Hodgson milks Oscars for all they're worth

By SCOTT MacLEOD

As The Lord of the Rings stars hope for Oscar glory this week, a team of New Zealanders are busy wringing every last cent's worth of publicity out of the films.

The team, led by Associate Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Pete Hodgson, will host a Los Angeles ballroom bash for key figures in the film and technology industries.

The team, from several Government agencies, will invite 300 people to the Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel this Friday night - two days before the Oscars.

Among the New Zealanders will be many who worked on The Lord of the Rings such as director Peter Jackson, and Whale Rider stars Rawiri Paratene and best-actress nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes, who left Auckland on Friday.

The party is being held with the last of $4 million in taxpayer cash set aside to help the New Zealand industry ride the success of the trilogy's concluding film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Mr Hodgson, who flies to the United States today, said the party would stress that The Return of the King was made in New Zealand by local people.

Its wider goal was to dash New Zealand's image as little more than a pretty country with nice people and lots of sheep.

"This is the greatest cinema achievement in history and the digital effects are the best in the world, which is what you wouldn't expect from a country full of sheep," Mr Hodgson said. "So we're saying that New Zealand is also a safe place to buy software from and has artisanship that is a result of high technology."

Crates with donated New Zealand food and wine will be flown to the event.

Mr Hodgson would also meet film studio executives "on the development of plans for large screen and TV productions in New Zealand".

The fund included $1 million for the Wellington premiere, $1 million for hosting overseas media, and $2 million for overseas premieres, the bash and other events.