Update on shows halted by COVID-19

Screen Australia has provided an update on where agency-supported projects are at, amid recent COVID-19 impact.

CEO Graeme Mason said, “After a challenging couple of months navigating the second wave it’s wonderful to see case numbers decreasing and restrictions easing across all states. As we all learn to live with the virus as part of our day-to-day, our industry has been able to safely and markedly increase production activity.

“I want to commend the industry on its tenacity, passion and commitment to finding safe ways for productions to continue during this time. I’m buoyed by this which has led to now having a major level of production activity in many parts of the country and distinctive Australian screen content being made.

“It’s been exciting to see more productions wrap, many others start shooting, and more enter pre-production.”

Here are the latest updates for Screen Australia supported projects:

TV

The third series of popular NITV animated kids series Little J & Big Cuz is currently in production in Melbourne.
Stan Original Series Bump has wrapped in Sydney and Eden is currently shooting in the NSW Northern Rivers. The Stan Original Film A Sunburnt Christmas has also just completed filming in Adelaide.
SBS drama series The Unusual Suspects from Aquarius Films is filming in Sydney.
ABC comedy series Fisk (previous working title Entitled) written and co-directed by Kitty Flanagan has commenced production in Melbourne.
ABC children’s drama Itch produced by Komixx Entertainment has started shooting series two in the Great Southern and Peel regions of Western Australia.
Nine Network drama series Amazing Grace produced by Playmaker Media has begun production in Sydney.
Seven Network drama series RFDS is nearing completion of principle photography in and around Broken Hill.

ONLINE

ABC iview series Why Are You Like This successfully wrapped filming in Melbourne after having to halt filming in March when COVID first hit.
Short-form online drama series for SBS On Demand, The Tailings is in production in Tasmania.
Skip Ahead project Fishing in the Wild is currently shooting in the Northern Territory.
Web series Hug the Sun from Ben Russell and Xavier Michelides produced by Aunty Donna will start production before the end of the year in Western Australia and Victoria.

DOCUMENTARY

Online series and short immersive film Worlds from artist and writer/director Josef Gatti started production last week in Victoria.
SBS documentary series Australia’s Health Revolution with Dr Michael Mosley from Artemis Media will start production next week in Western Australia.
Feature documentary Battle on the Franklin directed and co-written by Kasimir Burgess will commence production next week in Tasmania.
Animated online documentary series Woven Threads for Pedestrian TV from writer/director/producer Michi Marosszeky is currently in production in New South Wales.
Feature documentary from Beyond West and Veerhuis Pictures Facing Monsters has recently wrapped filming in regional Western Australia.
SBS documentary series See What You Made Me Do from Northern Pictures is currently in filming in New South Wales.
SBS documentary series What Does Australia Really Think? from the makers of Is Australia Racist? and Is Australia Sexist? is currently shooting in Perth with pick up shoots in other states.
The second season of Love on the Spectrum for the ABC is currently in production in New South Wales.
Feature documentary Off Country (working title) directed and produced by John Harvey and Rhian Skirving is currently in production in Victoria.

Nine Perfect Strangers, for Hulu produced by and starring Nicole Kidman, began production in NSW Northern Rivers in August.

The Location Incentive program has brought in three recently announced series from Matchbox Pictures, part of NBCUniversal Studios, to film back-to-back in Queensland over 18 months. These three titles will be the first productions supported under the $400 million boost to the Location Incentive and include Young Rock, Joe Exotic and Irreverent.