Large Budget Screen Production Grant

The Large Budget Screen Production Grant is a financial incentive to encourage studios to produce large-budget films and television shows in New Zealand.

The grant provides a rebate on production expenditure – over a certain value – within New Zealand.

Since its inception in 2003, around 35 productions have received a grant, and these productions have spent more than $1.9 billion in qualifying expenditure.

Additional grant for very large productions

Productions that spend over $200 million in New Zealand can apply for an additional grant that provides a 15 percent rebate on expenditure for guaranteed deferments and/or participation payments.

The additional grant came into effect on 15 May 2011 and is administered by The New Zealand Film Commission.

A summary of the changes can be found on the Film Commission’s website.

Large Budget Screen Production Grant evaluation

We are evaluating the grant during 2011-12 as part of the government’s screen sector work programme.

The evaluation will review the grant’s effectiveness in attracting large budget productions to New Zealand and ensure it is well targeted, complementary and effective in supporting the government’s objectives for the sector.

Find out more

On this website

• Cabinet paper - Review Of The Large Budget Screen Production Grant [153 KB PDF]
• Film industry assistance information for meeting with Treasury [71 KB PDF]
• Large Budget Screen Production Grant overview 2009 [83 KB PDF]

On other websites

Film Commission website - Large Budget Screen Production Grant

Beehive website - Avatar delivers $307m to New Zealand economy