11 September 2006

Singapore is New Zealand film’s newest ally following the signing of an agreement in June this year to co-produce two feature films.

New Zealand’s Eyeworks Touchdown and Singapore-based MediaCorp Raintree Pictures intend to produce two films, the New Zealand-based Tattooist and Singapore-based Altar.

Both films will use an Asian approach to the supernatural but will be culturally specific. It is believed combining the two cultures will provide a point of difference in a competitive and crowded international market where film buyers are looking for something that is unique.

Investment New Zealand, in conjunction with the New Zealand Film Commission, played a key role in facilitating the agreement including a Strategic Investment Fund grant to Eyeworks Touchdown to develop projects in Asia.

“We are hoping other companies will follow in the footsteps of Eyeworks Touchdown and seek out long term business models in Asia,” says New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Regional Sector Manager Rob Skinner.

The announcement follows a successful year of film production in New Zealand including King Kong, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and The World’s Fastest Indian, of which all had part or full financing from international investors reflecting confidence in New Zealand’s capacity to successfully establish global alliances in filmmaking.

“Singapore has a great deal of respect for the New Zealand industry and what we have achieved in the last few years, particularly because of our size. Singapore is a small country and they have cottoned on to the fact that the creative industry can be an economic contributor and see New Zealand as a good role model in that area,” Mr Skinner says.

For Eyeworks Touchdown, the focus of attention has been on Asia and in finding a strategic partner with whom they could build a sustainable commercial model.

“Both Singapore and New Zealand markets by themselves are small. We believe we can use specific elements from each of our cultures to develop unique stories for the international market”, says Eyeworks Touchdown Chief Executive Julie Christie.

MediaCorp Raintree Pictures has produced 19 feature films since it was set up in 1998 and showed its interest and commitment to New Zealand films when it took on the Singapore distribution of The World’s Fastest Indian. The signing of the letter of intent with Eyeworks Touchdown was the culmination of work undertaken over the past three years to identify a suitable partner to develop commercial projects which will travel outside of Asia, says MediaCorp Raintree Pictures Chief Executive Daniel Yun.

“When you consider the array of award-winning talent and infrastructure, New Zealand presents a very compelling proposition as a creative partner.”

The New Zealand Film Commission and Singapore Media Development Authority signed a co-production treaty in 2004 to promote collaborations between the two countries.

For more information, please contact:

robert.skinner@investmentnz.govt.nz

+65 6733 2550