Cairns site picked for $6.8m film studio

A new $6.8 million film and TV studio is set to be built in Cairns, with a former Bunnings Warehouse site chosen for Screen Queensland’s new production facility. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the new studio was just minutes from Cairns’ CBD on a 6,500sq m building site at the corner of Spence and Fearnley streets. “Locally-made, interstate and international productions are big business for Queensland and right now our screen industry is thriving,” she said. “Because of our strong health response, we’ve seen a surge in screen productions choosing Queensland as the place to be. “In the last 18 months we’ve had a record number of projects being filmed here or wanting to film here, generating millions for our state economy and requiring a workforce of thousands. “The pipeline of productions is critical for our economic recovery having kept Queenslanders in jobs throughout one of the most challenging times in our history. “And we want to continue and grow that momentum which is why we promised to build a new $6.8 million studio in the Far North." Screen Queensland chief executive officer Kylie Munnich said Screen Queensland had a proud history of supporting the Far North Queensland screen industry to grow, both in terms of attracting productions into the region and developing local creative talent, content and screen businesses. “Recent productions for the region include the Queensland-made hit movie This Little Love of Mine, which rated number one on Netflix in the UK, and Network Ten series Dive Club, which filmed in Port Douglas and released to international audiences on Netflix recently,” Ms Munnich said. “The Far North is home to expert local screen businesses such as Lone Star Productions, the team behind the NITV and SBS food and travel program Strait to the Plate, and cinematographers BioPixel and BioQuest who worked on David Attenborough’s Life In Colour. “Currently in production at Mission Beach in FNQ is Screen Queensland-supported Irreverent – Matchbox Pictures’ drama series for Universal Studios Group about a criminal who poses as the new church reverend in a small reef town.” Once completed the studio complex will house a sound stage and support facilities including production offices, construction, wardrobe, and hair and makeup departments, along with an events space and permanent creative tenancy opportunities. Construction on the new facility will commence early 2022 and is estimated to be operational by mid-2022. In addition to this $6.8 million facility, the State Government has allocated $71 million in this year’s budget towards home-grown productions and the Production Attraction Strategy, including $4 million for the new four-year North Queensland Regional Program, to build skills and opportunities for the local screen workforce.

Cairns site picked for $6.8m film studio

Industry Queensland

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