A large group of Chinese movie executives have arrived in Dunedin for the city's first-ever China Film Festival.
Dunedin production house NHNZ is used to working with international partners and programming made here already screens on China's CCTV Kids channel.
Industry bosses touring the city on Thursday want to explore other shooting and production opportunities.
"Because New Zealand is very beautiful... and we heard of lots of famous films like Lord of the Rings [have been] shot here, so we believe there is definitely lots of space and room for us to cooperate," Chinese film producer Chen Le told Newshub.
The influential group is here to celebrate the first-ever China Film Festival held in Dunedin.
"This delegation, it's like the studio bosses from Hollywood in Dunedin for a couple of days, it's pretty massive. And it's a massively growing industry," said organiser
Antony Deaker.
That industry's being celebrated this weekend with six recent Chinese films, and it's not your usual festival fare.
Martial arts is showcased in the blockbuster Ip Man 3, starring famous Chinese actors like Donnie Yen, and Mike Tyson.
Big-budget adventure flick Time Raiders was one of China's biggest films of 2016, described as a kind of Asian Indiana Jones.
"These guys are into fantasy-action, sort of like the Harrison Ford stuff in a big way at the moment," Mr Deaker said.
You don't have to speak the lingo to enjoy them - all six movies have English subtitles.
Organisers are confident there's a big potential audience, including international students and Otago's Chinese community.
It follows the success of a New Zealand Film Festival, held last year in Shanghai.
"It's a cultural event, and it's strengthening the sister-city civic relationships. But it's also a great business networking meeting opportunity," Mr Deaker said.
The three-day festival lights up the big screen in Dunedin from Friday night.
Newshub.
