Revenue from filmmaking in New Zealand took off in 2012, powering the screen industry beyond $3 billion, Statistics New Zealand said on April 09.

Revenue from filmmaking in New Zealand took off in 2012, powering the screen industry beyond $3 billion, Statistics New Zealand said on April 09.

"This is the first time since the survey began in 2005 that the screen industry has surpassed $3 billion. The breakthrough has been aided by a surge in feature film revenue, which rose almost 50 percent in 2012 to more than $1 billion," screen industry statistics manager Hamish Hill said.

"Forty feature films were completed in New Zealand in 2012, five more than in 2011. This shows New Zealand’s film industry is expanding from its success in creating and producing world-class content."

When they are not making films, New Zealanders love to watch them. Revenue in 2012 from film exhibition, or the screening of films, matched the $162 million generated in 2011. At a typical price of $16 per ticket, that equates to over 10 million visits to the cinema.

This information comes from the 2012 Screen Industry Survey [PDF], which also covers businesses involved in creating television programmes and commercials, as well as broadcasting and distribution activity.

Media Release: Statistics New Zealand