Stanley award for Auckland film

Tommy Lee Jones as Gen. Douglas MacArthur, left, and Isao Natsuyagi as Japanese government official Teizaburo Sekiya in the film Emperor.

A feature film set in World War II Japan and shot in Auckland with assistance from Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development's (ATEED) film team has picked up a coveted 'Stanley' award from the global Political Film Society.

Emperor - set during the American occupation of Japan following WWII and starring Academy Award-winner Tommy Lee Jones and 'Lost' star Matthew Fox - was selected as the 'Best Political Film Expose of 2013'.

The award was conferred by the Political Film Society, which holds the annual Stanley awards to recognise outstanding achievement by films and directors in raising political consciousness.

Emperor joined 12 Years A Slave (winner of the 2014 Best Picture Oscar) and two other films in being honoured by the Society. Previous Stanley winners include noted films such as Argo, The Whistle Blower, Cider House Rules, Invictus and Hotel Rwanda.
British director Peter Webber and West Auckland based co-producer Tim Coddington shot The Emperor at 12 different locations in Auckland over January-March 2012, with ATEED's film team helping to identify suitable sites.

These included the Whenuapai Air Base, Devonport Naval Base, Auckland Museum, Auckland Railway Station, Warkworth Cement Works and Pah Homestead.

New Zealand's Large Budget Screen Production Grant* and favourable exchange rate helped to attract the film, as did Auckland's landscape and skilled workforce.

Emperor's producer, Gary Foster, says that the entire crew "had a fabulous experience" in Auckland.

"We secured a first-rate crew. The government organisations supported our efforts and helped us when needed," said Gary Foster.

"We found most of the materials we required in the country, even some US military vehicles, though we did import some Japanese materials for authenticity purposes."
Emperor is estimated to have injected between $15 and $20 million into the New Zealand economy, with a significant spend in Auckland.

Brett O'Riley, ATEED's Chief Executive says Emperor's win is a good advertisement for what can be achieved in Auckland.

"We're always working on bringing big productions here, and wins like this for films we've worked on help the cause," says Brett O'Riley.

"This success will hopefully help attract more big productions to the region, which will create hundreds of jobs and promote Auckland as a top filming destination in what's a competitive global market."