The New Zealand Screen Producers Guild (Spada) is urging political parties to place the country’s screen industry at the centre of their Election 2026 policies, warning that significant reform is needed to ensure the sector remains globally competitive and continues to tell New Zealand stories.
The organisation has released a new policy blueprint, Election 2026 and Beyond: Screen Industry Challenges and Solutions, outlining five key priorities it believes the next Government should adopt to strengthen one of New Zealand’s largest creative industries.
Spada says the screen sector has changed dramatically over the past five years, driven by the growth of global streaming platforms, advances in technology and changing audience habits. It argues current policy settings have not kept pace with those changes.
According to the guild, the industry contributes more than $4 billion annually to the economy, supports around 25,000 skilled jobs, and generates significant export earnings while promoting New Zealand internationally through film and television.
The blueprint proposes five major areas for reform. These include modernising regulations for the streaming era, increasing long-term investment in NZ On Air, the New Zealand Film Commission and Te Māngai Pāho, maintaining a competitive Screen Production Rebate, improving access to private investment for local production companies, and developing balanced artificial intelligence and copyright policies that protect creators while encouraging innovation.
Spada says the proposals are intended as a comprehensive strategy rather than a collection of individual policy requests, arguing the industry’s future depends on coordinated action across funding, regulation, investment and technology.
The organisation also wants the screen sector to be recognised as more than an arts portfolio issue, describing it as an important contributor to economic development, employment, exports and innovation.
For Māori broadcasting and screen production, the blueprint highlights the ongoing importance of investment in Te Māngai Pāho and the role of locally produced content in preserving te reo Māori, reflecting Māori perspectives and ensuring indigenous stories continue to reach audiences in Aotearoa and overseas.
Spada says it hopes the blueprint will encourage meaningful engagement with all political parties as they finalise their election platforms ahead of November’s General Election.
The organisation plans to continue discussions with policymakers throughout the campaign, seeking long-term commitments that will support the growth of New Zealand’s screen industry for future generations.
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