“The international spotlight is firmly on Australia. Off the back of our containment of the COVID-19 virus and with the enhanced incentive, it really means the world is looking now at us as a destination for producing high-quality international screen content.”
She said AusFilm, a partnership between government and industry, was seeing strong results from special assistance measures, including seven new international productions. Another ten major productions were already under way.
Australia Council For The Arts CEO Adrian Collette.
  Josh Robenstone
“A consistent pipeline of both international and domestic productions will ensure the sector can grow over time, which is critical to our success,” Ms Marks said.
“A diversity of productions allows for opportunities for both emerging and experienced practitioners across the breadth of the industry and across Australia geographically.
“It has allowed Australian companies that invest in international productions to invest in research and development, infrastructure and talent. This in turn does help the domestic industry.”
Screen Australia has provided about $8 million to productions with a combined budget of about $330 million that have been shutdown or disrupted by the pandemic.
More than 20 projects have received emergency funding from the federal government, including about 15 set to start filming next year.
Tom Hanks is filming Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic in Queensland, while the Nicole Kidman adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s best-selling novel, Nine Perfect Strangers and Chris Hemsworth’s sci-fi production Spiderhead are all under way. Hollywood star Zac Efron will film the new streaming production Gold in South Australia.
International drama production is worth about $380 million to the Australian economy every year.
Caroline Fulton, from the federal government’s Office for the Arts, said regional locations were benefiting from the production boom, including in NSW, Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia.
“We are seeing a lot of interest from international studios working with Australian producers to bring productions here to Australia, and there is a lot of interest in working with regional Australia.
“We’re blessed in Australia with having some very unique locations that can also double up for other places around the world.”
But Australia Council for the Arts boss Adrian Collette said a cultural and creative industries plan was badly needed, helping co-ordinate actions by local, state and federal governments and a coherent set of investments.
Modelling by EY said that for every $100 million spent as many as 1400 jobs could be created with a $420 million boost to the economy.
“Arts and culture connect with, and add considerable value to, almost every other portfolio: health, foreign affairs and trade, education, tourism, Indigenous affairs and so on,” he said.
“Investment in arts and culture also boost interdependent industries, such as hospitality and tourism, as well as the many related industries that rely on creativity, including media and communication, screen, fashion, design and architecture for example,” he said.