Screen Queensland

... land.

I'm-- Look, they're doing Big Brother now at Screen Queensland in Hemmant.

If they can build an entire-

Oh, they're gonna go there?

And then, well, there are also some big agents in the industry in Brisbane.

Natalia, why don't you tell us about Screen Queensland and what they've got cooking over there?

Yeah, so honestly, in terms of not just Australia, but even just in the entire world, what Screen Queensland is doing is very unique in that they are actually... uh backing and supporting creators like talent incubation essentially um where where we might be a bit more behind with film and stuff like that games are a new frontier and so screen queensland is in screen australia as well giving a lot of money to developers through uh grants um so you might see a lot of games coming out of the scene that have like a you know screen queens and a screen australia logo that's because we receive funding from those games There is like pretty much any game that is coming out of Brisbane has been going through that, which is really cool.

But the other thing that Screen Queensland does that's very unique is we have a games residency, which essentially they've been running it for like four years now.

They pick 15 people from like you can apply for.

And they give 15 developers, again, from a slightly broader range of experience, an office space and like a mild amount of income from the government to just go and make games.

And I think that we're starting to see other...

um institutions follow suit um

The original inspiration actually for me came from camping on a trip from Cairns to the tip of Cape York, and I was just struck when we left Cooktown how I had arrived in an Australia that really, I felt not many people really understand, even in Australia itself.

Two and a half years ago, Screen Queensland opened a state-of-the-art film studio in Cairns.

Its CEO, Jackie Feeney, says 12 productions have come out of it, and the region's crew base has grown from a list of 80 up to 250.

I think one of the things that we're most pleased about is how we've been able to not just attract work to Far North Queensland, but really build and invest in stories that showcase Far North Queensland as itself, like Black Snow did, where the story was actually set in Cairns and shot in Cairns.

At the moment, we would of course like more production, international production to choose Far North Queensland, but I think the thing we're most excited about is how we've been able to invest in work that showcases Far North Queensland as itself, which of course helps build the brand of Far North Queensland.

Screen Queensland funds the Cairns Studio out of its annual operational budget.

The State Film Agency won't reveal what that costs, but Jackie Feeney says its success won't just be measured on finances.

We think there's great opportunity for the studio in Cairns to be a strategic asset to the Far North, and to think about how storytelling builds the brand of Australia and Queensland.

The $300 million Perth Film Studio will open its doors to the public on Friday to allow taxpayers see what goes on behind the curtain.

And Screen Queensland opened a smaller state-of-the-art studio in Cairns two and a half years ago.

Chief Executive Officer Jackie Feeney says the Cannes Studios has strengthened the region's film industry with 12 productions so far making use of the facility.

I think one of the things that we're most pleased about is how we've been able to not just attract work to Far North Queensland but really build and invest in stories that showcase Far North Queensland as itself like Black Snow did where this story was actually set in Cannes and shot in Cannes.

For some reason, I was on Google Maps recently looking at those, um...

In, in, uh, Screen Queensland has these studios.

They're near the river-

Yeah

Well, the Gold Coast film industry is on the receiving end of a $50 million funding boost.

The state government will announce the funds later today, set to benefit Screen Queensland for years to come.

The Arts Minister says it means employees across the sector will benefit from consistent work, with the Sunshine State attracting more local and international productions.

Plenty more chance for celebrities spotting on the GC.