'Why Is Hollywood More Important?' Govt Offers Millions For US Films To Shoot In Aus

The Australian Government has been slammed for favouring Hollywood over its local filmmakers.

As ABC reports, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a $400 million package to entice overseas productions to be filmed in Australia over the next three years. 

While the package is estimated to make $3 billion in foreign spending and create 8,000 jobs per year, Shadow Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, has questioned why $400 million has gone into the package when the local screen sector has only been given $50 million.

"Funding film production in Australia creates jobs – and so Labor welcomes the government’s location offset announcement," Burke said today.

"But what we don’t understand is this: why is the government more committed to supporting Hollywood than it is to supporting Australia’s own creative community?

"Australia’s screen sector is hurting. Production has been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis, with thousands of people losing work. And like so many in the arts and entertainment industry, a large number of these workers are not eligible for the JobKeeper wage subsidy.

"But not only has the government offered inadequate support for the sector – it’s actually added to the pain and uncertainty by suspending local content quotasfor new drama, documentary and children’s shows. And the government has refused to commit to bringing them back when the crisis is over.

"Godzilla is great but what about Australian stories? Why is the government intent on having fewer Australian faces, voices and stories on our cinema and TV screens?"

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young reiterated her stance on streaming giants also needing to support local works.

"Today’s announcement from the Government is a welcome acknowledgment that our arts and entertainment sector is vital to Australia’s economy, but this needs to extend to supporting Australians working here in Australia, on Australian films and shows, telling Australian stories," Hanson-Young said.

“We need the streaming giants like Netflix, Stan and Disney to fund and back Australian-made productions. If they are going to be here in Australia, taking Australian money, they should be helping fund local, Australian content.

“COVID19 has hit the local arts and production industry hard, and the Morrison Government has made life even harder by suspending local content requirements for commercial television. If this is not fixed 15,000 more Australians will be out of work."

A number of big budget projects have been shot in Australia in recent years including the latest Thor and Pirates Of The Caribbean films, while production on the forthcoming Elvis Presley biopic being filmed on the Gold Coast was halted after star Tom Hanks tested positive to coronavirus. 

CEO of Screen Producers Australia, Matthew Deaner, believes the funding will only assist about 20% of Australian workers.

"It's great to have Thor and Pirates Of The Caribbean and those productions shooting here, it's wonderful, but they don't sell Australia," Deaner said.

"People don't realise globally that Pirates Of The Caribbean is shot in Queensland.

"We're keen to see the Government make sure it turns its mind to the whole of the industry as part of the broader support measures they're doing and consider also what the 80 per cent that aren't going to get work from these measures will be able to work from."

It comes just days after Burke demanded the Government provide clarification for musicians and arts workers about how they can access the $250 million creative economy package announced last month.