Bay of Plenty's Film Surge
Winter has been busy and now spring has sprung it is all go in the mighty Bay of Plenty. From Tauranga to Waihau Bay, Maketu to Taupo and everywhere in between the Bay of Plenty is on the map as a film destination.
A big shout out to NZ On Air for funding the Greenstone TV production “Vegas”. The $5.6 Million TV series which will be shooting in Rotorua until Xmas. Film Bay of Plenty has been working with the producers for the last 18 months to bring this shoot to the region and it is great to see the series, the associated workforce development initiatives (more on that below), and utilisation of Waiariki Film Studios as a result.
Alongside “Vegas” a feature film will be shooting in Taneatua in November, a further TV series in Rotorua and potentially another Feature Film in Taupo in summer alongside various lower budget drama initiatives that are underway across the region.
The hard work of the team and board over the last three years is bearing fruit. We continue to grow both our local and the wider New Zealand screen media eco-system in conjunction with the network of Regional Film of Offices, The Screen Sector 2030 vision, the guilds, funding bodies and the wider industry.
A big welcome to Jade Kent. Jade has joined the team as acting Film Office Manager while Anton is on sabbatical and Elysia is on maternity leave. Opotiki based, Jade is the former Supervisor of Operations at Al Jazeera and brings 15 years of industry experience to her role and the organisation. Jade will be servicing any incoming enquiries for the remainder of the year.
