The New Zealand Film Commission has released its annual report for the year ending June 30, 2025, and it highlights a few key findings regarding New Zealand’s role in the global film industry.
As always, championing New Zealand voices in film remains the core focus of NZFC, best reflected in the success of the Samoan-led “Tiña,” which was New Zealand’s best-performing film since Taika Waititi’s “The Hunt for the Wilderpeople” across an uninterrupted 24-week theatrical run. Its opening week in late February was the third-biggest local film opening in history, and it went on to become the fifth best-performing NZ film of all time.
On the global front, NZ further cemented its position as a film production hub by hosting the production of “A Minecraft Movie,” which injected over $194 million NZD to the local economy, created more than 1,000 jobs, and employed a crew that was 89% local.
“A Minecraft Movie” director Jared Hess praised the production experience as “one of the best production experiences of my life,” and the partnership between “Minecraft” creator Mojang and Tourism New Zealand to promote the film led to bigger results beyond the theatre — over 70 million “Minecraft” fans are now actively considering visiting New Zealand, according to the NZFC report.
International outreach to support local NZ films was also a key focus in 2024/25. This year, NZFC launched its biggest international initiative yet – the NZFC Global Trade Mission – targeting markets in the United States, India, United Kingdom, Ireland, and France. The initiative saw NZFC participate in Mumbai’s WAVES summit following the New Zealand government’s trade mission to India in March, and the debut of a national booth at Annecy’s Mifa in France, showcasing the NZ animation sector and promoting creative, cross-country collaboration.
For the year ending June 30, 2025, NZFC delivered a surplus of $4.03M NZD, aided by a one-off boost from Lottery Grants Board profits. The funds have since been earmarked to fuel the next wave of filmmaking in NZ, supporting local production, script and talent development and international engagement.
“It’s been a big year in the screen sector with, on the one hand, New Zealand’s biggest film in a decade, Tinā, breaking records and on the other a marked downturn in international production. This was a year of significant ups and downs, requiring a flexible and pragmatic approach to our mahi,” said NZFC CEO, Annie Murray.
“We’ve lifted our gaze to open up new pathways and offshore opportunities through career placements for New Zealand filmmakers. We’ve focused on project and career development, helping scripts and creative ideas stand out and succeed commercially and creatively.”
For the full report, visit the NZFC website.
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