Screen Queensland has revealed the 2015-16 screen culture funding more than $1 million in grants going to 32 festivals and screen culture-related activities.
Screen Queensland chief executive, Tracy Vieira said the screen body was focused on a screen culture program that enriched the cultural landscape of the state.
"This funding enables greater accessibility to all Queenslanders and engages regional communities that may not have otherwise have film at arm’s reach," she said.
According to Vieira, SQ’s screen culture funding program plays a dual role in that it both celebrates the cultural diversity that co-exists in every part of Queensland plus stimulates screen consumption.
"These screen culture activities increase the demand for more local content, supporting the growth of the state’s screen industry and meaning more jobs for Queenslanders," she said.
"Our support goes deeper than the bottom line as we engage with local communities by offering workshops, masterclasses and other events.
This year, Screen Queensland will partner with the Brisbane Festival bringing film to the arts festival for the first time.
"We are excited to be partnering with the Brisbane Festival through Backyard Cinema which will take the Brisbane Festival to all Queenslanders by providing a film that can be downloaded to watch in the backyard, with friends or at a community screening on September 20, regardless of where the backyard is; and also through The Female Gaze, a screening program at Palace Centro Cinemas in New Farm that explores the notion of women’s influence in cinema."
Some of the other regions supported in 2015-16 include: the Gold Coast Film Festival; Gympie’s 'Heart of Gold' Film Festival; Mackay’s International Film Festival screening foreign films that would otherwise not be accessible in this region; Cairns’ Understory Film Festival; the Caloundra Fringe Film Festival; and other touring festivals that reach regions such as Bundaberg, Toowoomba, Charters Towers, Townsville, Gladstone, Cloncurry, Dijarra, Cooktown, Barcaldine, Nambour, Airlie Beach, Trinity Beach and Maryborough.
Other festivals supported include the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival now in its sophomore year, the Brisbane Queer Film Festival and the Iranian and Alliance Françoise French Film Festivals.
Queensland Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said Queenslanders would enjoy a big year of statewide film fare for cinema fans.
"We only need to look at the Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival which was in jeopardy following Winton’s devastating fire in June, due to the loss of their venue and equipment. The community rallied together, with additional support from my Government to ensure the festival went ahead as planned," she said.
"I’m happy to see this funding support the Winton festival again in 2015, along with other film festivals for this financial year across the state,’ she said.