2021 Highlights
2021, despite its challenges, has been a bumper year for the WA screen industry with the announcement of a $20M production attraction fund, $105M committed to screen infrastructure, new federal screen legislation, the production of four feature films, one drama series and several documentary projects.
INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS
- The Honourable Kim Beazley AC, the Governor of Western Australia has accepted the invitation to become Patron of Screenwest which will see him champion and advocate for the WA screen industry
- Rikki Lea Bestall was appointed as Screenwest CEO and is working closely with the industry, stakeholders and Board to lead the organisation into the future
- The WA State Government committed to an unprecedented level of investment into the screen industry including a $20M production attraction fund and $105M into screen infrastructure
- The Australian screen industry celebrated a historic win with the passing of federal screen legislation that will retain much needed support, as well as unlock rich new streams of financial support into the sector. This welcome result is a culmination of years of effort
- WA productions and practitioners scored 17 nominations at the 2021 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) Awards
- Three WA documentaries were selected to premiere at prestigious international film festivals, with RUSH Films’ Under the Volcano premiering at South by Southwest in March, and Girl Like You screening at Raindance Film Festival in London in November. Facing Monsters (Beyond West and Veerhuis Pictures) is set to screen at Slamdance Film Festival in Utah in January 2022
- 4 of 12 producers selected for Screen Producers Australia’s annual Ones to Watch program are from Western Australia, with Hannah Ngo, Brooke Collard, David Holroyd and Kate Separovich each matched with a leading Australian producer for one-on-one mentoring
- Screenwest and Screen Australia launched Out Now, an initiative for original scripted LGBTQIA+ web series, with three filmmaking teams each receiving $100,000 in production funding
- WA filmmakers shone at the 2021 Western Australian of the Year awards, with Julia Redwood picking up the Business Award and Karla Hart winning the Aboriginal Award
- Screenwest have continued their partnership with Carers WA for a second year, with Filming Our Futures, a disability-led screen project initiative. The 15-part short documentary series recently wrapped production and is set to premiere online in early 2022
- CinefestOZ received Gold in the Festivals & Events category at the 2021 WA Perth Airport Tourism Awards and were inducted into the Tourism Council WA Hall of Fame
SCRIPTED HIGHLIGHTS
- How To Please A Woman, the debut feature from Renée Webster, starring English actress, television presenter and comedian Sally Phillips, filmed in Fremantle and is set to make its world premiere at Perth Festival in December 2021. Written and directed by Renée Webster, the filmmaking team of Renee and producers Tania Chambers & Judi Levine (Feisty Dame Productions and Such Much Films) also received production funding through West Coast Visions [pictured]
- Blueback written & directed by Robert Connolly (The Dry) filmed across the Great Southern region and Ningaloo Reef. Based on the best-selling novel by Tim Winton, the film will feature an all-star cast including Mia Wasikowska, Radha Mitchell, Eric Bana and Clarence Ryan. (Arenamedia)
- Jub Clerc’s debut feature, Sweet As (Arenamedia), wrapped up filming in Port Hedland. Jub Clerc is the first female director and the first Indigenous director to receive Screenwest’s annual West Coast Visions production grant.
- Action thriller Avarice (Epic Pictures Group) filmed across the Perth metropolitan area. Directed by John V Soto (Needle), the feature film stars Luke Ford and Perth-raised Gillian Alexy
- Mystery Road: Origin (Bunya Productions) kicked off filming in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in October. Starring proud Nyikina man Mark Coles Smith as Young Jay, the prequel series will also feature WA Indigenous actors Clarence Ryan, Kelton Pell and Tuuli Narkle
- No Labels Media’s He Ain’t Heavy (previously titled Burden) was named as the 2021 recipient of Screenwest’s West Coast Visions initiative. The filmmaking team of writer/director David Vincent Smith and producers Lauren Brunswick & Jessica Parker have received $750,000 production funding to produce the film, their debut feature
DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS
- The first ever Australian commission by Disney+ is a Western Australian project, Shipwreck Hunters Australia (VAM Media and Terra Australis in association with Barking Mad Productions). The six-part series follows a fearless ocean adventure team as they bring to life epic shipwreck stories from Western Australia’s vast and treacherous coast [pictured]
- Following the success of the groundbreaking 2020 half hour WA documentary, Our Law (Pink Pepper and Periscope Pictures), a full six-part documentary series has been commissioned by NITV. The series, produced by Taryne Laffar and Sam Bodhi Field, is currently filming around WA
- It’s been a big year for WA documentary commissions by SBS, with several series premiering in 2021 including Australia’s Health Revolution with Dr Michael Mosley (Artemis Media), The Truth About Anxiety with Celia Pacquola and What Does Australia Really Think (both Joined Up Films). Australia’s Health Revolution with Dr Michael Mosley has proved to be a ratings smash, with SBS naming it as one of top three titles for the year across the whole network schedule and across all genres
- Outback Truckers (Prospero Productions) celebrated its 100th episode milestone in June, having achieved nine seasons, and airing in over 220 countries
- Aussie Gold Hunters (Electric Pictures) was named as Discovery Channel Australia’s all-time highest rating local show and the #1 factual series for four consecutive years (2017-2020)
- Documentary filmmaker Jane Hammond was named as the recipient of the 2021 Brian Beaton Award, receiving support for her upcoming social impact documentary, Black Cockatoo Crisis
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