a filming paradise

The Bay of Plenty is an active region for screen media production in New Zealand. Alongside the talented creatives and crew, there is growing infrastructure and unrivalled set diversity within short travel times.

popular filming locations

film bay of plenty mt Maunganui beach

Mt Maunganui Beach

film bay of plenty TECT Park western bay

TECT Park

film bay of plenty whakaapa ski field

Whakapapa

film bay of plenty aratiatia rapids

Aratiata Rapids

film bay of plenty mt maunganui

Mt Maunganui Beach

TECT Park

film bay of plenty whakapapa

Whakapapa

Aratiata Rapids

film bay of plenty wai o tapu thermal wonderland

Wai-o-Tapu

find local resources

Our attractive climate features some of the highest sunshine hours in New Zealand.  Easily accessible from other New Zealand centres, especially Auckland, the region is well serviced by road and air transport with strong cellphone and data networks.

film bay of plenty find locations around the region

find locations

Your production in the Bay can access snow-capped mountains, beautiful beaches, thermal wonderlands, prehistoric native forests and bustling cosmopolitan cities.

film bay of plenty find crew

find crew

From directors and production managers to camera, sound, lighting and service providers, the Bay of Plenty has got you covered when crewing and supporting your production.

film bay of plenty find local businesses and services

find resources

Let us help you source film-friendly suppliers and service providers along with local equipment hire and infrastructure such as production hubs, warehouses, studio / soundstage spaces.  Everything you need for shooting your next project in the Bay.

“New Zealand was the perfect place to film Pete’s Dragon because it feels timeless in the same way that the movie does. It doesn’t feel like it belongs to any specific era, you can walk outside, walk fifty feet down the road, and feel like you’re in the middle of a forest that’s been around since the beginning of time.  We wanted to tap into that, we wanted to utilize that.”

David Lowery

Director: Pete’s Dragon

filmed right here

With our stunning, diverse landscapes, growing infrastructure, talented crew and friendly locals it’s easy to see why so many national and international productions enjoy using the Bay of Plenty as their filming destination.

film bay of plenty mulan

Mulan

One of the most expensive productions ever made, Mulan was filmed here in New Zealand.

film bay of plenty Petes dragon

Petes Dragon

The forest scenes for Disney’s Pete’s Dragon were shot in forestry areas near Rotorua and Tokoroa.
film bay of plenty runaway millionaires

Runaway Millionaires

Encompassing 40 base crew and 30 cast, Film Bay of Plenty provided local assistance to source locations, crew and service providers.

Colonial Combat

A light-hearted look at our unofficial NZ colonial history, Film Bay of Plenty helped find locations and crew.

international productions

Mulan

One of the most expensive productions ever made, Mulan was filmed here in New Zealand.

Petes Dragon

The forest scenes for Disney’s Pete’s Dragon were shot in forestry areas near Rotorua and Tokoroa.

Without A Paddle

This production used Bay of Plenty locations for their depiction of an Oregon river rafting trip.

Yogi Bear

Filming for this production used locations such as Whakamaru Lake and Aratiatia Rapids.

local productions

film bay of plenty muru

Muru

Film Bay of Plenty assisted in sourcing locations, crew, equipment, services and connecting with local iwi, council and government entities.

film bay of plenty vegas

Vegas

Assistance included sourcing locations, crew and production hubs, which also led to the establishment of White St Studio.

Runaway Millionaires

Encompassing 40 base crew and 30 cast, Film Bay of Plenty provided local assistance to source locations, crew and service providers.

film bay of plenty colonial combat

Colonial Combat

A light-hearted look at our unofficial NZ colonial history, Film Bay of Plenty helped find locations and crew.

filming in the Bay of Plenty

Film Bay of Plenty is the regional film office representing the Bay of Plenty.  We are here to enable your production to make the most out of all that is on offer.  

With extensive knowledge in all areas of film production, Film Bay of Plenty can provide assistance with location scouting and facilitation, film permitting, crew and service provision, advocacy and liaison with lcoal government and communities.

local production

Film friendly and primed to support the screen industry, the Bay of Plenty offers a strong and inviting package to producers and content creators.

regional information

The Bay of Plenty is situated in the eastern North Island of New Zealand and features a variety of diverse, untapped and easily accessible film locations.

screen incentives

The New Zealand Film Commission administers incentive and co-production opportunities for both domestic and international screen projects.

filming permits

Film Bay of Plenty has long standing partnerships with our local councils to help productions easily navigate the permitting process.

crew training

We are committed to increasing the crew depth and skill of the wider BOP region in order to service different sized productions.

studio hub

The Bay of Plenty has a selection of production hubs and currently one studio suitable for small to mid-sized productions.

our supporters

Film Bay of Plenty is able to offer services to the film industry, including production companies, local crew and local business thanks to the support of these local entities.

“Ka rarangi tahi tātou he whāriki mo āpopo. We are weaving this mat together for the future.”

– Maori proverb