SA’s COVID-free status and stunning locations the perfect recipe to lure Hollywood films
Covid-free with stunning locations and talented crews, South Australia has the recipe for success when it comes to luring international productions.
Entertainment
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More than $1.2bn worth of “footloose” film productions around the world are looking for a new home – and South Australia is in the box seat.
Key industry figures say the state is perfectly placed to capitalise on our current COVID-free status.
SA Film Corporation chief executive officer Kate Croser has been fielding requests from across the world looking to shoot in our fabulous locations.
“With the SAFC’s Adelaide studios facilities back open for business, we know that there is currently as much as $1.2bn worth of footloose production around the world looking for a new home,” she said. “And with SA one of the safest places in the world right now, and one of the first places in the world to have resumed screen production after COVID delays, we are attracting global interest as a really attractive location for filming and production.”
Ms Croser hints there will be big announcements out of SA in the near future.
Adelaide-based Oscar-nominated director Scott Hicks believes it’s part of a broader opportunity to lure all sorts of intelligence and sophistication back SA.
“Every challenge is an opportunity, so I do think there’s definitely a potential,” he said.
“I imagine and hope the government is vigorously exploring those opportunities and ways to lure people here.
“I know my friends in America are just very jealous of our situation. Even apart from our COVID status, we have fabulous locations.
“We’ve always had those kinds of advantages, but the current big one is our COVID-free status and, as long as we don’t get complacent about it, hopefully it will bring all those kind of opportunities for us.”
There were sighs of reliefs all around when ABC comedy Aftertaste wrapped up last month.
Starring newcomer Natalie Abbott, below, and familiar faces Erik Thomson, Remy Hii and Rachel Griffiths, the six-part series, developed by SA-based Closer Productions, was initially slated for an April shoot.
It was one of the first shows in Australia to get the green light to resume filming as the global pandemic loosened its hold on the state.
Producer Rebecca Summerton received calls from across the nation congratulating the team on making it through without incident.
She agreed SA had a unique advantage.
“Every time I’m speaking to anyone from overseas – as I do often in my role spruiking SA – they are amazed,” she said.
“Especially in America; they can’t believe I’m able to move out and about pretty freely and live a pretty normal life.
“I think we can absolutely take advantage of the unique situation we’re in as long as you’re really careful about how you’re getting people into the state and following all the precautions.
“You can feel confident as a producer that your cast and crew are pretty safe, which is a wonderful, wonderful thing.”
When the Sunday Mail visited the Stirling set last month, during the last days of filming, it was a markedly different world from pre-coronavirus days.
Cast and crew were wearing masks, temperatures were checked and double-checked and hand sanitiser was perched on every available ledge. And COVID-19 tests were mandatory before any intimate scenes.
Summerton said Closer Productions had a few projects in development, but she had her fingers crossed for a second series of Aftertaste.
“It would be great to have a returning series in SA, showing off our fantastic locations and talent,” she said.
