Film bonanza bound for South Australia in wake of pandemic
Film and TV studios are flooding SA with requests to put the state in the limelight, but lingering coronavirus travel restrictions remain a roadblock for the struggling arts industry.
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Movie stars and crew members could be granted travel exemptions for Australia to help the country secure up to $900 million worth of new film projects.
The Department of Home Affairs has not ruled out exemptions for the film industry after the Sunday Mail reported a huge spike in demand from overseas filmmakers wanting to film in Australia and South Australia as COVID safe destinations. Australian Border Force commissioner Michael Outram will consider requests “on a case-by-case basis,” a Home Affairs spokesman said.
“Decisions by the ABF Commissioner to grant exemptions for travel to Australia must be balanced against the Government’s intent for imposing travel restrictions to protect the Australian community from the health risks posed by international travellers,” he said.
Anyone granted an exemption would have to quarantine.
Ausfilm boss Kate Marks saidthere had been more than $900 million worth of new inquiries to film in Australia in just four weeks.
“The level of opportunity that is presenting itself to us, if we can capitalise on it, would be great for the industry,” she said.
South Australia is in the box seat to score a wave of new film and television projects as international studios hunt for safe locations to film amid the coronavirus crisis.
It’s a “huge opportunity” which could bring in new jobs for the hard-hit film sector and inject cash into local businesses.
But to capitalise on the demand, the industry says international cast and crew would need exemptions from Australia’s travel restrictions.
It comes amid calls for a $750 million stimulus package to save Australia’s arts sector, which has been smashed by the pandemic.
“We have had a huge increase in the number of inquiries of people looking to shoot in South Australia from international locations,” SA Film Corporation chief executive Kate Croser told The Sunday Mail.
“We are just getting inundated with requests,” she said.
Studios in the United States in particular were facing the possibility of not being able to resume filming until September or even later and were looking to “airlift” their productions elsewhere.
But new projects would not get off the ground without insurance, Ms Croser said.
The industry is calling on the federal government to consider being an insurer of last resort for new film projects as part of its ‘JobMaker’ package for the arts sector.
“My latest advice on this is that no insurers are pricing cover for COVID-19 … you just cannot secure finance without insurance,” Ms Croser said.
The screen sector is also seeking to work with the Federal Government to get exemptions for overseas film and television specialists to work in Australia.
A similar exemption was granted in May to allow the New Zealand Warriors rugby league team into Australia to play in the NRL.
“I think there is a huge opportunity if we can get workplaces operating really safely, if we can get the insurance problem solved, and if we can have a really co-ordinated response to cross border travel for the sector,” Ms Croser said.
“I think we have got a lot of opportunities to pick up some major international productions, not just for Australia but for South Australia.”
A BBC One mystery TV series called The Tourist from the producers of hit show Fleabag and crime thriller The Unknown Man produced by Joel Edgerton are just some of the projects scheduled to film in SA once the state reopens.
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The arts sector more broadly is calling for a $750 million stimulus package that would include a six-month extension of the JobKeeper and JobSeeker payments, new grants for artists and small-to-medium creative companies, and money to market shows.
The grants would help events, festivals and galleries commission new Australian work amid challenges getting international shows and artists.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty with audience numbers, about the risks associated with holding an event, so there’s a real sense that JobKeeper and JobSeeker need to go for another six months,” Arts Industry Council of SA Chair Gail Kovatseff said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to unveil the JobMaker package for the arts sector soon, which will include support for the film industry.
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher has been in regular talks with the screen sector in recent weeks.
It’s understood Premier Steven Marshall pushed for support for the arts sector at the most recent National Cabinet.
A state government spokesman said: “The Premier has held regular forums with representatives from the arts, culture and creative industries throughout the COVID-19 crisis, to discuss the challenges being experienced and the road to recovery for these sectors.”