What films have been lensed in Fiji?

Sony, Columbia, Dreamworks SKG, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount and Warner Brothers have all made films in this idyllic, truly exotic location in the South Pacific. 

Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (Columbia/Sony 2004) was shot in and around the mega-dense jungles and wild rivers at Pacific Harbour, Viti Levu, Fiji (40 minutes on the Queens Road from Suva).  The pic was released August 27, 2004 in the US on 2905 screens and stars Morris Chestnut, Jonny Mesner, Salli Richardson, KaDee Strickland, Eugene Byrd, was helmed by Dwight Little, produced by Verna Harrah of Middle Fork Productions and EP'd by Jake Rose. Ms Harrah also produced the original 1997 blockbuster Anaconda starring Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube, and Jon Voight.  

Past productions featuring Fiji include:

The mega block buster Cast Away (20th Century Fox/DreamWorks SKG, 1999) starring Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt, directed by Robert Zemeckis, DOP Don Burgess was principally shot on Monu-riki island in the Manamucas off the west coast of Viti Levu.

His Majesty O'Keefe was a lavish Warner Bros production in 1953 starring Hollywood legend Burt Lancaster and shot at Deuba, Pacific Harbour and Suva.  Cumming Street Suva doubles for Hong Kong and the famous Grand Pacific Hotel doubles for a luxurious Hong Kong hotel. Directed by Byron Haskin and produced by Harold Hecht.

Second unit photography for the ‘heaven sequence’ in Contact (Warner Bros 1998) starring Jodie Foster and also directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Savage Islands: Nate & Hayes, (Paramount 1983) Filmed at Pacific Harbour Fiji, Rotorua and the Bay of Islands starring Tommy Lee Jones, directed by Ferdinand Fairfax, produced by Lloyd Phillips and Rob Whitehouse. 

The original 1949 The Blue Lagoon starring British beauty Jean Simmons and Donald Houston (Columbia) and the 1979 remake (Columbia Pictures) starring Brooke Shields, Leo McKern and directed by Randal Kleiser.  Both were shot in the Yasawas. The 1948 version was mostly shot in and around a lagoon on Sawa-i-lau.  The 1979 remake was mainly shot about 12 miles south, near a lagoon off the island of Nanuya Levu.  The exact location became the subject of a very interesting passing off and trademark case in Blue Lagoon Cruises v Evanson (1980) 26 FLR 13.

Randal Kleiser EP'd the 1991 Return to the Blue Lagoon (Columbia) shot on Fiji's third largest island, Taveuni.  Locations included the stunning Lavena beach and Bouma falls.  The director was William A Graham and it starred Milla Jovovich. The renowned Australian underwater cinematographers, Ron and Valerie Talyor, who worked on Steven Spielberg's Jaws, also worked on both the 1979 Blue Lagoon and the 1991 Return to the Blue Lagoon.

In 1974 Gregory Peck produced The Dove (Paramount), directed by Charles Jarrot, based on a true story by Robin Lee Graham, starring Joseph Bottoms, Deborah Raffin and John McLiam. Partly shot in Australia and The Trade Winds Hotel at Lami near Fiji's capital Suva. 

My Forgotten Man (1993) about Erroll Flynn's early days starring Guy Pearce and directed by Frank Howson was shot in Australia and Fiji, the latter doubling for New Guinea.

Coral Reef Adventure (MacGillivray Freeman Films 2003) IMAX® feature.  Narrated by Liam Neeson and shot in Fiji, Australia and Tahiti.

The Land Has Eyes, premiered at the Sundance Film Festivel 2004, directed by Fiji's own Vilsoni Hereniko and is about a young Rotuman woman who is inspired by a mythological female warrior as a way to escape the embarrassment of being the daughter of a wrongly convicted thief.

What tv shows have been shot in Fiji?

Some of the most idyllic beaches and islands in the world have attracted productions from the US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. 

Foreign productions include Miramax's Reel Paradise (2003) about one of the world's most remote picture theatres on the island of Taveuni, CSM's Kelly Slater Invitational 2004, MTV Road Rules (2003), Eco Challenge (2003 Mark Burnett), Celebrity Treasure Island (2003, Touchdown Productions) Swiss Family Robinson television series, Treasure Island Extreme (2002, Touchdown Productions NZ), Under the One Roof (2002, Fear Factor), Temptation Island (2001, Channel 7 Australia), The Great Outdoors(2001, Channel 7 Australia), Emma: Queen of the South Seas (1988 Fox mini series starring Steve Bisley) and Adventures of the Seaspray (1967, ABC, Pacific, Screen Gems, 26 x 30min). 

Many surfing docos and competitions have been shot in Fiji too, especially at the famous Cloudbreak on Tavarua.  This is where giant waves roll in from the south Pacific ocean.  Not for the faint hearted.

Join The Band  showcasing new music talent in Fiji is currently in production and will air on Fiji One later in the year.

What crews are available in Fiji?

The film and television productions that have visited Fiji and the local television stations have created a pool of experienced cast and crew that have worked on everything from large feature films to reality television shows.  Cast and crew rates are very reasonable and there are no union or guild problems.  Additional crew can easily be sourced from Australia and New Zealand. 

Crew contact information is available in the Online Production Guide.

What’s the flight time and frequency to Australia, USA, New Zealand and Japan?

There are regular direct flights to and from Australia, USA, New Zealand and Japan. Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland are all 3-4 hours flying time away. There are daily flights to Sydney and Auckland and 7 direct 10 hour flights a week to Los Angeles on Air Pacific (codeshare Qantas and American airlines) and Air New Zealand (codeshare United Airlines). There are 3 flights per week to Japan on Air Pacific.  Pacific Blue (Virgin) commenced flights to and from Australia on 9 September 2004.

Does Fiji have any film co-production treaties?

No, not as yet. Fiji is, however, a Commonwealth country and would satisfy the definition of 'third co-producer' under Article 1 of the Protocol to the co-production treaty between Canada and the United Kingdom.  For more details visit Telefilm Canada.

Does Fiji have any double taxation treaties?

Yes. Fiji has double taxation treaties with Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Papua New Guinea and Japan. 

What's the weather like in Fiji?

For most of the year the weather is very pleasant, warm and sunny in Fiji.  There is a cyclone season that extends from November through to March.  The following links provide up to date weather information to help you plan your shoot.

Yahoo!Weather          Fiji Meteorological Service

Where can I purchase archival footage of Fiji?

1.  Film Television Unit (FTU).
Phone: (679) 3314688
Fax: (679) 3300196
Email: info@fiji.gov.fj

2.  Fiji Television Ltd (Fiji 1 and Sky Pay TV)
Phone: (679) 3305100
Fax: (679) 3305077