Sunday 7 August 2022 12:13 AM Hollywood Down Under 'may swallow Australia's local film industry' trends now
Australia became Hollywood Down Under during the years of the pandemic, with blockbuster film productions generating billions of dollars for the local economy.
Big stars like George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Liam Neeson, Zac Efron, Chris Hemsworth and Colin Farrell have all made movies in Australia since 2021.
And now there are fears the new Albanese government may be paving the way for Hollywood to swallow up the local industry altogether, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
There are fears that the new Albanese government may be paving the way for Hollywood to swallow up the local industry altogether reports The Sydney Morning Herald. Pictured: A scene from Elvis starring Austin Butler and filmed in Queensland
Triggering the concern amongst local filmmakers is research for a new cultural policy.
Calling for submissions, the government appears to no longer be prioritising Australian stories.
It asks filmmakers to consider, "the centrality of the artist: supporting the artist as a worker and celebrating their role as the creators of culture".
Calling for submissions to support the development of a new cultural policy the government appears to no longer be prioritising Australian stories Picture: Chris Hemsworth in Spiderhead
In 2013 the national cultural policy set a goal to 'support excellence and the special role of artists...as the source of original work and ideas, including telling Australian stories'.
A Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts spokesman said in the The Sydney Morning Herald report that the call-out for submissions was a way of creating a debate about cultural policy.
Local filmmaker Leonie Marsh told the publication that the government needed to clearly define 'Australianess and Australian stories.'
