New Zealand and India have signed a film co-production agreement during Prime Minister John Key’s recent official state visit to India.

The agreement, which had been under negotiation since 2007, will allow filmmakers in both countries to have their films given co-production status, easing the path for staffing and equipment on films in both countries.
Film New Zealand executive Gisella Carr welcomed the signing, saying the Indian screen industry is “a worldwide phenomenon” equal to the US industry, and “any strategy that brings New Zealand into contact with such a juggernaut” will be of long-term benefit to the country.

“The reality is that the global screen business is moving incredibly quickly, and so what our industry will look like in ten years and what the Indian one will look like in ten years is anyone’s guess,” she said.

The increased exposure of New Zealand scenery is expected to boost tourism numbers, adding to the 30,000 Indians who have visited New Zealand in the past year, a figure that has doubled since 2004.

Bollywood movies are considered instrumental in the increase in tourism numbers. A noticeable spike occurred after last year’s release of the blockbuster I Hate Luv Stories, which was partly filmed in New Zealand.

“In the wider sense of economic and cultural value for New Zealand, having New Zealand looking gorgeous on the feature screens and television sets of millions of Indians can’t help but be good for us,” Carr said.

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