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Fiji's famous for film. Doubling for Borneo in Sony Sreen Gems Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, the sequel to Anaconda stars Jonny Mesner, Morris Chestnut, Salli Richardson, KaDee Strickland and Eugene Byrd. Shot on the wild rivers and mega-dense jungles near Deuba, Pacific Harbour on Fij's main island, Viti Levu and released on more than 3000 US screens on 27 August 2004. The director is Dwight Little, producer Verna Harrah and executive producer Jake Rose.
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Fiji also featured prominently in the 20th Century Fox and Dreamworks SKG mega blockbuster film Cast Away starring two-times Oscar winner Tom Hanks and directed by Bob Zemeckis. Monu-riki, an uninhabitated island with a stark rugged peak in the Manumucas off the west coast of Fiji's main island, became Hanks' fictitious prison in the movie. Zemeckis also chose Fiji as the “heaven sequence” for the Jodi Foster sci-fi blockbuster Contact.
Hollywood's fascination with Fiji stems back for more than 50 years. The original 1949 The Blue Lagoon starring the beautiful British actress Jean Simmons was shot in technicolor in the Yasawas, north west of Fiji's main island.
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And in 1953 the Hollywood legend Burt Lancaster was caught on celluloid at Deuba and Pacific Harbour in the lavish Warner Bros classic, His Majesty O'Keefe. Cummin Street and the famous Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva also feature as Hong Kong in this classic.
In 1974 the Hollywood legend Gregory Peck came to Fiji to produce The Dove. Directed by Charles Jarrot the flic was based on a true story by Robin Lee Graham and starred Joseph Bottoms, Deborah Raffin and John McLiam.
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1979 brought the stunningly beautiful Brooke Shields to Fiji to star in Columbia Pictures treasured box office smash Blue Lagoon. The pic was shot in Fiji's natural light by director Randal Kleiser fresh off another 1970's classic, Grease. Blue Lagoon was shot in the Yasawas near a lagoon off Nanuya Levu island. Randal Kleiser returned to Fiji as an executive producer for 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.
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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.
The Fiji Government, through the FAVC is committed to helping film productions in Fiji and ensuring that they receive the best possible locations service. The FAVC can advise and assist with all your Fiji film production needs including work permits, importing film equipment, assisting with finding crew, taxation incentives and finding suitable locations amongst Fiji's incredibly diverse 330 islands.
There are 3 main incentives that qualifying film-makers can access in Fiji:
Tax Rebate
A broad range of eligible films can receive a 15% rebate (to a maximum of F$3.75 million) on qualifying production expenditure in Fiji (QFPE). For QFPE between F$250,000 and F$25 million the QFPE must represent 35% of the total budget. QFPE above F$25 million qualifies for the rebate regardless of the % that it represents in the total budget. To assist in qualifying, remuneration for one above-the-line crew or cast member may be excluded from the total budget. Applicants for the rebate are excluded from qualifying for the film-making foreign employee tax exemption and F1 and F2 status.
Foreign film employees tax exemption
A non-resident film company intending to make a film in Fiji may apply for a full or partial tax exemption for its non-resident employees. An application needs to be made to the Minister through the FAVC on the approved form.
F1 and F2 AVP - 150% film tax concession for investors
Qualifying Fiji taxpayer investors (including wholly foreign owned corporations) in large format films, feature films, short films or telemovies can obtain up to a 150% tax concession on their film investment. Further, up to 60% of the income from that investment will be tax exempt.
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