Elise Archer,Minister for the Arts
Thirteen new screen and video game development projects will benefit from over $1.7 million in the latest round of approved Government funding through Screen Tasmania, ensuring our State's thriving film, television and games industries continue to grow and flourish.
This funding includes part of the $3 million we committed in the Premier's State of the State address in March this year, to help stimulate production activity and assist the sector as it continues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
Funded projects include:
- development of a new natural history documentary from Nick Hayward titled The Platypus Guardian, which tells the story of a man who finds solace through his encounters with a paddle of platypuses in the semi-urban habitat of Hobart's rivulet during the COVID-19 lockdown;
- further development of The McLeods of Drovers Run, a feature drama that tells the origin story of the McLeods of McLeods Daughters;
- development of True, a short form Indigenous animated series for children from Blue Rocket Productions; and
- investment in the production of 2 Street 2 Racer, a second series of Launceston-made Australia's Best Street Racer, which gained over 1.7 million views on YouTube, with principal funding from Screen Australia.
Another four projects will share in $80,000 funding through the Proof of Concept program, which provides support to make a short piece in order to raise finance for full production.
Tasmania has cemented itself as a premium destination for the creative screen and production sector, and we want to continue to see growth in this area not least of all for the many trainees and practitioners it employs.
Our cultural and creative industries support thousands of jobs across the State and add millions to our economy, and we will continue doing all we can to support them as we implement our plan to secure Tasmania's future.
