MEDIA RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 February 2021
This week on the Gold Coast, cameras started rolling on new feature film, Black Site, produced by Queensland’s Todd Fellman of Story Bridge Films in partnership with Basil Iwanyk’s US-based Asbury Park Pictures, and directed by Sophia Banks.
Funded by the Queensland Government via Screen Queensland through the Production Attraction Strategy, the locally made feature will inject more than $9 million into the state economy and create approximately 200 jobs for crew, cast and extras.
Set in a labyrinthic military ‘black site’ and starring Michelle Monaghan, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, Pallavi Sharda, Phoenix Raei and Uli Latukefu, the wild-chase thriller follows a group of officers fighting for their lives in a cat-and-mouse game against evil genius, Hatchet (Jason Clarke).
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the co-produced feature film will recruit a majority of Queensland crew and cast, and employ mostly Queenslanders as Heads of Department on the production.
“We will continue to support the screen industry because it supports local jobs,” the Premier said.
“Because of our strong health response during a global pandemic we are the location of choice for a lot of productions not just here in Australia but around the world.
“We’re not only able to attract international productions, but we’re able to stimulate co-production that supports the growth of local production businesses in Queensland while growing employment opportunities for local practitioners.
“I’m equally proud of the broad range of screen projects happening right across Queensland at this time, from TV series for streaming platforms and big-budget feature films to reality TV shows like Australian Survivor headed for Cloncurry—it’s an exciting time to be in the movie-making business in Queensland.”
Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich congratulated Brisbane-based production company, Story Bridge Films, on this big-budget co-production at a time when Australian feature films are performing so well at the box office.
“Over the years, Screen Queensland is proud to have championed and supported Todd Fellman’s Story Bridge Films as they have gone from strength to strength, amassing a long list of credits and a strong slate of projects—with more on the way.
“Black Site is also great news for the local film industry, with most roles, both in front of and behind the camera going to Queenslanders.”
Story Bridge Films producer Todd Fellman thanked Screen Queensland for supporting the project and agreed that Queensland is an ideal production location for feature films of all genres and budgets.
“Story Bridge Films is committed to producing world-class Australian films and co-productions. We’ve filmed projects all around the world, but there’s really nowhere like Queensland for its first-class crews, diversity of locations and quality facilities—we’ve got it all here.”
Four attachment opportunities are also being offered on the production for emerging screen practitioners in the areas of Production, Direction, Camera and Lighting.
