The New Zealand Film Commission has approved $800,000 in public funding for a $3.2 million documentary feature film on Dame Jacinda Ardern - commission bosses are confident it will be a success amid questions over its commercial potential.
According to a synopsis provided by the NZFC, the documentary will explore the “mania” that propelled Ardern’s rise as a young political leader and how that “later collided with a backlash of hate”.
The as-yet-untitled movie is neither authorised nor endorsed by Ardern but has received “significant foreign investment and international interest”, says NZFC chief executive Annie Murray.
It is being developed by highly regarded documentary filmmakers Pietra Brettkelly and Justin Pemberton and will be produced by Firefly Studios, headed by Emma Slade.
Some senior production industry sources wonder whether the project is not better suited for the small screen, rather than as a feature film with the associated higher production costs - and commercial risks.
It comes as the NZ Film Commission restructures itself in a fast-moving film and audience world, with plans to axe up to 21 roles. Affected staff are currently in a consultation phase.
NZ Film Commission chair Alastair Carruthers - who knows Ardern personally and attended her wedding this summer - recused himself from the decision to fund the movie, Murray said.
“NZFC staff provide recommendations and the NZFC board signs off funding at this level,” she said.
“All assessors are required to adhere to conflict of interest procedures, and potential conflicts are noted where applicable. In this case, our chair recused himself from the decision-making on this project. All assessors are also required to adhere to our policy on political neutrality.”
Murray was confident the film, which has been in development for several years, would be a success.
Production is expected to start later this year with a likely release date of August 2025.
“There is significant investment from both local and international partners, which indicates market confidence that there is an audience for this film in NZ and overseas,” she said.
“Box office is one important measure of success, however international sales are also important, as is film festival success. Sales estimates for this film are strong, which is evidenced by the level of third-party investment.”
In a synopsis, the documentary is described as “a social excavation of the rise and fall of the young female leader, Jacinda Ardern, exploring how the mania that propelled her rise later collided with a backlash of hate, told through a bold mash-up of media and peer archive”.
Questioned about whether the film might be out of date by the time it’s released, Murray said: “It is important to note this is not a biopic. Rather, the documentary explores the rise of violent extremism and online hate in New Zealand, following Jacinda Ardern’s leadership trajectory as an example of how these forces played out through one of the most tumultuous periods in modern history. The documentary records a period of New Zealand’s history.”
She said Ardern had no editorial involvement in the film.
Murray believed a small-screen version would not have been as attractive to an international audience, and might therefore not have received the same level of foreign investment.
“Decisions on formats are made well before projects come to us for funding approval – those are really questions for the producers to determine at the outset of a project,” she said.
“It may be possible to produce something like this at a lower budget for television, however it would be unlikely to attract the same level of international investment and would therefore be more difficult to sell the project internationally. It would primarily be for local audiences only.”
She said the $800,000 had been approved last month.
“Pietra Brettkelly and Justin Pemberton are among New Zealand’s most experienced documentary makers and this project was in NZFC’s slate presented at Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 to potential international partners (it was published in our brochure as Jacindamania).
“This project followed the standard NZFC assessment process for production investment. It was checked for eligibility in line with NZFC production financing guidelines, Te Rautaki Māori and the terms of trade. It substantially met requirements and was eligible for the funding round. The application was assessed by NZFC staff and external assessors.
“Although it is still some time away, we are looking forward to the documentary’s release and building on the international interest shown to date.”
Last week, the commission announced it was entering a two-week confidential consultation period with staff over the organisation’s structure.
It is understood up to 21 of the commission’s staff could be affected.
The NZFC - the public agency which invests in and promotes New Zealand feature and short films and film-makers as well as promoting Aotearoa as a filming location - has 53 staff, according to its 2023 annual report.
The commission is set to receive $30.2m in funding this financial year, from a range of sources including the Lottery Grants Board ($21.5m), the Ministry of Culture and Heritage (MCH) ($5.4m) and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) ($1.3m).
However, according to a ministerial briefing paper in November, that funding represents a 10 per cent cut from 2022/23, with Lottery Grant Board funding reduced by $2.1m and the MCH funding “static”.
The commission told the Government that it was “now allocating reserves to maintain [the] current programme” but that “change is necessary”.
In an earlier statement, Murray confirmed the commission had started consulting employees on a confidential restructuring proposal.
According to the NZFC’s most recent annual report, annual personnel costs were $6.48m. Senior team remuneration totalled $2.23m.
“Over recent months we have heard from all our stakeholders that the way the Film Commission is organised and how we work needs to evolve to better meet expectations,” said Murray, who became CEO last year.
“In a rapidly evolving industry with new challenges, new technologies and growing competition, we need to make sure that we are relevant, we are focused, and we use our resources to target how we can best add value to an industry of significant importance to New Zealand and New Zealanders.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
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