The TerritoryLabor Governments $9 million investment over four years into the NTs film andscreen sector is starting to pay dividends with a host of local productionsproving a hit with national and international audiences.
Top EndWedding, SweetCountry and Robbie Hood are just some of the Territory projectsgarnering international attention, alongside Maya Newells, In My Blood ItRuns, which screened at the United Nations last week.
ScreenTerritory continues to drive screen investment in the Territory with its latestinitiative, joining ReelScout. The film-office business platform is a one-stopsolution for crew, facilities and location needs in the NT.
ReelScoutstores images of locations from screen agencies around the world, and providesa contact database for film producers, so anyone considering filming in theTerritory has everything they need to know about Territory locations,facilities and the workforce at their fingertips.
JoiningReelScout is a direct action under the Territory Labor Governments NorthernTerritory Screen Industry Development Plan 2018-2020 to develop afilm-friendly strategy to increase film production, employment and investmentin the Territory.
As part of thestrategy, Screen Territory has also joined Ausfilm, which promotes Australia'sscreen incentives, talent and facilities to the international market.
This membershipenables Screen Territory to capitalise on the Australian Governments LocationIncentive, which aims to attract international investment and sustainAustralian jobs in film production and related industries.
Since July2018, international screen productions have contributed approximately $670million towards the Australian economy.
ScreenTerritory is also building the capacity and sustainability of the local screensector through its inaugural Generate Enterprise Grants. Six local screenindustry businesses and practitioners received a share of $480,000.
In 2018/19, theTerritory Labor Government invested a record $1.6 million in grant fundingacross the NT screen sector to stimulate development and production.
ScreenTerritory has also partnered with SBS Food to film Delicious Darwin,featuring renowned local restaurateur and chef, Jimmy Shu, and produced bylocal producers, Naina Sen and Sally Ingleton.
As noted byMinister for Tourism, Sport and Culture, Lauren Moss:
The Territory Labor Government is investing $9 million intoour film and screen sector over four years, recognising its importance insharing the Territorys story with the world and its economic potential to theTerritory.
JoiningReelScout will allow us to support jobs and investment in the Territorysscreen industry by showcasing what the Territory offers in terms of locationsfor filming and by promoting Territorian screen practitioners to be employed onscreen productions.
If filmproducers can see the incredible range of landscapes we have, and the dedicatedNT professionals who work in the industry here, they are more likely to choosethe Territory as a filming location. This means jobs for Territorians and moremoney being injected into our economy.
On top of thedirect injection of production expenditure, estimates suggest 230,000 touristsvisit or extend their stay in Australia each year as a result of viewingAustralian film and TV content, generating around $725 million in visitorexpenditure.
With ourdiverse landscapes and guaranteed weather during the dry season, we can offer arange of backdrops, from the desert to the coast, from a capital city to remotestations, from red dirt to rainforest. Now those locations can be easilyscouted online from anywhere in the world.
As noted byRosemary Blight, Producer, Top End Wedding:
Filming in theTerritory was a rewarding experience, with so many incredible filming locationsto choose from.
The weather ispretty much guaranteed most of the time, which helped us with planning, andthere are plenty of creative people up there who work in the industry.
We spentaround $1.6 million in the Territory while filming Top End Wedding.
