Bay of Plenty: Filmmaking Hub

It's now been a year since Film Bay of Plenty refreshed its management team. Jade, Tracy and Elysia took on the shared CEO role and what an exciting year it has been. I think we can all say it hasn’t been an easy one and we have needed to constantly adapt and stay flexible. That flexibility has created new ways of thinking and opportunities we would never have imagined.

Filming hasn’t stopped, in fact, it has increased to the point where we now have an allocated film permitting person at Tauranga City Council and other councils are considering the same. This is only enhancing how film-friendly the Bay of Plenty is. Our proximity to main cities and having so many untapped locations, infrastructure, and crew make this not only a good place to film but to live as well. Our production community lives here because of the lifestyle, the closeness to whānau and friends, and all just a stone's throw from golden beaches, rivers, geothermal wonderlands, lakes, bush, and mountains.

We have taken advantage of the opening up of events and have been collaborating with NZCINE, WIFT, DEGNZ, and Share the Knowledge to run sell-out events to up-skill and prepare our crew for productions in Aotearoa, both national and international.

We have also been to a number of career expos encouraging our tamariki onto a path in the screen industry. Winter has provided some fantastic networking opportunities and we got to attend the Māorilands Film Festival, WIFT Awards, and the Big Screen Symposium.

We are excited to announce the appointment of our new Board members: Sharon Menzies – Managing Director of Fulcrum Media Finance, has stepped into our Co-Chair role. Her governance experience spans over eleven years and includes chair roles, board positions, and advisory positions at a national level both in New Zealand and Australia.

Kelly Martin – CEO of South Pacific Pictures. Kelly oversees the management and direction of South Pacific Pictures and all its productions. She is also responsible for generating and maintaining key relationships with South Pacific Pictures' shareholders, distributors, production partners, and industry bodies. Her industry experience is a valuable asset.

Micah Winiata – Born and raised in Tauranga Moana, Micah has studied at the New Zealand Broadcasting school and Columbia College Chicago. He is an independent Producer/Director, creating numerous short narrative and experiential nonverbal films. He is keen to grow his knowledge in governance and work with Film Bay of Plenty to support screen media production and growth in the Bay region.

As our Board grows in strength so does the commitment we bring to our region. What the last couple of years have shown Producers and filmmakers alike is that our region has an ease of business that is hard to match. Moving between locations is easy, permitting is easy, and we have some great accommodation deals. Film Bay of Plenty also offers up to 5 hours pre-production time. We go above and beyond to make sure your production runs smoothly.

Filming highlights over the past few months have been the release of Muru, which was filmed in the Waimana Valley and Rūātoki in Ngāi Tūhoe country near Whakatāne. This action-drama film written and directed by Te Repa Kahi and starring Tame Iti and Cliff Curtis is about the 2007 New Zealand police raids. Muru opened for the Whānau Mārama-NZIFF in Tamaki Makaurau and has been selected for a number of film festivals including TIFF.

Another production chosen for TIFF is We Are Still Here, which is the collective work of filmmakers from Aotearoa, Australia, and the Pasifika. Bay of Plenty filmmakers Tim Worral and Renae Maihi share stories that presented the realities and complex histories of their regions.

Something to look forward to is Papamoa filmmakers Claire Varley and Jake Mokomoko from Ten Canaries doco series called Stolen Lands – Betrayal of a Chief. The premiere is being held at Te Papa on September 23rd.

A number of talented Bay of Plenty screen industry professionals have been chosen as leaders in their field. Two Eastern Bay filmmakers, Kim Webby and Nicholas Riini, have been chosen for Script to Screen’s FilmUp. This six-month professional development programme for writers, directors, and producers supports and empowers eight filmmakers each year to reach the next stage in their film careers.

We have a Podcast coming! In collaboration with Creative Bay of Plenty, we will launch our first podcast over Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. It will be on all your favorite podcast platforms and is the start of more to come.

If you are looking for the ultimate destination for your next commercial, film, or documentary, then come and check out the Bay of Plenty. Permitting has a quick turnaround, we have plenty of hotels to use as production hubs, our locations are still untapped, and we have crew that want to stay and work in the Bay!

The Bay is the place to film. Our locations, crew, and ease of filming make it so.

Ma tatou te kāinga nei e whakanui, e whakatuara i te ao kiriata nei (Let's make our home the place to film)

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Jade Kent and all the crew at Film BOP