Queensland: the sun is still shining

Genevieve Tait found that with the growth of other state film industries, changing financial dynamics and a disgruntled screen actors guild in the USA, Queensland’s film industry has to evolve in order to survive.

Queensland is still a hub for Australian production. However, with the changing face of industry and finance, its international production has slowed. Despite these obstacles, the state continues to build its filmmaking infrastructure and talents in an attempt to protect itself from the global crises, with plans to emerge from the turmoil stronger and more inviting than ever.

Over the 2007-2008 financial year 26 Australian projects were produced in Queensland, with a total state production expenditure of $54m. Of this total, Queensland production companies were responsible for $26m.
This figure exceeds the growth goals set by the local film government body, the Pacific Film and Television Commission (PFTC). The current investment strategy of the PFTC aims to attract $30m of Australian film production expenditure with $10m of that production  expenditure being generated by local production companies. The upcoming production slate of Australian film and television suggests that Australian production will continue to shoot above and beyond the current PFTC targets. Shooting was recently concluded on Louise Alston and Stephen Vagg’s comedy Jucy, the vampire comedy Luv Sux is currently underway and A Heartbeat Away and Last Man are in preproduction. The television series Sea Patrol and H2O Just Add Water are both currently shooting their third series.
The slate of international productions is slimmer due to  international struggles with finance and unions. “There are fewer major international productions, mainly because the hedge funds that used to co-finance most of these projects have withdrawn their funding, so
there are fewer films to go after currently. There’s also the threat of a possible SAG strike in Hollywood, which has been hanging over everyone’s heads for quite some time now” said PFTC CEO Robin James.
Despite the current doom and gloom permeating international production, Queensland continues to seek and draw international projects. “The PFTC is extremely proactive in trying to lure projects down here.”
The amount of work they’re putting in to try to secure the U$140 million Walden Media/Twentieth Century Fox The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader just proves that point. “They’ve been after that film for two years or more.” said John Cox of John  Cox’s Creature Workshop. The PFTC has reported that since The Voyage of the Dawn Treader fell over in Mexico, there have been positive discussions between Walden Media and Queensland filmmaking representatives. Jus last year, the state successfully secured the production of Daybreakers, a film combining Aussie talent (Isabel Lucas and Claudia Karvan) with well-known American actors (Ethan Hawke and Willem Defoe), suggesting the SAG strike is daunting but not disabling.
FILM FRIENDLY GOLD COAST