Discussions begin for crew to film reality show in ENB

The National Islands

UNITED States hit reality television show Survivor is doing everything it can to come to PNG to shoot two episodes next year.
The show’s production unit have already made contact with the US Embassy in Port Moresby and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture expressing keen interest to film a show between April and Oct 2018.
Producer Joa Larback indicated bringing in a 260-man international production crew to shoot two sessions to be recorded one after the other.
Larback, in an email to Ambassador Catherine Ebert-Gray, expressed keen interest in shooting the show on the Duke of York Islands in East New Britain.
He said he had been working on the Survivor PNG project for over a year now and was confident of “establishing the location (Duke of York Islands) a production hub that will be able to facilitate Survivor productions”.
Larback said at least 300 locals would be hired and there would be substantial investments in the local economy.
Survivor is US Colombia Broadcasting System’s (CBS) wildly popular reality television show aired in 150 countries around the world.
This show has featured other Melanesian countries and neighbouring Pacific island nations like Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti.
Tourism Arts and Culture Minister Emil Tamur described the prospect as “a sudden tourism boom and a great opportunity”.
In a recent meeting with Ebert-Gray, Tamur assured that he would capture the prospect in his district development plan and sponsor a submission to the National Executive Council to secure government support and funding.
“This is an opportunity we cannot and must not miss,” he said.
Tamur said his office has also made contact with the show’s production crew and has been working on immigration entry requirements.
Ebert-Gray said it was willing to advocate with local authorities to help secure their support to bring in the Emmy award-winning reality show to PNG.
She confirmed she was in communication with Larback, adding that she was delighted to help support the filming of Survivor in PNG.