MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday 12 November 2003

Christchurch awarded ‘Film Friendly’ status

Christchurch will officially become a ‘Film Friendly’ city next Monday 17 November.

The title awarded to the Christchurch City Council by Film NZ is to be launched at a function hosted by Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore and attended by the Minister for Industry and Regional Development, Jim Anderton; film industry representatives; and invited guests.

This ‘Film Friendly’ accreditation follows long term efforts by the Council to provide a supportive environment for filmmakers, as well as recent steps to adopt the best practice processes laid out in the Local Government New Zealand Filming Protocol. As part of this accreditation, Film NZ has agreed to promote Christchurch to local and international filmmakers.

“We have always welcomed filmmakers here but in recognition of this rapidly growing industry and the substantial economic benefits that it can bring to our city, the Council has taken its level of service to a new stage,” Christchurch City Council Leisure Unit Manager Alistair Graham said.

Among its most recent steps have been the refining of filming approval processes and the appointment of a Council filming co-ordinator.

A ‘Filming in Christchurch’ brochure and a ‘Film Friendly’ website, www.ccc.govt.nz/filming have also been created to make it easier for the screen industry to obtain information about Christchurch and Council filming requirements. The website is also connected to Canterbury’s regional film office, Film South, which is core funded by the Council

“While the Council has been involved in about 50 screen industry projects in the last year, we have attracted only a small percentage of the industry’s national turnover,” Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore said

“We think our beautiful city deserves a bigger slice of the cake. With good guidelines in place that balance the needs of filmmakers and the local community, the benefits of becoming film friendly could be tremendous.”

ENDS

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