Cinema of New Zealand

Cinema of New Zealand
The Skycity Village Cinemas next to Aotea Square in Auckland City, New Zealand.
No. of screens	411 (2010)
Produced feature films (2011)
Fictional	19
Animated	1
Documentary	5
Number of admissions (2010)
Total	15,300,000
• Per capita	3.6 (2010)
Gross box office (2012)
Total	$145 million
National films	$3.19 million (2.20%)

New Zealand cinema can refer to films made by New Zealand-based production companies in New Zealand. However, it may also refer to films made about New Zealand by filmmakers from other countries. In addition, due to the relatively small size of its film industry, many New Zealand-made films are co-productions with companies based in other nations.

Film has a long history in New Zealand. The first public screening of a motion picture was in 1896; a 1900 documentary is the oldest surviving New Zealand film - and the first feature film made in New Zealand premiered in 1914. However, although there was a small-scale industry during the 1920s-1960s, it wasn't until the 1970s that New Zealand made films were able to attract large-scale audiences.

From the 1990s onward, a steady flow on New Zealand made films have had international success, including both those with local funding and themes, and those such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, made with Hollywood money.

In October 1978 the New Zealand Film Commission was formalised by Parliament under the Third National Government. The functions of the Commission under Section 17 of the New Zealand Film Commission Act 1978 were to:

With this Act, the New Zealand film industry became more stabilised. Section 18 of the Act, entitled "Content of Films", would serve to define which aspects a film had to have in order for it to be labelled as a New Zealand Film. To qualify as a New Zealand film, the film must have "significant New Zealand content", taking into account the following:

These defining aspects have in recent years caused debate on whether films like The Frighteners and the The Lord of the Rings qualify as New Zealand Films. The impact of the New Zealand Film Commission on the industry was in getting films made, coming to a definition of NZ Film, and helping establish a Screen Industry in New Zealand.

Most New Zealand films are made by independent filmmakers, often on a low budget and with sponsorship from public funds. Relatively few New Zealand-made films have been specifically commissioned for the international market by international film distributors.