Creative Industries Cluster drives local film industry

The Blue Mountains is beginning to be recognised as a film and animation hot spot, reinforced by the recent Hearing into the ‘factors contributing to the growth and sustainability of the Australian Film and Television Industry last month. The Hearing, held at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre was the only Hearing to be held in and was secured due to the advocacy by Blue Mountains Economic Enterprise (BMEE) and the high number of submissions from the Blue Mountains region.

4 representatives of the Blue Mountains film and television industry spoke to the Committee, Megan Williams, Tom Taylor, Matt Drummond and Michael Joy, accompanying Ann Niddrie, Creative Industries Cluster Manager of BMEE.

“There is a plethora of world-class talent in film and animation within the Blue Mountains. There is a global market for film, and contributing to the Inquiry into the Australian Film and TV Industry gave the professionals of the Blue Mountains film industry an opportunity to impact on how that will look in the future.” said Ms Niddrie.

Points raised in the film hearing in Katoomba covered factors impacting the profitability and success of locally made films including the need to support smaller budget films, and the call for a Blue Mountains Film Commission as a first point of contact for film makers wishing to film in the area so as to support them to do this while supporting the local economy.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts, which includes Federal Member of Macquarie, Susan Templeman, have attended hearings scheduled in most major capital cities and on the Gold Coast.

 “We have a lot of expertise in this field here in the Mountains and we know how important the making of a film or television series can be for a community’s economy,” Ms Templeman said.

The Committee called for submissions early in the year, wanting to hear how Australian independent filmmakers, and major film and TV companies can expand and better compete for investment with producers and multi-platform production companies from overseas. BMEE created a collective submission following a public meeting held at BMEE in March. Read more about the meeting and BMEE’s submission process here.

The hearing was held at Blue Mountains Cultural Centre from on Wednesday 12^th July, with over 20 members of the public in attendance.