Victoria Leads The Way
Announcement posted by Film Victoria 19 Nov 2010
The Victorian screen industry continues its reign as the leading screen state in Australia, with Screen Australia’s annual Drama Report 09/10 revealing that Victoria has the lion’s share of national drama production activity for the third time in five years.
The Drama Report 09/10: Production of Feature Films and TV Drama in Australia has revealed that 37 per cent, or $272 million, of total Australian expenditure was generated by Victorian activity, ahead of both Queensland and New South Wales.
CEO Sandra Sdraulig congratulated the industry on the outstanding achievement. “This fantastic result is testament to the skill and commitment of Victorian screen practitioners. Their energy, creativity and high calibre projects ensure Victoria remains at the forefront of the Australian screen industry. This is really something to celebrate,” Ms Sdraulig said.
“It is also incredibly pleasing to see Film Victoria’s efforts in production attraction and production investment reaping tangible results for the industry.”
The results of the Drama Report consolidate a remarkable year for the Victorian screen industry, with Film Victoria’s 2009/10 Annual Report recording a total of 88 film, television and digital media projects commencing production in Victoria and spending an estimated $233 million in the state – the second-highest level of spending for the Victorian screen industry ever recorded.
As an indication of where production activity is being generated, the report revealed an increase in production from Victorian-based production companies over the past two years.
The report also indicated a good balance between film and television production in the state, reinforcing the results reported in Film Victoria’s annual report, in which the television sector was the largest segment of the Victorian screen industry with production expenditure of $130 million.
Ms Sdraulig said, “It is encouraging to see diverse Victorian productions contribute to Australia’s TV drama slate, with locally made dramas such as RUSH, BED OF ROSES, OFFSPRING, TANGLE, SATISFACTION and THE LIBRARIANS enjoying long runs and loyal audiences.”
Victorian films also performed well at the box office in 2009/10. Of the top 10 Australian films at the Australian box office, half were Victorian projects or from Victorian teams.
Several soon-to-be-released features recorded in the drama report - including DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK and THE KILLER ELITE - were attracted to Victoria’s world-class crews, diverse locations, film-friendly councils and outstanding production facilities.
For more information about the Victorian screen industry’s strong performance in 2009/10, download the Film Victoria annual report at www.film.vic.gov.au. For a copy of the Screen Australia Drama Report visit www.screenaustralia.gov.au.