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What does the Film Commission do? We are a government agency that invests in New Zealand feature films and short films. We aim to contribute production financing to between ten and 12 feature films each year.  We help talented...

A contemporary story with a strong message, The Pā Boys, follows a fictional Wellington reggae band as they embark on a tour 'down north', from Wellington to Cape Reinga. Staring Fran Kora (from the band KORA) and Matariki Whatarau (Go Girls,...

Jane Campion brings to the screen the harrowing true-life story of Janet Frame, New Zealand’s most distinguished author.  The film follows Frame along her inspiring journey, from a poverty-stricken childhood to a misdiagnosis of schizophrenia...

Among the Cinders is a ‘coming-of-age’ film adapted from the novel by Maurice Shadbolt. Director Rolf Haedrich, who’s made films in Germany since 1958, came to New Zealand to direct and also wrote the screenplay with veteran producer...

Academy Award nominated director Taika Waititi gathered a talented crew to bring to audiences the bigger picture of life’s little moments. “Eagle vs Shark isn’t a romantic comedy rather a slightly dark, amusing tale with a little bit...

It's the year 2043. Political factions had come to a head after a war broke apart North America. In that process, Canada joined the United States, caving to the argument that the alliance was necessary for survival of the Government (previously,...

The Aramoana tragedy is one of the more significant events in New Zealand's recent history. Says director Rob Sarkies, "These events highlight the positive side of the kiwi spirit as much as darkness of the actions of one man. The people of...

New Zealand, 1963. A year after the passing of her mother, eight year old Hine and her father Whai, still grieve. One Sunday morning the water stops flowing into the house so while her father fixes it, Hine does the washing at the river. While there she...

Steven, a closeted Chinese international student, is preparing to lose his virginity to a stranger he met online. With video calls from his emphatic mother half a world away about his fabricated girlfriend and the looming presence of his deceased father...

George the dog and his human August are the only two souls aboard a gigantic, dilapidated space station. They’re charged with keeping it running, but are overwhelmed by the scope of the task. They spend their days cleaning vents and throwing a well...

Seven year old Sarah idolises her Dad. Watching his indoor cricket game is one of her favourite pastimes. She wants to be just like him.  One afternoon, at what seems to be a routine game, Sarah is cheering Dad on from the sidelines when Dad...

Documents relating to the New Zealand Film Commission's governance and compliance can be found in this section, including Annual Reports, Statements of Intent and Statements of Performance Expectation. Information on Past Funding Decisions...

Fiona Clark discovered the power of her art by taking portraits of her friends who happened to be drag queens in mid 1970s New Zealand. Giving visibility to the socially marginalised, dismantling prejudice and fighting for equality through the lens of...

The New Zealand Film Commission is committed to transparency across its activities and this Data Room was designed to inform the industry and ensure information is readily available to anyone wishing to access it. Learn more about the Data Room...

Over breakfast one morning, Len’s family votes him out. With nowhere else to go, he packs his bags and heads to the office. And as it turns out, he’s not the only one sleeping over. When Len finds out his colleague Mary has also been exiled...

It is the year 2291e. The great warlord’s army are about to attack. Nothing will stand in his way if the Rebels cannot defeat them. Any man, woman or boglinoid willing to risk their life to stand against such tyranny is valued. Is this why...

The marriage of Laura and Bruno is on the rocks. They bicker constantly, their stress levels are sky high, and Laura’s gritted teeth determination to deliver the perfect client pitch leads to an arm laceration and immediate dismissal. At their...

During a rushed lesson from their father on butchering a stolen sheep, 15-year-old Hoss and his 11-year-old brother Blue notice that their act has orphaned a baby lamb. When Blue refuses to eat the resulting meal, his father’s temper ignites. Later...

He aha te mea nui o tēnei Ao, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.  What is the most important thing in this world, ‘tis people, ‘tis people, ‘tis people. Our Statement of Commitment Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga | The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC...

Sista is a coming of age story about Tiana (13) and Isabelle (11), two New Zealand/ Samoan sisters on the cusp of adolescence. As Tiana is drawn into the world of teenagerhood and seduced by the pressures it forces upon her, Isabelle feels left behind....

Thick, deadly smog blankets the globe, reducing visibility to less than a few metres. Living in a secluded farmhouse, a woman and her abusive husband attempt to survive by crafting trails with rope and stakes to guide them through the unseeable world....

A gothic horror film directed by Garth Maxwell.

Atawhai is a boy on the verge of manhood. He is a favorite of his Aunties, and he in turn adores them. But the Aunties have grown old and he fears they may lose their ability to keep the Marae, the communal gathering place of the tribe, alive. Atawhai...

It's a funny film. The setting is the fictitious New Zealand small town of Klynham in the early 1950s, where each day's trivial events and each character in the motley population serve to divert Ned and Prudence from the truth of what is going on...

An aged woman lives with her fully grown and wholly dependant son. This Vincent Ward film is a rare view of an enclosed world where an 82-year-old woman, alone, is 'The Burdened One'. Filmed over a period of one and a half years, this emerges as...

Our staff come from a variety of backgrounds, but are all passionate about getting New Zealand films watched by even more New Zealanders, and onto the world stage. You can read more about our team on the About Us page. We are an Equal...

The conspiracy plot is mostly an excuse for chases, capers and crashes galore, all imbued with plenty of pell-mell shenanigans (this time heading north in a red Falcon) by Goodbye Pork Pie director Geoff Murphy. The movie marked Temuera...

White Lies is a story about the nature of identity:  those who deny it and those who strive to protect it. Paraiti (Whirimako Black) is a medicine woman.  She is the healer and midwife of her rural, tribal people – she believes in life....

We want to increase the number of people seeing New Zealand films, in cinemas and on other screens, both here and overseas. Audience research Ongoing audience research helps ascertain who is watching New Zealand films and where and how they watch them...

Riven is the dark fantasy tale of a warrior's struggle to accept loss. Anguished by the death of his wife, he journeys into the darkness of the forest to seek redemption in bringing her back from the dead. Lost in the mist of his grief, he must face...

Fiji: In a modest dwelling in Fiji a 7 year-old girl with boundless energy tries to understand why she has to say goodbye to her home country and extended family as her mother prepares her to leave Fiji. Tonga: Vai, now 13, dreams of going to NZ to sing...

A family’s idyllic outing descends into terror when high school teacher Alan ‘Hoaggie’ Hoaganraad, his wife Jill and stepsons Maika and Jordon go exploring an isolated coastline. But an unexpected meeting with a pair of murderous...