Local Focus: Roto-vegas or Roto-wood? Tapping into the movie market

With much of the world still in lockdown, New Zealand and the regions are quickly becoming a great place to live, work and make films.

Steambox, a Māori film collective, is partnering with Film Bay of Plenty to make Rotorua a hub for New Zealand's film industry.

The existing Waiariki Film Studio on White St will move to a larger 5000sq m building, equipped with sound stages, film studios, a green screen and an education facility.

Producer Lara Northcroft said Rotorua was a film-friendly city.

"There are projects that are happening all over the country at the moment and we feel there is a real opportunity for film in the regions."

Waiariki Film Studio also provides training, employment, and opportunities for young people through Tohea, a short, intense educational programme aimed at helping young people into internships in the film industry.

"Building a studio here means not only attracting large-scale productions, it also means that we can develop a workforce."

The programme, supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment and the Ministry of Social Development, provides apprentices with paid employment while learning practical skills on a real shoot.

"Last year we ran a course of 20 apprentices," Northcroft said.

"Seventeen were contracted to Vegas, an action-thriller, which we partnered with Greenstone and Ten Thousand Pictures for TVNZ.

"They gained so much skill and experience, and some of them have even now gone on to work on other projects around the country."

Apprentices will further develop their skillset this June shooting Kairakau, a historical action series telling the stories of battles fought by tūpuna.

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