NZ Film Commission

25/10/2026

What sets New Zealand crews apart?

For Production Designer Grant Major, it’s world-class technical capability matched by people who genuinely care about the work.

His perspective from East of Eden, made in New Zealand.

25/10/2026

"For a movie that feels this immersive, shooting in New Zealand was crucial" - Olivia Hamilton, Producer

For Heart of the Beast, New Zealand's landscapes helped create the vast, remote wilderness at the heart of the story, while local crews, talent and production expertise brought that world to life.

Hear from the production team themselves on why New Zealand was the right choice for Heart of the Beast.

23/10/2026

19/10/2026

What does it take to transform New Zealand into 1930s California and Connecticut?

For East of Eden, Academy Award-winning Production Designer Grant Major and his NZ art department built the world from the ground up, from farmhouses and buildings to fencing, crops and the details in between.

A closer look at the craft behind what makes it to screen.

14/10/2026

Congratulations to all nominees announced today for the 2026 New Zealand Screen Awards. 🎬👏

Today's nominations recognise the filmmakers, performers, writers, crews, and craftspeople behind New Zealand's screen stories. We can't wait to celebrate the people and productions that continue to entertain, challenge, inspire and connect audiences in Aotearoa and beyond. ✨

13/10/2026

How far would you go just to fit in?

Set during one unforgettable Kiwi summer, Big Girls Don't Cry follows 14-year-old Sid as she navigates friendship, first love, identity and all the messy, complicated moments in between.

Funny, heartbreaking and painfully relatable, it's a coming-of-age story about wanting to be seen, finding where you belong, and learning that growing up isn't always what you imagined it would be.

A bold new New Zealand film from writer-director Paloma Schneideman.

🎬 In cinemas now.

08/10/2026

From Sundance to cinemas across Aotearoa, experience the award-winning Big Girls Don't Cry.

Written and directed by Paloma Schneideman, this tender Kiwi coming-of-age story follows 14-year-old Sid as she navigates friendship, identity, first love and the uncertainty of growing up.

🎬 Big Girls Don't Cry is now showing in cinemas nationwide.
🔗 Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAu4gc1VyA8

24/09/2026

Through NZFC's International Placements Initiative, Max Currie and Ghazaleh Gol are gaining hands-on experience with Lantern Pictures, working across TV development and production while learning from one of Australia's leading writer-led companies.

Swipe through to hear what they've taken from the experience so far.

23/09/2026

Looking for something to watch this week?

From the inspiring story of LOMU and the delightfully offbeat Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant, to the family-friendly adventure of Kiri & Lou Go Raaa!, fantastic New Zealand stories are waiting on the big screen.

And if you're planning ahead, Big Girls Don't Cry arrives in cinemas from 8 October.

🎟️ Support local cinemas. Discover a New Zealand film.
🎬 What's next on your watchlist?

19/09/2026

‘Not one more acre’

1975 was a landmark year. Māori Language Week was established, and Dame Whina Cooper led the Māori Land Hīkoi from Te Hāpua to Parliament in Pōneke, galvanising a movement to protect Māori land.

Filmed in Te Hokianga-nui-a-Kupe and Waitangi, Whina tells the story of a woman whose determination and advocacy left a lasting mark on Aotearoa.

Te Hokianga-nui-a-Kupe is remembered as the place from which navigator Kupe returned to Hawaiki. It’s a place that carries its own story of movement, return and legacy, themes echoed in the story of Dame Whina Cooper.