UNESCO title will re-energise industry: Judge

The UNESCO City of Film title granted to Sydney will provide the city and the state with “considerable long-term value”, according to NSW Minister for the Arts Virginia Judge.

“What’s important about being made a UNESCO City of Film is that it gives the industry the opportunity, with partners in Government at all levels – Federal, State and Local, to re-energise the industry here and to refocus our efforts to attract production and build a sustainable industry,” Judge told Encore.

“Both the City of Sydney and the NSW Government were solidly behind this bid. We recognise the issues, including current international production levels and the importance of a centre for screen culture, and want to work with the industry to find solutions. It also gives us an opportunity to forge relationships with the other cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities network to benefit our industry.”

The announcement was made on December 9, with a number of industry practitioners questioning its relevance; Sydney is the second city to receive this title, after Bradford in the UK, while places with a strong filmmaking tradition such as Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris and Tokyo are not yet considered ‘Cities of Film’.