Ausfilm has appointed former Film Victoria and Screenwest development executive Erin Stam as Los Angeles-based executive vice president of international production.
The Federal Government has announced a seven-year, $400 million incentive to attract film and television productions to Australia.
“Asking your big name leads to come to Australia and spend 14 days in a hotel in lockdown when they are fully vaccinated is a real disincentive."
Netflix, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Fox Studios Australia and Ausfilm have partnered to support a new wellbeing social enterprise led by Ben Steel, including training to upskill 60 production and post-production leaders in mental health first aid.
Production in Australia is booming. In the last four years, the Producer Offset, PDV Offset and the combined Location Offset and Incentive have resulted in a whopping $16.5 billion of economic output, and in the last financial year alone, created 20,600 jobs. However, a new report from Olsberg SPI suggests uncertainty about the future of the Location Incentive risks continued growth and infrastructure investment.
After more than a decade of lobbying by Ausfilm, crew, studios and other service businesses, the government announced at the Federal Budget it has decided to permanently lift the Location Offset to 30 per cent from July 1 this year.
Australians in Film (AiF) will present Naomi Watts the 2019 Orry-Kelly Award at the organisation's annual gala awards evening later this month in Los Angeles.
Former Film Victoria executive Kate Marks will run Ausfilm's office in Los Angeles.