Tax incentives will bring film-makers to NZ, says Oscar winner

12.30pm

Shrek co-director Andrew Adamson, the winner of the best animated feature film Oscar, said today he hoped to bring a movie project home to New Zealand one day.

But he said that the decision for him -- as for other film-makers -- would depend on what financial incentives were available.

"The New Zealand government shouldn't be doing this at a cost. They need to analyse this and work out in the long-term there is actually a financial benefit to the country to have large productions -- or even small productions -- happening in New Zealand," Adamson said.

"Canada, Australia, countries in Europe, have decided it's worth having tax incentives, and Hollywood will always go where they can make the most money. If that means you get tax incentives going in the front end, then obviously that improves your chances."

But Finance Minister Michael Cullen today said
tax incentives would probably not be offered.

"The Government's looking at the broad issue of how we might be able to attract more film-making to New Zealand but my suspicion would be that tax incentives will not play any significant role in that," he told reporters today.

"If we were prepared to offer a tax situation where we took all the losses for any productive enterprise we'd probably have almost everybody flooding all the productive capacity from around the world into New Zealand and we'd wonder why we were very poor at the end of the day."

New Zealand could attract more film production by promoting location, local talent and low production costs.

"Whether we need little sweeteners on top of that I think is something which the Government is looking at on a more broad base."

Adamson said it was very unusual for movies to actually make money, " ... so whatever breaks you can get at the front end going in you want to take, because any movie is a big risk.

"Anything the government can do to help provide financial incentives, as well as our natural and the other resources in New Zealand, will improve our chances."

Adamson said New Zealand's golden night at the Oscars was a huge morale boost for the country's film industry.

Along with Adamson's win, Wellington director Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring won four Oscars from the 13 categories it was nominated in.

A Beautiful Mind, starring New Zealand-born Russell Crowe, won the best picture Oscar but the actor lost out on a second successive Oscar.

"As long as we can maintain a competitive edge for actually producing the films down there I think it could be a huge boost for industry financially as well," Adamson told National Radio today.

"We had a pretty good presence there last night. Per capita I think there were more New Zealanders there as a percentage than any other nation.

"I hope that we're able to capitalise on that and keep the movies coming so all the people that have now been trained up and are ready for work can keep working there and don't have to leave to work anywhere else."

Adamson, born in Auckland, knows about having to travel overseas to break into the film industry.

After beginning work in computer animation in New Zealand, he got a big break to work in Hollywood on the Batman movies.

Peter Jackson had an indirect role in Adamson making Shrek -- a fairytale about a bad-tempered green ogre with a broad Scottish accent -- the film which has assured him of a long film career.

"I was in New Zealand on vacation when someone from Universal asked me if I'd go to Wellington and have a look around and see if I could help out on Frighteners (an earlier Jackson film)," Adamson said.

"I stayed there for three months and did a little consulting and helped getting the visual effects crew up and running.

"I met a producer working here, John Garbett, who ended up being one of the producers of Shrek. Five years after this he approached me to do Shrek, so indirectly I got that through Peter."

Adamson is working on getting the sequel to Shrek under way, and is also instigating a new project for Dreamworks.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring won its four Oscars for make-up, cinematography, visual effects and original music score.

Richard Taylor, winner of the make-up and visual effects Oscars, paid tribute to all those who had worked behind the scenes of the film.

- NZPA

Oscar nominees and winners (full list)

nzherald.co.nz/oscars