Sione's Wedding is among the New Zealand films available to rent on NZ On Screen's new platform.
Think about how many TV and movie subscription services you currently pay for. Now consider whether you’d fork out for access to more than 100 New Zealand films on a new pay-per-view platform?
NZ On Screen has relaunched its website to incorporate rent-on-demand access to some local previously hard-to-find movies, alongside its current free content.
But how does the new offering stack up against the crowded rental market, will you really get bang for your buck, and who benefits?
According to NZ On Screen, the move comes as NZ Film On Demand, which is run by the NZ Film Commission, ceases operation near the end of the year.
Many of the films previously available on that site are being licensed for NZ On Screen, forming the core of the new rental library.
But it will also feature films which have not been widely available online previously, or only available on international streamers or through a subscription streaming service.
The new offering will join Kiwi independent streamer AroVision as one of the main New Zealand-based independent streamers with Kiwi content for purchase.
It’s no secret our film industry is facing a number of challenges. Directors and Editors Guild of New Zealand executive director Tui Ruwhiu told me last year that the industry is essentially “constricting,” with less funding available, and less content being made.
“There’s less money available for the production of New Zealand content. For directors, writers and New Zealand producers, domestic production is key,” he said. “International production doesn’t really help.”
We produce incredible content here, but the industry needs sustainable solutions. Now, through this offering, New Zealand films are getting a well-needed boost - and I believe we should happily be paying the price.
Recent Westpac data shows that, on average, Kiwis spend $400 a year on TV service subscriptions, and most of that cash heads offshore to heavyweight streamers like Netflix and Prime Video.
The majority of the money paid for these pay-per-view films will go back to rights holders, who will receive payment each time one of their films is rented. NZ On Screen will take a small cut to help cover the costs of running the platform.
For local and independent producers and rights holders based in Aotearoa, this is good news.
The move also keeps these films alive and active in the collective Kiwi consciousness, introducing them to new audiences in the digital age and helping showcase the great work of actors, directors and creatives.
This means more work opportunities, more exposure, and more focus on the Kiwi film industry.
The NZ On Screen service is pay-per-view, with no subscription required.
Individual titles will be priced at or under $6.99, alongside the platforms’ existing back catalogue of thousands of free-to-watch television shows, short films, documentaries, music videos, interviews and web series — plus curated collections, profiles and editorial context built up over 18 years.
At first glance, pricing seems in line with major streamers and what we previously saw on the Film Commission’s NZ Film On Demand platform and overseas streamers.
For example, cult classic comedy Sione’s Wedding currently retails for $5.99 on Prime Video and Apple TV, and $6.99 on NZ Film On Demand.
You can watch the hit film Tina 100 times on Netflix, where a subscription is currently $17.99 for a basic plan. Or you could pay $5.99 on Apple TV, Prime Video or Google Play.
Whale Rider is also available on Netflix and for purchase on Prime Video at $5.99.
Sleeping Dogs and Smash Palace, both by New Zealand filmmaker Roger Donaldson, are currently available on NZ Film On Demand for $6.99. You can also rent both titles on AroVision for $4.99 each.
The director says having these films available to rent on NZ On Screen alongside his early TV work — Derek and Winners & Losers — and interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, means the full story of his work is finally in one place.
“I am pleased they can now be discovered by a new generation of Kiwis,” Donaldson says. “When we made Sleeping Dogs and Smash Palace, it was filmmaking on a shoestring — we had no idea these films would be part of the genesis of the New Zealand film industry."
So, there only a few dollars in it when it comes to pricing.
But as Donaldson points out, a tailored experience with deep cuts and behind-the-scenes extras is a good drawcard for film buffs, and in that sense, you might feel you get your money’s worth.
My advice: consider choosing an option that helps Kiwi film producers pocket the profit, even if, in some cases, it ends up costing you an extra dollar or two.
Stephanie Hopkins, the executive director of the Digital Media Trust, which runs NZ On Screen, says, “There is nothing else like this in New Zealand”.
Judging by the amount of archival, historical and free-to-watch content, I’d agree.
While the bulk of the paid films are coming directly from the NZ Film On Demand platform, there are also some deeper cuts that you’d struggle to find elsewhere. Here are three you should put on your watchlist.
Savage Honeymoon (1999) Dir. Mark Beesley
I first picked this one up on DVD from the Auckland Library back in high school. It intrigued me because of its rare R15 age rating and a description of anti-social behaviour (a scene with an exploding gas bottle was the concern, apparently). I’m glad I gave it a go, because it’s one of the best darkly comedic character studies New Zealand has produced, starring some of our finest actors.
The film follows the Savages, a working-class West Auckland family renowned for their wild behaviour and love of motorbikes. After 20 years of marriage, Mickey and Louise have high hopes for their second honeymoon, but it’s gate-crashed by their mother-in-law and two teenagers who create havoc.
Leather-clad and loud-mouthed, the characters poke fun at aspects of New Zealand life but it also tells a story of failed family bonds and the dangers of the drink. It’s still timely today, and performances by the late Sophia Hawthorne and her mother Elizabeth will blow your socks off.
Night Freaks (2023) Dir. David Blyth
Up there with the work of cult directors like Neil Breen (Fateful Findings) and Tommy Wiseau (The Room), this bizzarro, low-fi, sci-fi documentary is the perfect film if you want to have a laugh.
Two Kiwis are abducted by aliens during the Covid-19 pandemic and tasked with sharing a message of hope. It’s a simple premise, but add in nonsensical dialogue, the occasional song, and the deadpan acting of the likes of Tom Sainsbury, and you get a cult classic.
It’s rare we see these types of low-budget films emerge anywhere further than lost tapes of blurry YouTube archives, so get among it and support our talented low-budget film makers as they do what they do best.
When A City Rises (2020) Dir. Gerard Smyth
A sequel to Smyth’s Canterbury quake documentary When A City Falls, this film combines historical and current (at the time) footage to chronicle what the film-makers describe as the “ambitious, arguably rushed, government plans to destroy and rebuild much of central Christchurch”.
It’s no-holds-barred film-making that puts locals in the spotlight, getting their take on the city they love and have loved through such a time of crisis.
Mitchell Hageman joined the Herald’s entertainment and lifestyle team in 2024. He previously worked as a multimedia journalist for Hawke’s Bay Today.