The Hon. Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica announced today that the Net Fiji Spend attracted by Fiji’s Film and TV sector up to August 2023 has already doubled all of 2022 and is 2.3 times higher than the pre-pandemic’s best Net Spend attracted in 2019.

“Fiji’s audio-visual sector has been recovering steadily from the pandemic, and in 2023 it has reached an all-time best within the first 8 months of the year”, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, Hon. Manoa Kamikamica.

Film Fiji (statutory body in charge of the promotion and development of the AV sector in Fiji) has recorded for the first time a Net Fiji Spend of $71.3 million in 2023, and within the first 8 months of the year, attracting shows to Fiji with a Total Local Spend of $86 million and a Total Production Budget of over $236 million.

“This is an important accomplishment. It means that, despite spending a lot less attracting these major productions to Fiji, a lot more investment is now staying within our economy. The attention and commitment to the AV sector by Fiji’s Government is creating cascading positive economic impacts across the Fijian economy. We have heard firsthand from landowners, service providers, and hoteliers how this industry benefits them, which is why this is an important sector for the Government, and we will continue to support its development” said Hon. Kamikamica.

Fiji continues to cement itself as one of the best Tropical locations in the world for film production. 2023 has seen major shows produced in Fiji being released in established Broadcast networks in the US like CBS and ABC, while also opening new markets in the online streaming sector with companies like Peacock TV (NBCUniversal) and Roku TV.

“Finding the right location and local partner is crucial for a series such as ‘Love Island,’ and we couldn’t be more pleased with our ongoing collaboration with the Fiji Government, particularly Hon. Kamikamica and Film Fiji. The film friendly environment they’ve created, including immediate and substantial resources and support throughout, has been key to the production of another successful season, and we look forward to our continued work together.” Said Simon Thomas, President of ITV Entertainment and Head of International Programming.

“Our continued efforts to create a reliable, robust and sustainable ecosystem for the film industry is being very well received in the market. We are seeing a steady return of productions and an influx of enquiries from producers that value Fiji’s pristine locations, English speaking crew, connectivity and developed infrastructure.” said Film Fiji CEO, Ramiro Tenorio.

Fiji was home to some of the most watched TV shows in the US, with the likes of Survivor, Bachelorette and Love Island. The size and distribution of these shows puts them amongst the most significant TV brands in the world.

“Our local service providers are working with these large international teams, and they are delivering at such a high level that it allows producers to come back, knowing that they will find the support they need locally. Our teams understand the high-stakes, fast-paced and demanding productivity required by our sector. We want to continue seeing more locals becoming crew members, developing their skills, or building specialised companies servicing the industry. The support by all stakeholders is fundamental, and we deeply appreciate the efforts made by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Tourism Fiji, Investment Fiji, Immigrations and many other key players in the development of this industry”. Film Fiji CEO, Ramiro Tenorio.

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