In a move that’s set to strengthen screen industry ties and create new opportunities for filmmakers in both countries, New Zealand and Brazil have signed an official co‑production agreement.
The agreement was signed in Brasília by New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rt Hon Winston Peters, and Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mauro Vieira.
Once operational, the agreement will “give makers of co-produced audiovisual projects access to funding and incentives only available to domestic producers in each country,” according to a press release.
Chris Payne, New Zealand Film Commission Deputy CEO and Head of Co-Production and Incentives, shares: “The New Zealand Film Commission has worked closely on this agreement with officials from the Ministry for Culture & Heritage and Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, alongside Brazilian counterparts. This is New Zealand’s first co-production agreement with a Latin American partner and a significant opportunity for our screen sector.
“It gives New Zealand filmmakers a clear pathway to work with Brazil, combine funding and talent, and reach new audiences both within Brazil and across wider Latin America.
“The agreement directly supports the Government’s ‘Amplify’ strategy for the cultural sector by growing creative exports, attracting investment, and creating long term opportunities for the industry.
“In advance of the treaty being signed, we held a productive meeting with representatives of Brazil’s Audiovisual Secretariat (SAv) and ANCINE at the Cannes Film Market in 2025. With the treaty now signed, we look forward to partnering on activity at this year’s Cannes Film Market to connect our producers and encourage potential collaborations,” Payne adds.
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Since 1988, New Zealand’s 18 existing co‑production agreements have generated total production spend of approximately NZ$1 billion, with just over half of that being New Zealand expenditure.
In other Aotearoa screen industry news, Auckland Film Studios (AFS) has been acquired by The Xytech Group.
AFS, one of the Asia-Pacific region’s longest-running large-scale production facilities, has been acquired by the company, “a fully integrated studio infrastructure platform providing stage capacity, technical facilities, equipment rental, and virtual production capability for multiple concurrent productions across New Zealand and international markets.”