Australian Made: Spotlight on the Australian Film Industry
In 1906, Australia produced the world’s first feature-length film, The Story of the Kelly Gang. It was made with a measly budget and was a hit with audiences across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. From that moment, Australia’s love for the film industry began and has been successfully growing ever since.
However, it has been over 100 years since then, and Australia is now invaluable to the global film industry. Even in the face of the pandemic, Australia found solace in film, and the industry continued to boom.
The Australian film industry is one of the largest in the world. In 2019, it was the 11th largest in revenue, generating around nine hundred million US dollars in box office revenue and 2.5 billion US dollars from the wider entertainment industry. The Australian film industry surged to a record $1.9 billion last financial year due to Australia becoming one of the safest places to film during the pandemic.
Not only are our film crews regarded as some of the best and most professional, but our variety of terrains is also what catches the industry’s eye. With stunning natural backdrops across the country, Australia creates cost-effective locations for a massive range of films.
Endless big-budget films have been created in Australia, including The Matrix, Ghost Rider, Scooby-Doo, Fool’s Gold, Aquaman, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and Thor: Ragnarok.
The most recent have included Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, ShangChi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Thor: Love and Thunder. As a result, Marvel Studios has chosen Sydney as its home base for filming over the next five years.
This has created promise for the entertainment industry, meaning more than 20,000 new jobs will be created and more than $1 billion in revenue generated for the country. However, it also means fantastic new opportunities for actors across the country, including many roles for child actors.
The influx of filming in the country will create more incredible opportunities for your little ones, especially those who are budding actors. For example, some kids from well-known Australian agencies starred in Marvel’s recent release of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. So, you never know when your child could be the next star called to audition for a big-budget film.
Screen Australia’s chief executive, Graeme Mason, said 23 Australian projects postponed during the pandemic have begun filming again.
So, the industry is ready to boom, and actors are well prepared. While the Australian film industry is renowned, it has also been the breeding ground for some of the world’s best actors.
Many of them got their first big breaks from regular Australian TV series such as Home and Away or Neighbours, most significantly stars such as Chris Hemsworth and Margot Robbie.
With over $32 million in grants being poured into the industry, and actors standing at the ready for their big breaks, it’s an exciting time to be in the industry. Budding actors and actresses are ready for their first auditions and roles in the big-budget films that are heading our way, so are you ready?
