Filming incentives put stars in southern eyes

The Light Between Oceans crew set up in an office at Allied Press, in Dunedin, last month. Photo...
The Light Between Oceans crew set up in an office at Allied Press, in Dunedin, last month. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
Stars of the Hollywood variety are aligning for Otago and Southland.

''The South Island is on a great run ... and I think we are in for a pretty buoyant time,'' Film Otago Southland executive manager Kevin Jennings, of Queenstown, said.

Several years ago, the number of big-budget films - apart from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit - were few and far between in the South.

The introduction of incentives to make New Zealand internationally competitive helped make the country financially attractive again.

''What we are seeing with the new incentives is a serious increase in inquiries, and we are seeing that convert into projects.''

''The incentives mean we are competitive and back in the game.''

Incentives coupled with the technical expertise and variety of scenery in the South meant there had been a marked increase in interest from film companies.

Filming for the Dreamworks film The Light Between Oceans, starring Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz, was completed in Dunedin last month, while Disney would begin filming Pete's Dragon, starring Robert Redford, in Tapanui early next.

More were possible.

Mr Jennings said the region offered a variety of landscapes; lush Fiordland, historic Dunedin, arid Central Otago, Queenstown's mountains, and beaches such as Invercargill's Oreti.

Another competitive advantage was the high-quality gear ''for such a remote region'', as the sector's bread and butter was filming high-end commercials year-round.

-hamish.mcneilly@odt.co.nz

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