South Australian screen production boom

The South Australian Film Corporation this week celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Adelaide Studios production facilities as the state sees a new screen production boom.

The Glenside studios officially opened on 20 October, 2011.

South Australia is currently enjoying a record number of major feature films and TV series shooting simultaneously in the state.

Six major screen productions are currently underway involving more than 400 local cast and crew.

Among the current slate is Netflix commissioned young adult drama series Gymnastics Academy: A Second Chance! from South Australia’s Glen Pictures, currently shooting at the Adelaide Showgrounds with more than 100 local cast and crew. Written, produced and created by local filmmaker Clay Glen, who also directs with South Australian directors Kelly Schilling and Stephen de Villiers, and co-produced by South Australian producer Sally Clarke, the 10-episode series is the first Netflix series commission from a South Australian production company.

Also underway with a majority of South Australian cast and crew, are:

· AMC Studios and See-Saw Films vampire series Firebite, shooting in Coober Pedy and around Adelaide, including at the SAFC’s Adelaide Studios, with South Australian producer Paul Ranford;

· ABC Kids series Beep and Mort, directed by Rosemary Myers and produced by Kaye Weeks of South Australia’s Windmill Pictures;

· Docu-series Aussie Snake Wranglers S2 from South Australian producer Colin Thrupp of Breakout Productions.

· New feature film The Mountain, produced, written and directed by Rolf de Heer (Charlie’s Country, Ten Canoes, The Tracker) with South Australian producer Julie Byrne of Triptych Pictures (Gold, Touch, The Babadook), has just wrapped filming in the Flinders Ranges and will shoot in Tasmania through November. The film is providing four South Australian First Nations crew with their first feature film credits.

· Feature documentary Embrace Kids from South Australian body image activist Taryn Brumfitt, with South Australian producers Anna Vincent and Bonnie McBride;

Three major TV series are also currently in post-production in South Australia: BBC, HBO Max and Stan series The Tourist, from Two Brothers Pictures and South Australia’s Highview Productions, ABC and Netflix series MaveriX, and season two of award-winning ABC children’s series First Day, from South Australia’s Epic Films and KOJO Studios.

SAFC CEO Kate Croser (pictured) said: “The SAFC has delivered a consistent pipeline of screen production for South Australia, which not only creates jobs and training and skilling opportunities for screen sector workers, but also creates employment for South Australians across many other sectors including tourism, hospitality, services and trades, generating significant economic impact for the state as a whole.

“As an agency committed to boosting the representation of diverse voices and practitioners in South Australian screen content, and improving inclusion and diversity in the screen sector, it is particularly exciting to support productions such as The Mountain and Firebite which are providing such invaluable career pathways for local First Nations practitioners.

“Combined with the SAFC’s innovative employment, training and skilling initiatives such as the recently concluded Skilling SA program and the Master/Apprentice Mentorship, currently in round two with presenting partner Mercury CX, the opportunities for making a career in the sector are enormous.”

Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni said: “It is brilliant to see the expansion of the South Australian screen industry over the last 18 months, in particular this new wave of locally-led productions which demonstrates the capability of the South Australian sector to produce quality content for audiences around the world. With an unprecedented level of filming activity taking place right across the state, it’s clear that South Australia’s reputation as a world class location for quality screen production is stronger than ever.”