Screen industry announcement good first step

16  December 2013                                                    MEDIA STATEMENT

Screen industry announcement good first step

After months of calling for the Government to act, todays screen industry announcement is a much needed life line, says Labour’s spokesperson for Arts, Culture and Heritage Jacinda Ardern.

“It’s fantastic to see the Government acknowledge the crisis that the industry is in. For some, this announcement may sadly have come too late. Labour had already announced that it would lift the incentive regime. The Government only acted when world-class post-production facilities started closing their doors.

“The devil will now be in the detail. The baseline rebate has been raised from 15 to 20 per cent with provision for an extra 5 per cent, but beyond Avatar, little has been said about the criteria to qualify for this rebate.

“We have the opportunity  to build a regime that is not focused on one big budget movie at a time, but that works for the whole industry, and across the whole country. To do that, the Government must now consult with local industry players, especially those in Auckland.

“The next step will be for the Government to focus on our languishing domestic industry. We need to find ways of supporting those in the screen industry who are telling our stories, and want to create an industry that goes well beyond servicing the needs of overseas studios.

“Today’s announcement is a significant first step – the real test will be to make our screen industry truly sustainable,” says Jacinda Ardern.

Jacinda Ardern: 021 288 7977

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