MEDIA RELEASE

Treasurer, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships
and Minister for Sport
The Honourable Curtis Pitt

“These nine productions are due to spend a combined estimated total of $26 million in Queensland, creating over 300 local jobs,” Mr Pitt said.

“This is one of the state’s most successful and competitive periods of screen production investment by the Queensland Government, through Screen Queensland.

“The list of productions highlight the strength of the local screen industry, the depth of talent and skills we have in Queensland, and the confidence business has in our state.

“It also underlines the diversity of our strong and growing state economy.”

Mr Pitt said the Queensland Government had previously committed $30 million in funding over a four-year period to June 2019 to foster growth in local productions and attract large-scale film and high-end television productions.

“This approach not only generates jobs and investment, it also helps build the skills base of our local screen industry,” he said.

“The government remains committed to building a thriving and successful screen sector and generating more jobs for our screen workforce while boosting our state’s economy,” he said.

Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira said the organisation had funded six career-building production attachments.

“These attachments offer participants a wealth of industry knowledge and include four placements at local company Like A Photon Creative to work on a segment commissioned by Sesame Street,” Ms Vieira said.

“Queensland’s support of domestic production provides significant long-term economic and employment benefits to local industry.”

The nine domestic productions that have received Queensland Government investment since 1 July 2016 are:

·         The Bureau of Magical Things by Jonathan M Shiff Productions — a fictional children’s TV series being produced for Network Ten with production investment from Screen Australia. It is estimated to inject more than $8.5 million into the state economy and employ more than 110 local crew and key creatives. Jonathan Shiff’s previous productions, Mako: Island of Secrets and H20: Just Add Water franchises, have sold to more than 170 countries, with the first series of Mako Mermaids reaching an estimated 150 million worldwide viewers.

·         Feature film Mr Cranky by Queensland-based producer Chris Brown (The Railway Man and Daybreakers), award-winning local writer Chris Nyst (Gettin’ Square and Crooked Business) and director Jonathan Teplitzky (The Railway Man and Churchill) along with funding from Screen Australia. It will contribute more than $6 million in economic activity and create 50 local jobs. Director Jonathan Teplitzky, who worked with Brown on the highly successful The Railway Man, will direct the film with post-production carried out locally by Brisbane-based The Post Lounge.

·         The television series, Safe Harbour, a psychological thriller produced by Matchbox Pictures for SBS and also supported by Screen Australia. Screen Queensland is also investing in the series, a direct outcome of Screen Queensland’s Enterprise program with a concept from local writers Phil Enchelmaier and Simon Kennedy for Matchbox Pictures, who is producing the series.

·         The NITV documentary Carry the Flag, exploring the story behind the Torres Strait Island flag designed by Bernard Namok, with support from Screen Australia and Screen Territory.

·         The new season for Doodles, by Ludo Studio, an interactive multiplatform comedy series taking real people’s drawings and turning them into short animated movies. Also supported by Screen Australia, Doodles was recently nominated for an International Emmy® Kids Award.

·         The Mosque, a three-part one-hour documentary series being produced for SBS by Southern Pictures with Screen Australia support, and senior roles in the production to be filled by local producers including Nicole McCuaig.

·         Baby Animals: Around the World by WildBear Entertainment, a humorous narration-driven series based on a day in the life of a broad range of baby animals. It is the next series for the Baby Animals franchise by local producer Veronica Fury and will be distributed by DRG, one of the world’s leading independent content distributors, with post-production from Cutting Edge. The Baby Animals series has already reached audiences around the globe and has been picked up by Discovery Australia, LIC China, AMC Networks International in Spain, Next Step Television Thailand, and National Geographic Australia, Asia and Latin America.

·         Documentary Mission Rubberman by writer/director Randall Wood, about the next generation condom following a multi-million-dollar Global Health Challenge announced by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with Screen Australia support.

·         Feature film Winchester by producer Tim McGahan of Blacklab Entertainment and directed by Peter and Michael Spierig with picture, sound and visual fx post-production taking place at Cutting Edge with production investment from Screen Australia. The production will spend more than $3.5 million in Queensland.

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