Doing business with Australia

Australia is a great place to make film and television

Film and television made in Australia has been entertaining global audiences for 40 years. Edgy bold films, fish-out-of-water comedies, moving masterpieces, popular blockbusters. Long-running family series, clever live-action and animated children's programming, quality adult drama, intriguing documentary.

Australian producers, directors and writers have experience, expertise and extensive international contacts in some of the world''s most significant markets, making them excellent production partners.

They also live in an environment that suits production: the country is economically and politically stable, the government supports the industry in a range of ways; the filmmaking services and facilities available are highly sophisticated; cast and crew are well-trained and have a good attitude; a big range of locations are accessible; and the weather is more often good than bad.

The Producer Offset cements Australia's appeal

The financing systems currently in place are adding to Australia's appeal as a production partner. This is particularly because of the Producer Offset, which has the effect of giving Australian producers a guaranteed source of finance.

The Producer Offset is a rebate on the production expenditure incurred in Australia when making Australian film and TV. Not all expenditure qualifies, but the Offset can be worth up to 20% of Australian spend in the case of television and documentary, and up to 40% in the case of film.
The Producer Offset is having a very positive effect, in particular by assisting entrepreneurial film producers to attract bigger, broader audiences by making films with more mainstream appeal.

Official co-productions can access the Producer Offset

The Producer Offset was put in place to deliver ongoing cultural, professional and economic gains to the Australian screen industry, and can only be claimed on Australian film, television and some other screen content.

However, Australia recognises that film and television is a global business and that the presence of international elements, the involvement of international partners and accessing offshore finance for projects of a larger-than-usual scale can considerably increase the country's competitiveness.

Australia's desire to partner with international producers means they can also share in the benefits and successes of the Producer Offset. One way is via co-productions. Film and television made under Australia's official co-production arrangements is automatically regarded as Australian (just as it is regarded as domestic production in the partner country), and is therefore eligible for the Producer Offset - providing it meets a couple of other criteria too. Projects must spend a certain amount in Australia, for example, and be finished before a claim is lodged.

Certain Australian-US joint ventures can access the Producer Offset

There is no official co-production arrangement between Australia and the US, but Australia has a long history of making Australian blockbusters with the support of the US studios - recent successful examples include Australia and Happy Feet.

Many US footloose productions have also been made in Australia over several decades. The 'significant Australian content' (SAC) test determines which productions are Australian, and can therefore claim the 40% Producer Offset (20% for television), and which are not.

Big-budget projects which are not Australian can claim either the Location Offset or the PDV (post, digital and visual effects) Offset, which are both set at 15%.

A production is not Australian just because all production and post-production occurred within the country. SAC test applicants must give additional reasons for why something is Australian. Perhaps the subject matter or setting is Australian, or the copyright is held by Australians, or any profits will flow to Australians, or all the development occurred in Australia, or the key creative positions are held by Australians.

For a production to be granted Australian status the argument presented must be compelling. The test is rigorously applied and whether Australians have been driving the project right through development and production is a key determinant.


Useful links

  • Ausfilm is an industry-government partnership which provides the international film community with access to Australia's screen incentives, talent and facilities

  • State and territory government agencies
    offer services and incentives to attract international production