Lord Mayor's Column: A Whole New World
Growing film industry investment is an opportunity for the city, writes the Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Tania Brown
Last week I had the great pleasure of touring Disney Studios Australia (DSA) at Moore Park alongside a delegation of Illawarra representatives, led by our federal member, Alison Byrnes MP.
The delegation included Carol Berry MP, Paul Scully MP, Cr Ann Martin, Cr Dan Hayes, along with Screen Illawarra, Destination Wollongong, UOW and WCC staff.
To call it an eye-opening experience for us all would be an understatement!
The DSA site is the largest film and television production centre and industry hub in the Southern Hemisphere and, with 35 studios on site, caters for all scales of film and television production, from small-budget films to large-scale blockbusters.
It is also home to Industrial Light and Magic who have worked locally on blockbusters like my favourite Wicked, along with Star Wars and Transformers. (See pic with Optimus Prime!)
It was interesting to look behind that curtain, but what was truly enlightening was the scale of investment film production and post-production attracts, with a record $2.7 billion spend recorded for 2024-25. This included $1.6 billion from international titles.
We saw that the studios are also home to more than 50 supporting businesses, generating huge employment within the sector, and part of an ecosystem that presents opportunities for our region.
We heard that more than half the overall production spend on mid-sized television projects occurs outside the screen sector in fields like construction, transport, finance and hospitality, and tourism among others. This also creates job opportunities in over 200 different fields and skill sets.
Our fact-finding mission to Disney Studios Australia, gave me great insight into the needs of the film industry and how Wollongong can contribute to filmmaking in Australia.
With our proximity to Sydney, and as a city undergoing large-scale economic and industrial land transformation, we have the assets and capability to attract a slice of that investment pie for Wollongong.
It’s something Alison Byrnes has been a huge advocate for, and all members of the delegation are keen to work with all levels of government and industry stakeholders to facilitate partnerships and investigate ways Wollongong can reap the benefits of this growing sector, now and into the future.
Another way that we have been working to grow opportunities for emerging and established local creatives is through the Creative Wollongong Short Film Competition and Festival.
Held in partnership with Screen Illawarra, the competition has been open to local filmmakers of all ages and experience levels. The best films will be screened as part of the Sunset Cinema Wollongong program.
Book your free ticket now to enjoy a wonderful showcase of local filmmaking talent on the big screen in the stunning Wollongong Botanic Garden on Saturday, 7 March.
After peeking behind the curtain, I’m ready to escape to the movies and see the magic our local film makers have created. Get your popcorn ready.
