Alice Springs film and TV producer petitioning to cement Screen Territory’s future

With the Treasurer ‘currently formulating’ this year’s budget, a Red Centre resident wants to make sure one department isn’t gutted – and she wants your help. Find out why.

Alice Springs film and TV producer Bridget May. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Hot off the success of smash hit productions in the NT, a local film and TV producer is lobbying for one department’s future in the upcoming budget, which the Territory Treasurer is “currently formulating”.

Alice Springs based film and TV producer Bridget May has started a petition to ensure Screen Territory gets adequate funding in the government’s upcoming budget.

“We should be putting more money to Screen Territory, building the industry rather than reducing it,” she said.

“If we reduce it, we’re going to reduce its identity as well.”

Screen Territory is a government department, and has recently supported hits such as Territory with a $1.3 million cash injection – which generated $6.9 million for NT’s economy.

The Netflix show Territory was a smash hit, but was cancelled after one season. Picture: Supplied

In the Red Centre, Screen Territory put $900,000 into the feature film Kangaroo, which will hop into cinema’s Australia-wide September this year.

The production supported 150 jobs in Alice Springs – with Ms May working on the film – and engaged about 100 businesses.

With worked now wrapped up on the film, Ms May said it’s upskilled the local workforce, who are now eager to get on board with another production.

“We have gone from being like a little cottage industry to a proper industry. We still need to grow on that … we will always need to have interstate people coming in, but every time we have a production coming in it’s less people coming in and it’s more (local) people that we’re employing,” she said.

“But the more big productions come in, the more crew we grow and the bigger those numbers get.”

Northern Territory Treasurer Bill Yan. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Ms May wants to see this momentum continue to build and is planning to submit the petition to the government ahead of budget discussions.

NT Treasurer Bill Yan said the government is “currently formulating” the 2025/26 budget, and “future funding for Screen Territory will be considered in the budget process”.

“In the 2024/25 budget, Screen Territory received $5.2 million, including an additional $3 million over two years for the Screen Territory Funding Program,” he said.

“We strongly support the arts sector, including screen production, which plays a vital role in our economy and enhances Tourism NT’s branding efforts.

“For every $1 invested in local screen production, at least $4 is generated in the economy, supporting jobs and local businesses.”