Set against the stunning backdrop of Western Australia’s South West, CinefestOZ is in its 17th year promoting the Australian film industry. The event provides skills development and networking opportunities for local filmmakers, all while building international audiences and strengthening WA’s regional communities.
CinefestOZ brings filmmakers from across the globe to WA
Every year tens of thousands of people flock to Busselton and the Margaret River wine region to attend more than 200 film-related events. School students also have the opportunity to access immersive technology with filmmakers sharing the latest techniques.
“CinefestOZ is a landmark event for so many reasons,” Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman said.
“Not only does it bring filmmakers from all over the world to Western Australia, where they can share their knowledge and insights with up-and-coming Western Australian creatives. It plays a key role in building our screen culture and helping to grow awareness of our burgeoning industry with the broader community,” he said.
“The Cook Government is proud of its significant investment in the screen industry, and we are demonstrably committed to establishing Western Australia as a major international and national screen production destination.”
Award-winning novel Runt nominated for the Jury Prize
CinefestOZ highlights include the WA production of award-winning novel, Runt — by author Craig Silvey and producer Jamie Hilton from See Pictures — being nominated for the Jury Prize.
Runt is one of many projects supported by the state government’s Western Australian Regional Screen Fund. It’s estimated that projects supported through the fund have generated more than $88 million for WA, with more than $28 million of that being spent directly in the regions. It has led to more than 1,700 jobs being created, with more than 800 of those in the regions.
It has been a significant year for the WA screen industry. The WA Production Attraction Incentive helped bring the international project “The Surfer” to WA for filming by a predominantly Australian crew. Starring Nicolas Cage and set against the magnificent backdrop of Yallingup, The Surfer, received a six-minute standing ovation after premiering at the Festival de Cannes.
The sky’s the limit for the WA film industry
This year the Cook Government also released its first Screen Industry Strategy, setting the scene for a 10-year period of growth in screen production in WA. Supported by a $31.9 million investment over four years, the strategy includes building workforce capacity to support an increased level of screen production.
Investment in infrastructure continues to be significant, with construction on the new Perth Film Studios progressing well. The facility will complement existing location-based production and draw a great range of national and international larger-scale productions.
