Film locations

New Zealand’s popularity as an international filming destination attracts movie buffs from around the world. While the country has a long-standing history in film making, it experienced a resurgence in the 1970s. The last 10 to 15 years in particular, have seen an increase in demand and respect for New Zealand film production—the high point being Sir Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Since then, the list of international credits has been rapidly growing, and the success can be attributed to Kiwi ingenuity, creativity, versatility and innovation. State-of-the-art digital effects technology was showcased at its best with Avatar in 2009 (the film was largely created in Wellington's Weta Digital studios), which is proof of New Zealand’s technical production capability.