Rockhampton Region is officially Film Friendly!
Published on 25 October 2016
Rockhampton has long held a reputation for being a city which is keen to put out the welcome mat for visitors and newcomers alike and Rockhampton Regional Council has recently ramped up the hospitality by becoming accredited with Screen Queensland as a ‘Film Friendly Council’.
Rockhampton Region Mayor Margaret Strelow said the advantage of becoming accredited as a Film Friendly Council with Screen Queensland is that industry people can more easily gravitate to us as a film friendly destination for locations.
“This initiative isn’t just about movies and TV productions; it also applies to the shooting of commercials which is a huge market that has the potential to bring big benefits to the Rockhampton Region,” Mayor Strelow said.
“We want to establish the Rockhampton Region as a film friendly production location that supports the Queensland and Australian film industry while simultaneously delivering cultural and economic benefits to our community.
“What better way to promote and showcase the diversity and richness that our region has to offer.”
Producer Madeleine Kennedy from Mad Lane Productions wrapped up filming her new TV series We Were Tomorrow in September and knows firsthand what a plethora of untapped resources and landscapes the Rockhampton Region has on offer.
“Utilising spaces like the Heritage Village, Capricorn Caves, Archer Park Rail Museum, Denison Boutique Hotel and Glenmore Estate, meant that we could capture the 'Wild West' and '1920s' without building any sets or relying on a green screen,” Ms Kennedy said.
“It was also great to have the support of the local Council and community - the people in the region made filming enjoyable and easy.
“My team and I would recommend filming in Rockhampton to our peers and highly promote it to screen bodies like Screen Qld and Screen Australia for consideration and support.”
Screen Queensland is a State Government agency that supports a creative, innovative and successful screen industry through investing in development, securing production and delivering an active screen culture across the state.
Screen Queensland’s Film Friendly Pathways Program aims to cut red tape and streamline approval processes by working with councils to offer benefits to producers including:
- a ‘one-stop shop’ council appointed liaison for filming in the region
- recent and searchable location images tagged to each region
- low or no-fee applications for filming
- adoption of standardised and streamlined permit application forms for filming
- logistical advice and assistance to productions
- access to key locations under each council’s jurisdiction