Screen Queensland (SQ) has committed support to an unprecedented number of domestic productions in the first four months of the current financial year reflecting the health of Queensland’s domestic screen industry while also ensuring 2016-17 will be a highly contested year for its Production Investment Fund.

CEO Tracey Vieira said the Production Investment Fund supports screen stories from Queensland and Australian practitioners where there are significant Queensland creative elements and benefits.

‘We have received a large volume of high-quality funding applications for this financial year, demonstrating the health of our local screen industry and the incredible talent in Queensland,’ Ms Vieira said.

‘We anticipate this to be a record year for funding domestic productions, the highest in Screen Queensland’s history.

‘The level of interest and calibre of the applications will however mean a more competitive process for practitioners in the upcoming funding rounds for the balance of this financial year,’ she said.

‘This landscape will ensure our local practitioners and businesses focus on their strengths, ideas, and innovative ways to tell stories on screen and further challenges them to bring only the best to Screen Queensland.

‘This year we have experienced some of the most exciting screen content where the intellectual property will be retained in our state, which is a reflection of how our industry is succeeding and adapting to the fast changing global screen economy.’

The projects, which will each be announced with other key investors over the coming weeks, include feature films, children’s broadcast series, documentary series, one-off documentaries as well as career-building attachments.

SQ recently released its Strategic Plan 2016 – 2019 which outlines its commitment to growing the screen industry by capitalising on advances in technology and becoming a significant contributor to the economic and cultural wellbeing of Queensland.

‘This plan outlines an innovative strategy focused on taking Queensland’s creative talent and content to the world,’ said Ms Vieira.

‘Our priority to increase the size and competitiveness of local industry is to look at the shifts in how audiences are consuming screen stories and ensure our local practitioners are taking advantage of new opportunities in how content is made and distributed.

‘We have implemented a range of initiatives which link our local industry with a global community of screen creators to upskill and inspire each other, innovate as storytellers, and reach audiences on mainstream and evolving platforms. These initiatives include partnerships with YouTube, Stan, ABC iview, a VR partnership with SBS, professional attachments and our Early Career Program,’ she said.

‘Screen Queensland is committed to stimulating the growth of Queensland’s screen industry and paving the way for increased opportunities to grow local careers and build businesses.  We continuously strive for increasing the levels of domestic production and jobs’ activity and being a preferred production destination of choice.’

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All Screen Queensland media enquiries: media@screenqld.com.au | +61 7 3248 0500