The Location Guide reports that a new Alaska film incentive programme has been launched in a bid to attract filmmakers to the state and to put the region on the map for the international film industry.

The programme provides a 30% transferable tax credit against corporate income taxes to qualified productions on qualified expenditures made in the state, with an additional 10% bonus for Alaska hire and 2% bonuses for winter and rural spending. In New Zealand, feature films with significant local content will benefit from a government pledge to give back 40% of what is spent in the country on production from 1 July.

Expenditure must exceed US$3.93m (NZD5m) to qualify for the new Screen Production Incentive Fund and a cap of US$4.7m (NZD6m) applies to the grant. Films must be produced for a New Zealand cinematic release and the local expenditure must be at least 50% of the budget.