The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) welcomes yesterday’s announcement by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage on changes to the domestic Screen Production Rebate, as part of Budget 2026.
NZFC Deputy CEO and Head of Co-Production and Incentives, Chris Payne, says the revised settings acknowledge the challenges facing New Zealand’s screen sector and balance these considerations alongside the long-term sustainability of the rebate.
“New Zealand’s screen sector is made up of more than 5,000 businesses, supports around 24,000 jobs, and contributes $3.5 billion annually. These updates recognise the importance of that ecosystem and align more closely with how local productions are delivered in practice.
“Lowering the entry threshold for feature films opens the door for more projects to get underway, while removing the cap on above-the-line costs and lifting the overall rebate limit for all productions gives producers greater flexibility in how they structure and finance their work. These changes make the scheme more accessible and workable, helping sustain a steady pipeline of New Zealand stories and supporting the people and businesses behind them.”
Central to NZFC’s kaupapa is amplifying New Zealand films and supporting the screen sector in Aotearoa.
“These changes recognise how the screen sector is operating today and take a practical approach to supporting both domestic productions and co-productions. They open the door for a wider range of screen stories to be developed and brought through into production, realistically reflecting how projects are structured and financed.
“Taken together, they support both the Government’s Amplify strategy and a more durable rebate over time, helping to build capability across the sector and ensuring local storytelling continues to contribute both culturally and economically to Aotearoa.”
From 1 July 2026, the following changes will be made to the domestic Screen Production Rebate:
- The minimum spend for theatrically-released feature films to qualify for the Rebate will lower from $2.5 million to $1 million.
- The cap on how much domestic productions can claim for above-the-line roles, such as director, producer, principal cast, or screenwriter, will be removed.
- The per-project cap for the base Rebate will increase from $6 million to $12 million.
- The Additional Rebate, that currently requires productions to meet more criteria to apply for a Rebate over $6 million, will be removed.
NZFC will release updated Criteria and application forms in the coming weeks. The new Criteria will apply to all productions commencing principal photography on or after 1 July 2026.
