NZ screen sector launches hybrid public/private Activator scheme to globalise Kiwi producers

New Zealand producers are set to benefit from a hybrid support offering from the public and private sector, designed to accelerate the careers of globally ambitious screen entrepreneurs.

Richard Fletcher

The new Activator programme has been launched with the backing of Netflix, the New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), NZ On Air, and Te Māngai Pāho, the Vista Foundation, Grant Thornton and Gallagher Insurance.

The four-month subsidised programme is targeting mid-career screen producers, created with the intent to build skills and expand industry networks through international travel, workshops and expert-led training.

The programme was developed by New Zealand’s Libertine Pictures and Australian consultancy 113 Partners. New Zealand’s producer alliance SPADA, Libertine Pictures and financial advisors Hinterland will manage the market connections with 113 Partners overseeing the course content.

Libertine Pictures MD, Richard Fletcher, said the programme was collaboratively developed in response to the dynamic changes reshaping the screen sector and demanding a rapid shift in production skills.

“For New Zealand producers to be able to compete in this international marketplace, they need first to understand how the industry operates in key territories like Australia, LA and the UK in particular, and then learn how to build commercially viable and sustainable business models that will enable them to take advantage of the unique opportunities afforded them by the NZ screen industry,” he explained.

Applicants will be expected to have more than five years’ experience and must have a strong track record, achieving critical and/or commercial success and significant audience reach.

113 Partners chief, Ian Murray, said Activator aimed to grow the export market for New Zealand’s screen production sector.  

“This is a practical, hands-on international professional development initiative designed to bridge the gap between creative and business skills and to enhance the capabilities of mid-career and established film and television producers who have a track record in the NZ domestic market, providing them with a robust toolkit for navigating and excelling in the constantly changing international film and television sector,” he said.

The merit-based application process closes on May 16 with the programme running from July to October 2025. Ther programme will support 12 producer participants with four additional scholarship placements with additional mentoring from Libertine Pictures and Hinterland available to those from underrepresented communities.