Australia Increases Location Incentive to 30% to Attract International Film and TV Productions.
Starting July 1, 2023, international film and TV projects can apply for Australia's newly increased Location Offset, which has risen from 16.5% to 30%. This significant change is part of the Australian Government's legislation aimed at attracting more international productions to the country.
To be eligible, feature film producers must have budgets of at least A$20 million (US$13.3 million), while TV series must have a minimum budget of A$1.5 million (US$1 million) per hour. Additionally, productions must meet several criteria, including a minimum training expenditure or investment in permanent Australian film infrastructure, and the use of Australian providers for post-production, digital, and visual effects services.
Producers are also required to provide detailed information as part of the application process, including data on the employment of Australian crew and the use of Australian businesses.
According to Screen Australia's drama report, foreign spending on drama production and post-production reached unprecedented levels, totaling A$1.22 billion (US$780 million). This surge was driven by notable projects like Universal's “The Fall Guy” and Warner Bros.' “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” Additionally, post-production, digital, and visual effects work on films such as Disney's “Hocus Pocus 2” and “Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny” contributed to this record-breaking expenditure.
Upcoming projects slated to film in Australia include Amazon MGM Studios and AGBO's “The Bluff,” Amazon MGM Studios and Skydance's “Balls Up,” and Sony's untitled shark thriller in Victoria.
In other news, Apple TV+ has announced a new thriller series, “The Dispatcher,” starring Patrick Brammall.
