Tēnā tātou e te hāpori kiriata, to the filmmaking community.
Thank you! For your patience and for the energy many of you have given to help us work through some of our processes to create stronger relationships, simpler systems - and ultimately more fully developed NZ films.
Ahead of the Xmas holidays, here is a summary of some of the changes that will be made. We will review these changes through 2025 to identify what is working well and what is not. Not all changes are captured here, but we are outlining key points to enable you to prepare your applications for funding in the New Year.
Aspirations for your film
The NZFC’s purpose is to build on New Zealand’s legacy of excellence in filmmaking.
To help us to assess your project based on what you’re trying to achieve, you will be asked to identify your aspirations for your film from the following categories:
Cultural: is a significant taonga that elevates identity and unique storytelling in Aotearoa.
Critical: has potential for festival success and critical acclaim, has a specific audience in mind and the pathway to reach it.
Local Audience: has potential to reach and resonate with a significant New Zealand audience.
Commercial: has significant market attachments and the potential to recoup through international sales or other means.
Innovation - by distinctive and/or emerging filmmakers or innovative narrative forms, technologies or production methodologies; cultivates new audience experiences.
Development funding changes
- Development funding will move to a rolling fund, with the portal opening for the year on Monday 3 Feb (no deadlines/rounds).
- You will need to book a 15-min pre-app meeting ahead of submitting to discuss eligibility and submission requirements. We will be available for meetings from 13 January.
- Development funding will be a single pathway - no EDF, DDF or ADF. Funding will be available for what a project needs, when it needs it. For scripted films, this may include scriptwriting, research, development processes, director development or preparation, casting or market engagement. For documentary, this may include story development, research, filming, editing, market requirements.
- The development funding cap for each project will be raised to $140,000.
- The cap for 1st and 2nd submissions (tranches) for a project will be raised to $35,000, to enable more rigorous and varied development methods.
- A 6-8 week turnaround on funding decisions.
- For scripted films, treatments will only be accepted under exceptional circumstances or when there is an underlying work.
Eligibility: For your project’s first development application you need to be a writer, director or producer with prior experience in your discipline. You need to have a minimum of 80-mins of produced screen work in the same form (doco/scripted) and/or a short that has screened at a significant film festival. For scripted, if you are not the writer, you need a writer attached to your project.
As a writer or director applying for a 2nd tranche or beyond without a producer attached, you will need to have written or directed two or more theatrically distributed feature films.
Submission process and assessment: Submission requirements will not change significantly. Every application that is submitted will be reviewed both internally and externally by at least two highly skilled film practitioners.
Production Funding
- Production funding applications can be submitted at any time. In order to be assessed for a specific Board Meeting, your application will need to be submitted at least 10 weeks prior. For the April Board meeting your application will need to be submitted by 1pm Monday 10 February.
- You need to have a pre-application meeting. For the April Board meeting this will need to be between 13-24 January. For the rest of the year, these meetings will need to be at least 4 weeks before you submit.
- The cap on NZFC equity funding for a scripted feature film remains $2.5million.
- Documentaries can apply for up to $800,000. It may be possible to increase this cap in exceptional circumstances depending on the scale and reach of the project.
- Films with innovation at the core with total budgets of up to $1.5million can also apply. The intention is to support distinctive and/or emerging filmmakers or innovative forms, technologies and production methodologies or audience experiences.
Production Funding Board Meeting Dates 2025
- 30 April & 1 May
- 9 & 10 July
- 17 & 18 September
- 26 & 27 November
Amended guidelines and Terms of Trade, and any further information will be up in full by 3 February.
The Advanced Development Fund (ADF), International Co-development Fund (ICF) and the Feature Film Finishing Grant (FFFG) remain open in the interim.
To book a pre-application meeting, email development@nzfilm.co.nz. We can book meetings from Monday 6 January for week commencing 13 January or later.
Meri Kirihimete ki a kōutou katoa.
Wishing you a joyful and restful Xmas break and we look forward to working together in the year to come.