Screenwest and the West Australian Film Industry

Our support in 2008/09: $5.0 million

ScreenWest and the WA Screen Industry

Our support in 2008/09: $5 million

IMAGE (Text credit) John Butler – Who Do You Think You Are? (Production Company Artemis International and Serendipity Productions)

Lotterywest support to ScreenWest, as specified in our Act, has been managed through annual grants since 1992. Our support, which in 2008/09 amounted to $5 million, is provided for the development of the screen industry in this State.

ScreenWest distributes the grant money received from Lotterywest through funding programs aimed at stimulating the development of Western Australian screen content. In 2008/09, this triggered more than $42million direct investment into the State and resulted in 72.5 hours of content, which was seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Lotterywest support also enables ScreenWest to undertake special initiatives for the Indigenous community. Many of these stories are at risk of being lost forever as the Indigenous Elders grow older.  Recording the stories of Elders and community members on high definition digital equipment ensures these invaluable records of Australia’s national cultural identity will be available for future generations.

In 2008/09 screen productions were filmed in locations across the state, including: Bran Nue Dae filmed in Broome and Perth; The Circuit – Series 2 in the Kimberley; Lockie Leonard – Series 2 in Albany; and Wasted on the Young in Perth. Many of these productions received national and international accolades including Lockie Leonard - based on the Lockie Leonard novels by Tim Winton - winning the 2008 TV Week Logie Award for ‘Most Outstanding Children’s Program’ and Indigenous actress Tammy Clarkson won the 2008 TV Week Logie ‘Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent’ for her performance in The Circuit.

Recent Western Australian productions include the Australian version of the documentary series Who Do You Think You Are?; documentaries Desperately Seeking Doctors and Risking Our Kids along with drama programs Lockie Leonard, The Circuit, Dogstar, Stormworld, 3 Acts of Murder and feature film Bran Nue Dae.