New Zealand film director Jane Campion has made a return to movies - and to the spotlight, at this year's Academy Awards.
Her film, The Power of the Dog, was nominated in 12 categories at Wednesday morning's online Oscars announcement, including best picture, best actor, best supporting actress - and in a nod to Campion herself, best director.
Other films in the running at the Academy Awards are Belfast, Dune and King Richard. (Source: Breakfast)
The western-style psychological drama is set in Montana, in the United States - but was filmed in New Zealand - Dunedin, Oamaru and central Otago with sound stages in Auckland used as well.
The Power of the Dog is leading the pack with 12 nominations. (Source: 1News)
"It’s sort of a post-western, like a ranch story,” Campion told Indiewire last year.
“Nobody’s got a gun."
Stars including Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst rode out New Zealand's Covid lockdowns to finish filming, with streaming platform Netflix picking up the multi-million dollar cost blow out.
The film has just picked up 12 Academy Award nominations, many of them involving Kiwis. (Source: Seven Sharp)
“Ultimately, shooting in New Zealand wasn’t a compromise, it was the best choice for us," said Campion.
The award-winning director has been working on television and small screen features for more than a decade, but in 2019 negotiated the rights to sell The Power of the Dog to Netflix - but not before it went into theatres, albeit for a short time.
It only made NZ$180,000 in its first weekend at the box office - but has since been streamed 1.2 million times on the US platform.
The 67 year-old's decision to film in New Zealand wasn't just based on a cost comparison - she says the crew made all the difference.
"I love New Zealand crews because they really get involved in the project, it actually means something to them to be working on a film they love," she said.
The film employed 328 Kiwi crew, and 27 New Zealanders were in the cast including actress Thomasin McKenzie.
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