ScreenWest ScreenWest is the Western Australian State Government agency that provides strategic leadership and assistance to the screen industry in Western Australia. We aim to be a partner of choice with stakeholders in Australia and abroad to underpin the growth and success of the Western Australia screen industry; an industry with flexible, entrepreneurial companies and distinctive, innovative, world-class screen content, recognised nationally and internationally. 1
For more than 22 years ScreenWest has helped tell Western Australian stories to the world. Within the context of a rapidly evolving industry in terms of digital production, distribution and changing audiences, ScreenWest will, in partnership with the screen industry: Enhance the industry s capabilities Support the development of world-class practise and craft excellence across developed and emerging platforms Facilitate the screen industry to take advantage of innovation and technology developments Ensure availability to the industry of relevant infrastructure Advance the industry s business capabilities Implement the ScreenWest Indigenous Screen Strategy 2010-2015 Increase funding to the industry Secure increased base funding from Lotterywest and the Western Australian State Government Augment international alliances and partnerships Develop partnerships with additional and diverse funders Strengthen the positioning of the industry Improve ScreenWest s profile as a trusted and influential advisor Increase awareness of the Western Australia screen industry Implement a ScreenWest brand strategy Form partnerships to develop a vibrant screen culture in Western Australia Operate as a leading best practice agency Establish ScreenWest as a statutory authority Attract and retain the best people Develop ScreenWest staff knowledge in new technologies, industry trends and leading practises Implement outcome-focussed processes and practises 2 3
PARTNERSHIPS We view partnerships as fundamental to operating a successful agency and supporting a vibrant industry and have created mutually beneficial relationships with many different stakeholders. We work closely with a variety of local governments and State Government bodies to facilitate screen projects in Western Australia. Regular partners include City of Perth, Department of Culture and the Arts, Department of Regional Development, Department of State Development, Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, Pilbara Development Commission, South West Development Commission and Tourism Western Australia. At the Federal level, screen agency Screen Australia s support to Western Australian practitioners and their projects is instrumental to their success. We also work closely with national and international market partners including Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Special Broadcasting Service, 7 Network, Nine Network, National Geographic, eone, ITV UK, Discovery Channel, HBO Asia, Hunan TV and Toonmax. ScreenWest has strong relationships with Australian screen industry bodies including Screen Producers Australia, Ausfilm, Australian Writers Guild, Australian Directors Guild, Australian Cinematographers Society, Australian Screen Editors Guild and WA Professional Film Crew. 4 5
Showcase The strength of the local industry is demonstrated by the projects produced over the years. The many accolades include films and documentaries showcased at Festival de Cannes, Toronto International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and Sundance. The nominations and awards list includes The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, Logie Awards, Screen Music Awards, Australian Directors Guild Awards and Screen Producers Awards. Recent Western Australian projects include: Jandamarra's War. Wawili Pitjas and Electric Pictures. An epic and tragic tale creatively portraying the life of an extraordinary man and of a seminal time in Australia s history. These Final Hours. 8th in Line Productions. Urban Perth becomes a set for a story about the end of the world. A 30 something year old man attends the party to ends all parties and finds strength and wisdom in the final days of the world. Serangoon Road. Serangoon Road Productions Pty Ltd. Singapore is a city at a crossroads. Political and racial tensions are at fever pitch as the British pull out, and a new nation is about to be born. Desert War. Electric Pictures. An insightful account of the two year conflict between the Australian and British Rats of Tobruk and General Rommel s Afrika Korps, one of the most celebrated and romanticised campaigns of the Second World War. Who Do You Think You Are? Artemis International and Serendipity Productions. Well-known Australians play detective as they go in search of their family history, revealing secrets from the past. Son of a Gun. Southern Light Films and WBMC. Starring Ewan McGregor. Locked up for a minor crime, 19 year old JR quickly learns the harsh realities of prison life. Red Dog. Woss Group Film Productions. A Red Dog is on the search for his master. The film showcases the amazing red desert landscapes of the north west of the State. The film is currently the ninth highest grossing Australian film of all time and made over $21 million at the Australian box office. Kill Me Three Times. KMT3 Pty Ltd. In a surfing town, a young woman is the thread that binds three tales of murder, blackmail and revenge. Paper Planes. Arenamedia, in conjunction with Western Australian producer, Liz Kearney. Sam Worthington (Avatar) stars in this family film about an Australian boy s fascination with flight. The Rabbit. Vue DC Pty Ltd. Western Australia s first co-production between The Vue Group and Chinese based Shanghai Hippo Animation Design Company (Hippo) which will result in an English version of this well-known Chinese children s animation film. 6 7
Highlights Besides working with the local screen industry to produce and promote quality storytelling that delivers cultural and economic benefits to the Western Australian community, ScreenWest has also been recognised for our outstanding work as a State Government agency. Our accomplishments include: Winner 2013 Premier s Award for Excellence in Public Sector Management in the Developing the Economy category for 3to1, a crowdfunding initiative with our project partners Reliance Consulting and Pozible. The agency was the first state screen agency on a global level to run a crowdfunding initiative. Winner 2011 Premier s Award in the Improving Indigenous Outcomes category for the ScreenWest Indigenous Screen Strategy. Recognized as a Finalist for our work in the Indigenous screen sector in the AIM WA WestBusiness Pinnacle Awards 2013 in the Aboriginal Leadership Development Excellence category. Finalist in the Western Australian Heritage Awards 2014, also for our work in the Indigenous screen sector. Acknowledged as a Best Practice Agency by the Western Australian Auditor General for the years 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12. Claire Dobbin - Chair, Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) The Melbourne International Film Festival has worked with ScreenWest on a number of projects and can attest that the agency's user-friendliness has made WA a partner of choice for many leading producers and screen businesses across Australia and beyond. ScreenWest is celebrated for its ability to favourably position the local industry within the national and international industry - and to be a source of exemplary films. Joel Pearlman - Managing Director, Roadshow Films ScreenWest are an outstanding agency to collaborate with - they are passionate about seeking opportunities for the state of Western Australia and are interested in identifying and nurturing talent. They also recognise the objectives of a distribution entity such as ours which has made it remarkably easy to find common ground on commercial issues. The team has a visionary approach and this has had an undeniable influence on a number of important feature films and filmmakers that have been made and are working in the West. Andrew Ogilvie - CEO and Executive Producer, Electric Pictures There isn't another state development agency in the country that could claim to be as proactive and forward thinking as ScreenWest has shown itself to be over many years now. It has truly led the way in regards to many important initiatives that have helped put Western Australia firmly on the map as a centre of excellence both nationally and internationally. Robert Connolly - Writer, Director, Producer, Arenamedia ScreenWest have been an invaluable partner on our recent Testimonials films The Turning and Paper Planes, with a flexible and innovative approach to financing and support well suited to the challenges facing the screen industries in the 21st Century! Graeme Mason - CEO, Screen Australia We have had the pleasure of working alongside ScreenWest on many projects over the years and our longstanding relationship has been testimony to their professionalism and dedication to producing quality film, television and digital media. Working with ScreenWest has been mutually beneficial and their on the ground expertise coupled with Western Australia s breathtaking locations make them a highly sought after partner. Screen Australia is committed to the success of local production and we are delighted to have been able to provide support to an agency with their finger on the pulse. Richard Finlayson - Director of Television, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) ScreenWest is one of the ABC s most important partners. Their work plays a critical role in ensuring that the ABC is best able to represent, on-screen, the great State of WA and its people. The ABC has commissioned many hours of outstanding television with the agency and with the continuing support of the West Australian Government, we look forward to growing this partnership into the future. 8 9
For more information on ScreenWest please contact: Telephone: +61 8 6552 7700 Toll Free (outside of Perth): 1800 463 043 Email: info@screenwest.wa.gov.au Website: www.screenwest.wa.gov.au Photography: Cover Page: Satellite Boy, SB Films Pty Ltd. Page 1: Drift, World Wide Mind Films. Perth City skyline, courtesy Tourism WA, photo by Simon Burrows. Page 2&3: Australia, 20 th Century Fox Film Corporation. An Accidental Soldier, Goalpost Taylor Pty Ltd. Page 4&5: Outside Chance, Spear Point Productions and Wild Fury. Change My Race, Prospero Productions. Who Do You Think You Are? Artemis International and Seredipity Productions. Page 6&7: Desert War, Electric Pictures. Serangoon Road, Great Western Entertainment, Infinite Studios. Red Dog, Image Courtesy of Woss Group Film Productions. Photographer: David Darcy. Page 8&9: Satellite Boy, SB Films Pty Ltd. Footprints on Lake Ballard, Kalgoorlie and Goldfields. Image courtesy Tourism Western Australia. Son of a Gun, SOAG Holdings Pty Ltd. Back Cover: These Final Hours, 8 th in Line Productions Pty Ltd.