PM to visit Los Angeles film sector   1 Oct 2012

Rt Hon John Key
Prime Minister

1 October 2012 Media Statement
PM to visit Los Angeles film sector

Prime Minister John Key today announced that he will make a brief visit to Los Angeles to meet with heads and senior executives of major United States’ studios this week.

The trip, which is at the invitation of Film New Zealand, is to support New Zealand’s growing international reputation as a centre of excellence for screen production and post-production.

“This visit is extremely important for our industry. The screen industry contributed almost $3 billion in revenue to the New Zealand economy last year – and it keeps growing. In simple terms, this visit is about jobs for New Zealanders,” says Mr Key.

“However, there is intense international competition for the business and we need to keep telling our story to movie and television production people.”

During the visit Mr Key will be the guest of film-maker James Cameron and his business partner Jon Landau at a private dinner of major studio heads.

He will also make visits to Walt Disney Studios, Sony Pictures Studios and Warner Bros. Studios.

“The screen industry in New Zealand supports over 2700 businesses, over 95 per cent of which are involved in production and post-production work. We need to keep New Zealand front of mind for those individuals who can bring further investment to New Zealand.”

As well as Warner Bros., Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Walt Disney Company, Mr Key will meet the heads and senior executives of Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures, as well as the Motion Picture Association of America, other major production houses and current clients of the New Zealand screen industry.

The Prime Minister leaves New Zealand on the evening of Wednesday 3 October and returns on Sunday 7 October.

*Fact sheet on New Zealand film industry attached
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1210/Film_industry_Fact_Sheet.pdf

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