Film Whanganui expands to Ruapehu, aims for economic growth

Film Whanganui and Ruapehu District Council have signed an agreement to help bring more film productions to the region. Photo / NZME

A new agreement has solidified Whanganui and Ruapehu as partners in drawing economically beneficial film productions to the districts.

Ruapehu District Council and Whanganui District Council’s economic development agency Whanganui & Partners signed an agreement last week, which aims to build sustainable economic growth in the Ruapehu District.

The three main benefits of the agreement to Ruapehu are strategic advice, access to resources and the expansion of Film Whanganui into the district.

Film Whanganui was established in 2020 as part of the New Zealand Film Commission’s regional film office network.

The primary purpose of the office is to bring productions to the district and support local creative industries.

Film Whanganui will now expand into the Ruapehu district, aiming to support Ruapehu economically and create a more significant drawcard to the area.

“It means we can get a whole lot more competitive when we’re trying to get productions to come locally,” Whanganui & Partners strategic lead for business Tim Easton said.

“We’ve got a really strong film office in Whanganui, and Ruapehu has some amazing places and cool filming locations.”

Film productions could be beneficial to industries outside the creative sector, Whanganui & Partners strategic lead for creative industries and arts Emma Bugden said.

“Productions offer employment and work opportunities to a really broad range of the community.”

Productions need services such as catering, accommodation and electricians to operate successfully.

Whanganui and Ruapehu have been the backdrop for multiple successful films, with Whanganui hosting the production of horror films X and Pearl in 2021, and Ruapehu featuring in The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films and Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton said film locations could help draw in visitors which supported Ruapehu as a tourism destination.

“Mt Ngāuruhoe representing Mt Doom in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy introduced millions of people to Ruapehu’s dramatic volcanic landscapes and inspired many to visit,” he said.

“Film can be a long-lasting promotion tool for our district, bringing both domestic and international visitors drawn by what they’ve seen on screen.”

The Film Whanganui website highlights locations throughout the city, connecting them with time periods, location types and genres.

At this stage, there are no locations connected to Ruapehu as the Ruapehu council wants to include iwi and the Department of Conservation in the decision-making process.

Film Whanganui had the practical capabilities of facilitating production inquiries and connecting locals to projects.

“It enables us to offer a seamless, regionally co-ordinated response that reflects how the film industry actually works,” Kirton said.

Bugden said film productions were not bothered about district boundaries and, because of their “intrinsic” connection through the Whanganui River, it made sense to link the two destinations.

“We’re excited about what an expanded film office can offer,” she said.

Olivia Reid is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.