Hollywood

comes to Fiji

Fiji’s international

exposure could increase with the prospect of k, Hollywood coming to town. Shooting for the latest movie by award ■B winning Hollywood direc jra tor Steven Spielberg, is Km due to begin during the mtm. second week of this f month, in Fiji’s Mamanuca Group of

*j3| islands.

The new film, *|; Cast Away, will 1/ star Tom Hanks. m f who also worked with the director in the celebrated W.W.11 movie.

Saving Private Ryan. The one-month shoot is likely to generate major revenue for several Fiji companies and individuals during the February period, which is usually slow. No advertisements were taken out for interested companies wishing to join the team, with hiring a result of word-of-mouth and quick response.

This has not deterred the lucky few companies who have man aged to score deals with the organisers, and businesses and several individuals are excited by the prospect of working for Hollywood.

These include boat owners, equipment hire companies, hotels and extras for the film, most of whom are being paid rates much higher than local ones. The crew will be flown in, using the Sheraton on Denarau Island as a base, while filming will take place on Monoriki, off Matamanoa in the Mamanucas.

Spielberg and Hanks were both due into the country this month for the month-long shooting schedule.

It is understood that several local boats have been hired and are required to be at the disposal of crew and the stars for a month.

It is not known what the story-line for the film is, nor when it will be released. The Mamanuca Group consists of a chain of coral and volcanic islands in the western-most part of Fiji. The area was last year affected by drought-like conditions but it is understood that this has slowly eased with the onslaught of the rainy season.

The last movie shot on location in Fiji, which received international attention, was Blue Lagoon, which starred ; Brooke Shields. Meanwhile, local landowner busi- PPHHHU ness, the Ba Provincial Company, which was WkA ex P ectc <J to commission its first vessel last month, is lEhß’ also expecting to gain from Hollywood. The council bought a vessel from Fiji’s Marine Department for El an undisclosed sum. which was expected to be oper jjQK alional this month, because of a deal with an ||R|| American film-maker.

The Roko Tui (high chief) Ba Tevila Momoedonu said the company was in the process of finalising a deal with an American film-maker to shoot a movie on Taveuni, the site where the dateline cuts through »Fiji. He said although details on this were sketchy, indications were that the vessel was being prepared for this purpose in March. g

Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg (insert)