Premier Morris Iemma has announced that the film based on the international best-seller Mao’s Last Dancer had begun shooting in Sydney
The movie will be directed by Sydney-born Bruce Beresford, an Academy Award nominated director whose past film credits include Breaker Morant, Puberty Blues and Driving Miss Daisy.
“This means the creation of up to another 100 full-time jobs for NSW,” Iemma said.
“Mao’s Last Dancer means work for more than 1600 people in NSW: 176 people in pre-production and production for 22 weeks plus 1,500 extras during production and 11 people in post-production for 26 weeks.”
The news follows the recent announcement that Sydney-based animation company, Animal Logic, will help produce the animated feature Guardians of Ga’Hoole, and expand its business creating 300 new jobs over four years in NSW.
Premier Iemma said the NSW Government’s Film and Television Industry Attraction Fund helped secure the movie’s production.
“Mao’s Last Dancer started pre-production in January and will involve seven weeks shooting in Australia
“The film’s production team and many of the key creative personnel for Mao’s Last Dancer hail from NSW. Actors in Mao’s Last Dancer will include Australian stars Jack Thompson and Aden Young, as well as US
Minister for State Development, Ian Macdonald said while much of the movie will be filmed in NSW, the production company Last Dancer Pty Ltd has teamed with a Beijing-based company China Film Assist to shoot overseas segments.
[release from NSW Government]