The Government will announce major changes to the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate (NZSPR) for international productions this Friday in Auckland, as part of a renewed push to strengthen New Zealand’s competitiveness as a global screen production hub.
Finance and Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis will deliver the update at Studio West in Glen Eden on the morning of 7 November 2025, in an event hosted by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The briefing runs from 7:45am to 9am and will be followed by informal networking with industry attendees.
According to MBIE, the new settings are designed to “strengthen New Zealand’s position as a global screen destination”, signalling policy movement at a time when the sector has been calling loudly for stability, global competitiveness, and renewed confidence for international partners.
The NZSPR has been the cornerstone of New Zealand’s screen attraction strategy for more than a decade, but uncertainty across the past year has seen the newly formed group, Screen NZ International, write several papers urging the government to act, particularly as Australia expands its screen incentives and major global hubs court international projects at scale.
Although still in its establishment phase, it seems Screen NZ International is already making progress. Next steps will be engaging with global producers and positioning New Zealand more proactively in key international markets, a shift warmly welcomed by many across the sector.
Willis’ remarks are expected to address both attraction and retention of foreign projects, a critical focus after several high-profile productions shifted offshore in recent years. Clarifying rebate settings and providing long-term certainty have been repeated priorities for studios, suppliers, and screen workers alike.
