Wednesday, 8 March 2023

 John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (17:21): It is with great pleasure that I rise today to speak about the incredible achievements of the Victorian film industry and the work that the Andrews Labor government has done to support and grow this vital sector. According to VicScreen: A New Era for Screen, the 2021–22 annual report tabled on 20 December 2022, VicScreen, previously known as Film Victoria, changed its name in 2022 to:

… more accurately and better reflect the diversity of modern screen activity that the agency supports, from film and television to online, virtual reality, augmented reality and digital games.

The film industry in Victoria is a crucial asset to our economy, creating jobs, generating tourism and telling our stories to the world. It is a source of immense pride for Victorians, and it is something that we have come to celebrate. I am proud to say that the film industry is thriving in Victoria, with record levels of production and investment and a growing reputation as a world-class destination for film and television. The Victorian film industry output of $2.3 billion in 2020–21 is an increase of 12 per cent from the previous year. It supports over 18,000 jobs in Victoria, including 10,000 in film, television and the digital media industries. These jobs are spread across Victoria from metro Melbourne to regional areas and provide a vital source of employment for many Victorians, or as my colleague in the other place the member for Albert Park said the other day on TikTok, one in 11 Victorian jobs are from the arts, and that is something we should all celebrate.

Recently our state has seen a record number of film and television productions, including blockbusters such as Marvel Shanghai, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Netflix’s Pieces of Her and The Power of the Dog, which is nominated for multiple Academy Awards. And how good are Victorian films? Very good. Some personal favourites of mine are The Castle and The Man from Snowy River – massive boons for the economy that have stayed in our collective consciousness ever since. This increase in production has supported our significant investment in the sector, including a $33.8 million Film Victoria productions incentive, which has attracted over $540 million in production expenditure to Victoria since its launch in 2019. I note the recent arrival of Zac Efron, star of High School Musical, who was recently filmed in Bundoora. While I am not a big fan myself, I know my five daughters are. It is this ability to attract stars that puts a world spotlight on Victoria, so I am proud of our investment into Melbourne’s film hub, which provides world-class facilities for filmmakers and production companies. The hub includes sound stages, post-production facilities and office space for film and television companies, and it is already attracting major international productions for Victoria.

Under the leadership of the Andrews Labor government the Victorian film industry is once again thriving, with record levels of investment, production and employment. This is not only good news for the industry and the Victorian economy but for the very cultural fabric of our state. We are a nation of diverse cultures and traditions, and it is important that we celebrate and preserve them for future generations. This is more than present in the rich and unique culture of Indigenous Australians. For too long their voices and stories have been silenced or misrepresented by mainstream media, but we have an opportunity to change that.

Filmmaking can be a powerful tool for Indigenous Australians to tell their stories, share their experiences and perspectives and showcase their culture to the world. Through film they can express themselves in their own way on their own terms and connect with the audience, who may have never experienced their culture before. By amplifying Indigenous voices through film we can promote greater understanding and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, something I am sure this house can appreciate in the year that we seek to vote yes on the Voice to Parliament.

Our investment in the film and television industry is reaping dividends – for instance, production of the Hollywood blockbuster The Shallows created more than 270 jobs and contributed $14 million to the Victorian economy. I am proud to commend to this house the great work of VicScreen and its most recent report.