New Zealand’s Libertine Pictures Pushes Boundaries
This month New Zealand shingle Libertine Pictures kicks open its doors with ambitious plans for the country’s film and TV sector.
Kiwi producers Richard Fletcher (pictured) and Paul Davis have teamed up with New Zealand-based writer Neil Cross (“Luther”), who will serve as the outfit’s creative director, to form a company that will not only produce and develop its own projects but will also work on third-party projects, either as producers or consultants.
“The output will be a mix of wholly owned, jointly owned and work for hire,” Fletcher says.
Cross will look to foster writing talent through the company while also funneling adaptations of his work through Libertine.
The company is developing adaptations of Cross’ novels, including two psychological thrillers “Always the Sun” and “Captured” plus original horror screenplay “The Kill.”
The shingle benefits from a partnership with the New Zealand Film Commission. The company has become the first to receive money from the film org’s new business development scheme, a solid NZ$1 million ($780,000).
“The NZFC’s new business development scheme is not only an enormous boon to a new company like ours but it gives us added confidence that is also an endorsement of our business strategy,” says Fletcher. “It gives us the surety of three years of development and overhead support that will enable us to build the company at a natural and ideally sustainable pace.”
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