A $olid investment?

Will the government’s $20m investment in attracting overseas productions actually make a difference to the local screen industry? In a feature that first appeared in Encore, Cameron Boon finds out.

The federal government’s March 13 announcement of a $20 million cash injection for the film industry has not died with Simon Crean’s career, and still remains a solid strategy if it is a precursor to an eventual permanent increase say those in the industry.

The new Arts Minister Tony Burke has said the ‘Creative Australia’ initiative will go ahead, including a once-off $20 million location offset to make Australia a more attractive location to international film-makers.

The government has said the money is a precursor to an eventual permanent increase, but international film-makers are looking for certainty when they’re choosing a location to work in.