❓ The Minister for Culture and the Arts details current film productions in WA, highlighting government investment and regional economic benefits, praising the member for Southern River's advocacy for the industry.
AnsweredQoN 64Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FILM PRODUCTION
64. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to diversifying the
economy, including through creative industries.
(1) Can the minister advise the
house about any current productions underway in Western Australia?
(2) What other
initiatives is the McGowan Labor government undertaking to support the growth
of creative industries?
64. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to diversifying the
economy, including through creative industries.
(1) Can the minister advise the
house about any current productions underway in Western Australia?
(2) What other
initiatives is the McGowan Labor government undertaking to support the growth
of creative industries?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
think the member for Southern River should hold up that picture again that
says, ''Gozzywood''! He is to be congratulated for his ongoing
creativity.
I was on set of the film He Ain't
Heavy in Gosnells last Thursday. It is another feature film that is being
shot in Western Australia, starring Greta Scacchi, a famous Australian actress,
along with her daughter, Leila, and also Sam Corlett, who plays the main
character of Max. Speaking to Greta on Thursday, she was very pleased to be in Western
Australia again. She resides in Surrey in the United Kingdom but she likes coming to WA. She had already heard about
the investment that the McGowan government is making to the screen
industry through both the screen facility, which will be in Malaga, and also
our incentive investment. I congratulate the
member for Southern River for his advocacy. I know he has been going out on set, giving them biscuits and coffee and other things, and that is
wonderful. He did not quite make it as a cameo, but never mind.
I would like to highlight to the
house two more films that will be shot in our regions—one in the
Gascoyne and one in the Pilbara. Whale
Shark Jack will be filmed in and around Exmouth in the Gascoyne, and again
is linked to the promotion of Western Australia. As members know, the alignment
between tourism, culture and the arts and sport and recreation is very strong
because all of those elements continue to promote Western Australia to the
world, and our screen industry does that brilliantly. Whale Shark Jack is
a great production that will inject several
million dollars into that regional community. As we know, that investment levers much more benefit to the economy, particularly the local economies in
which these films are shot. When that film commences production, which I think
is in May, it will see some 60 cast and crew and 120 extras. Usually those are
local people, which is a tremendous opportunity for them to star in a movie
being filmed in their locality. It will bring great benefit to that community,
but also to the state because it will be filmed in the backdrop of a magnificent
part of Western Australia.
Another production, Drone Racers ,
will be filmed in the Pilbara, and will involve a $2.2 million regional expenditure and a total Western Australia
expenditure of nearly $5 million. This production will include the experienced Western Australian production team of
Aidan O'Bryan, Janelle Landers and James Grandison . It is great
that so many of the films that are being made in Western Australia are now
being made by Western Australian talent. That includes people in production and
those in front of the screen. Production of that film will commence shortly.
All the post-production will also occur in Western Australia.
What this says for the member for
Gosnells and his ''Gozzywood'' aims is that we are focused on
making sure that we are building a pipeline of activity in the industry.
Mr R.S. Love : Southern
River.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : It was the member for Southern
River; sorry.
Our
investment in the infrastructure, the film studio, will mean that a broader and
more diverse range of productions will be able to be filmed and shot
there and the amount of post-production will increase, and that will, of
course, enable the creative industries to become an incredibly important plank
in our diversified economy. That is the whole focus.
The
only government that understands that and has understood that since it was
elected is the McGowan government . We are very, very proud of this. It
will not only leave a great legacy for the future for our diversified economy,
but also ensure that a boy or girl who might aspire to be an actress, a film
producer, a director, a person who works on film sets, or whatever it might be,
will know that there will be a journey forward for them in their own state in
which they were born. That is what we are trying to do. That is what we want to
do. I am very proud of the efforts of the McGowan government to make sure that
happens.
The SPEAKER : On that note,
Minister for Culture and the Arts, I note that Greta Scacchi went to John
Curtin College of the Arts in the member for Fremantle's electorate.
The Leader of the Opposition with
the last question.
think the member for Southern River should hold up that picture again that
says, ''Gozzywood''! He is to be congratulated for his ongoing
creativity.
I was on set of the film He Ain't
Heavy in Gosnells last Thursday. It is another feature film that is being
shot in Western Australia, starring Greta Scacchi, a famous Australian actress,
along with her daughter, Leila, and also Sam Corlett, who plays the main
character of Max. Speaking to Greta on Thursday, she was very pleased to be in Western
Australia again. She resides in Surrey in the United Kingdom but she likes coming to WA. She had already heard about
the investment that the McGowan government is making to the screen
industry through both the screen facility, which will be in Malaga, and also
our incentive investment. I congratulate the
member for Southern River for his advocacy. I know he has been going out on set, giving them biscuits and coffee and other things, and that is
wonderful. He did not quite make it as a cameo, but never mind.
I would like to highlight to the
house two more films that will be shot in our regions—one in the
Gascoyne and one in the Pilbara. Whale
Shark Jack will be filmed in and around Exmouth in the Gascoyne, and again
is linked to the promotion of Western Australia. As members know, the alignment
between tourism, culture and the arts and sport and recreation is very strong
because all of those elements continue to promote Western Australia to the
world, and our screen industry does that brilliantly. Whale Shark Jack is
a great production that will inject several
million dollars into that regional community. As we know, that investment levers much more benefit to the economy, particularly the local economies in
which these films are shot. When that film commences production, which I think
is in May, it will see some 60 cast and crew and 120 extras. Usually those are
local people, which is a tremendous opportunity for them to star in a movie
being filmed in their locality. It will bring great benefit to that community,
but also to the state because it will be filmed in the backdrop of a magnificent
part of Western Australia.
Another production, Drone Racers ,
will be filmed in the Pilbara, and will involve a $2.2 million regional expenditure and a total Western Australia
expenditure of nearly $5 million. This production will include the experienced Western Australian production team of
Aidan O'Bryan, Janelle Landers and James Grandison . It is great
that so many of the films that are being made in Western Australia are now
being made by Western Australian talent. That includes people in production and
those in front of the screen. Production of that film will commence shortly.
All the post-production will also occur in Western Australia.
What this says for the member for
Gosnells and his ''Gozzywood'' aims is that we are focused on
making sure that we are building a pipeline of activity in the industry.
Mr R.S. Love : Southern
River.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : It was the member for Southern
River; sorry.
Our
investment in the infrastructure, the film studio, will mean that a broader and
more diverse range of productions will be able to be filmed and shot
there and the amount of post-production will increase, and that will, of
course, enable the creative industries to become an incredibly important plank
in our diversified economy. That is the whole focus.
The
only government that understands that and has understood that since it was
elected is the McGowan government . We are very, very proud of this. It
will not only leave a great legacy for the future for our diversified economy,
but also ensure that a boy or girl who might aspire to be an actress, a film
producer, a director, a person who works on film sets, or whatever it might be,
will know that there will be a journey forward for them in their own state in
which they were born. That is what we are trying to do. That is what we want to
do. I am very proud of the efforts of the McGowan government to make sure that
happens.
The SPEAKER : On that note,
Minister for Culture and the Arts, I note that Greta Scacchi went to John
Curtin College of the Arts in the member for Fremantle's electorate.
The Leader of the Opposition with
the last question.
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