2021 End of Year Wrap-Up

In many ways, 2021 was the year of the screen and despite the disadvantages of an extended lockdown, Screen Canberra has managed to stay on top of our game, with several significant achievements to ring in the new year.

It was a year of firsts for both the Nation and the Capital – our first experience of real restrictions and of course, our first time wondering whether or not our Christmas presents would arrive in time. For Screen Canberra, the year’s firsts took on a much more positive hue, with some momentous achievements, on both an organisational and individual level.

It may surprise many Canberrans to note that 2021 became the first time a major international production was filmed in the Capital, as BLACKLIGHT (starring Liam Neeson) made history. This brush with international celebrity, marked the beginning of a new phase in Screen Canberra’s evolution as an attractive destination for incoming productions and foreshadows exciting new economic prospects for the local industry. Sizzling new domestic series’ TOTAL CONTROL (ABC) and THE PM’S DAUGHTER (ABC), as well as horror feature film SISSY and Paramount+ feature 6 FESTIVALS, also took advantage of the talent and locations on offer in the Territory in 2021.

It was also a year that saw local talents shine in spite of it all. Screencraft made their first foray into TV drama with IT TAKES A VILLAGE, supported by the Made In CBR (COVID Support) Fund, and Wildbear also saw continued growth and development with their ever-growing factual library. With the support of the Made In CBR Fund and Unreal Engine, Georgina Jenkins’ beautifully rendered sci-fi reverie, short-film, GIRL ON THE MOON, has gone from strength to strength. Likewise, local director Josh Koske and Aaron Dries brain-child BECOMING EMMA BRAINTREE, has received international acclaim, having been officially selected for the 2021 New York Independent Cinema Awards. Canberra screen-writing talent Sebastian Chan has also made the most of lockdown having been selected for the inaugural Emerging Writers’ Incubator, supported by Screen Canberra and SBS.

Screen Canberra has been proactive in making the vital, virtual-pivot with our Screen POD that helps screen-writers learn how to get their projects across the line. Initiatives like the online Screen POD and Developer POD program have been key to our success in uncertain times.

We are also grateful to the ACT Government for their ongoing support of our industry. They are a co-investor in a new state-of-the-art sound stage and virtual production studio in Canberra to improve the local industry’s capability as a location for high-quality film and TV productions and post-production. It is the next important step in the development of our local industry, as it will make the region even more attractive to big-budget international productions, which bring significant spend to the local economy. In recognition of this, we have also worked with the ACT Government to introduce the CBR Screen Attraction Fund that offers grants to significant screen projects coming to the ACT, allowing us to be more competitive on a national level.

It is so easy to look back on the year that was and point out just a handful of the success stories that Screen Canberra has supported through challenging circumstances. But this year was also about reflecting and adapting to change. As so many creatives around the world had their lights turned off, they turned to the screen for solace.

That being said, the future for our industry is looking bright. If ever there was a year or a time where screen content was more important, it was 2021. As we were all locked inside, the need for quality content on-demand has increased. The need for a quick, quality turnaround from development to broadcasting has increased. So, we should all head into 2022 excited about the opportunities that lie in wait.

As Canberra reawakens from its long winter of isolation, Canberrans can rest assured that Screen Canberra has been wide awake supporting the people that strive to tell our diverse stories.