective. With few New Zealand films made on domestic funding alone, this work supports films to be made, reach audiences, and strengthens New Zealand’s reputation as a trusted partner for inbound productions,” says NZFC Chief Executive Annie Murray.
Being where the work happens
Stateside, NZFC activity is led by Head of International Attraction and Inbound Production Philippa Mossman, who is currently based in Los Angeles focused on attracting high value production to New Zealand and creating jobs for New Zealanders. This includes meetings with major studios and streamers, production companies, producers and agents, alongside New Zealand’s Consulate General and other NZ Inc partners.
This work follows recently revised settings for the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate (NZSPR) for International Productions, strengthening New Zealand’s offering to overseas partners considering production here. Mossman’s activity in Los Angeles provides an opportunity to promote the updated criteria, including a reduced minimum spend from NZ$15 million to NZ$4 million, removal of the above‑the‑line cap, and the introduction of a new 5% uplift for PDV productions.
Driving activity in the UK and France alongside Murray is Deputy CEO & Head of Co-Production and Incentives, Chris Payne. NZFC-led activities in London, Cannes and Annecy involve close to 100 New Zealand producers, directors, distributors, financiers and other industry participants in targeted meetings to advance co-production, finance, sales and distribution opportunities for New Zealand films.
Following commitments made by the UK and New Zealand governments in April 2025 to strengthen the UK–New Zealand economic relationship, joint work is under way to modernise the UK–New Zealand Film and Television Co-production Treaty. Payne is leading NZFC’s contribution in collaboration with New Zealand’s Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the British Film Institute.
Cannes: turning long-standing relationships into opportunity
The Cannes Film Market remains the world’s leading marketplace for film, facilitating an estimated US$600 million–US$1 billion in deals each year. For New Zealand filmmakers, being present ensures access to the partners and decision-makers who shape financing, sales and distribution outcomes.
“The Cannes Film Market is where New Zealand strengthens the relationships that underpin a successful screen industry, creating pathways for projects to be financed, sold and seen internationally. A consistent presence in markets like this is how New Zealand films get made, reach audiences, and deliver long-term value for our industry,” says Murray.
This year’s Cannes activity coincides with a significant moment for New Zealand, with Sir Peter Jackson receiving an Honorary Palme d’Or in recognition of an extraordinary career and global influence.
NZFC has also been shortlisted at the 2026 Global Production Awards, with nominations for Film Commission of the Year and Sustainability Initiative, alongside recognition for NZFC-supported feature Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant in the Sustainable Production Award (Film) category.
New Zealand films and filmmakers at Cannes 2026
Represented at Cannes this year is a strong cross‑section of New Zealand work, spanning genre, format and scale. Titles include:
- Big Girls Don’t Cry – Paloma Schneideman’s feature‑film debut, exploring desire, identity and the internet over one transformative summer. Schneideman is a graduate of Jane Campion’s A Wave in the Ocean film school, and the film was selected to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
- Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant – this comedic body-horror from directing duo THUNDERLIPS, also premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
- Tenor: My Name is Pati – one of the year’s most successful local films, this documentary follows internationally acclaimed Samoan tenor Pene Pati and his brother Amitai.
- Kiri and Lou Go Raaa! – a feature-length prequel to the BAFTA-nominated animated series Kiri and Lou.
- When Darkness Loves Us – starring Emilia Clarke and directed by The Rule of Jenny Pen’s James Ashcroft, this film is based on the 1980s cult novella of the same name.
- Crocodile, God Bless You, Mr. Kopu, Caterpillar, Edge Finders, and more – spanning drama, comedy, horror, and documentary.
Annecy strengthens pathways for New Zealand animation
New Zealand animation will be well represented at Annecy this year, with short film Grounded selected for the Young Audiences Short Film Competition, alongside other activity highlighting the strength of our animation sector.
Chris Payne says Mifa, the commercial hub of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, is the most important annual meeting point for the global animation industry.
“We’re really proud of the momentum New Zealand animation is building overseas,” says Payne. “Supporting outstanding animation projects and talent that connect with international audiences is a priority for the NZFC, as is strengthening New Zealand’s reputation as a go-to partner for premium animation, an area that (like VFX) is ideally suited to a digital economy.”
NZFC’s international market activity this year reflects a steady pipeline of inbound production across a range of scales.
With The Legend of Zelda recently wrapped, Warner Bros.’ Minecraft 2 in production, and projects including The Hunt for Gollum and Disney’s Zombies 5 underway, and others in pre-production, New Zealand continues to demonstrate its capacity to support vastly different types of production.
At the same time, continued investment in local infrastructure includes Ariki Group’s acquisition of Studio West by Jason Momoa, Taika Waititi and Cliff Curtis, who have spoken about their commitment to New Zealand stories. Taken together, these developments point to a sector building for the future, fostering both inbound production and New Zealand-led storytelling.