Film Growth in Bay of Plenty

Well, summer was certainly a wild ride in the Bay of Plenty! We’ve got to say we weren’t loving the rain and our hearts and condolences go out to all the people and places who have been affected by Papatūānuku. We stand with you in these tough times.

We tried to slip into a nice groove after the Christmas/New Year break, but it has turned into a giant waterfall of ideas, workshops, podcasts, and production heading our way. We are beyond chuffed that the work we are doing is supporting building a pipeline of productions here in the Bay.

We launched a podcast last year. We invite you to join us as we delve deep into the minds and works of our diverse industry of Kiwi filmmakers from the Bay of Plenty and beyond. The Film Bay of Plenty Podcast showcases and supports all aspects of the screen industry, marketing our vibrant and culturally rich region of Aotearoa New Zealand, to the world. Have a listen; they are on all your favorite channels - Film Bay of Plenty Podcast.

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https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/the-film-bay-of-plenty-podcast/id1641219082

https://open.spotify.com/show/35kVdJmMGEbxXclVT4bMha

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Recently, we facilitated a screenwriting Q&A workshop with Kathryn Burnett and a post-production workshop, See them, Be Them, focusing on the opportunities for rangatahi. We have more in the pipeline plus a couple of networking evenings we are excited about.

Production… well, it's happening. There is a feature film that has started filming in Rotorua called Ka Whawhai Tonu: Struggle Without End, starring acclaimed actors Cliff Curtis, Temuera Morrison, and Miriama Smith. It is a coming-of-age drama of two fictional teenagers set alongside real historical events of the Battle of Ōrākau.

We have other confirmed productions (international and national) looking to start filming in the near future, who will be using some of our skilled local crew and, of course, our stunning unique locations.

International Women’s Day allowed us to celebrate 11 incredibly talented Bay of Plenty women. They are just a slice of our massive pie of talent. It’s feeling like the vibe out there has more commitment to wanting to film in NZ and also taking advantage of the regions. Makes sense really, it’s easy, permitting is a breeze, and there are a whole lot of untapped locations ready to be shown to the world!

Come and check us out. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.