With the Prime Minister and government calling for the creation of a 10-year strategy for the New Zealand screen industry, the Screen Sector 2030 Facilitation Committee initiated a series of hui to capture the voice of New Zealand’s screen sector and help the industry have a strong voice in the strategy’s development. Felicity Letcher, Screen Development Opportunity Specialist at ATEED, is part of the group facilitating the national strategy process.

The first Screen Strategy 2030 hui was held in Henderson last month, with more than 200 people from across the sector attending – including broadcasters, ATEED, studio management, writers, directors, producers, heads of departments and suppliers. 

A range of common themes have emerged from the hui held nationally.  The key areas of focus have been:

  • NZ Story – ensuring quality creation and production and that the story of New Zealand’s capability gets out to the world more effectively. 
     
  • Balanced with attracting the international productions into New Zealand – with a view that not only is it good for the economy but it’s great for building capability here.
     
  • Capability building – ensuring New Zealand’s industry has enough highly skilled crew available, and ensuring the industry continues to build capability around the creative aspects of the sector.   And ensuring there is a strong pipeline from school right through to industry.
     
  • Regional development – whether that be through infrastructure, capability and capacity. building. 
     
  • Review of funding and the structure of funding to suit the changing nature of the sector. 
     
  • Sustainability – not only environmentally, but socially, with diversity and inclusion and important focus for many. 

A great deal on interest in developing a sector that is vibrant, sustainable, creative and held in high regard internationally. 

There will be several follow up sessions and opportunities for industry to input into the final strategy, including via written submissions. Your voice is very important as part of the process. More information can be found at screensectorstrategy.nz.

Greenstone is working with the Screen Strategy facilitation group to create a series of vignettes that follow six diverse people who tell their stories about how the magic of the screen industry changed their lives, business, craft, career and opportunities for the better. Each story will illustrate one of the many different ways the screen industry adds value to the economy, culture and wellbeing of the country as a whole. If you know of someone who you feel would be a great for these please contact [email protected].