Country Demographics for Australia('AU')

Film Commissions

Australian Film Commission
Tel: 2 9321 6444 Fax: 2 9357 3737
E-mail: info@afc.gov.au
Website: www.afc.gov.au
Chief Executive Officer: Chris Fitchett

Ausfilm
Tel: (2) 9383 4192 Fax: (2) 9383 4190
E-mail: info@ausfilm.com.au
Website: www.ausfilm.com
Chief Executive: Ms. Caroline Pitcher

Introduction
Australia offers a blend of breathtakingly beautiful landscape, varying from bush, national parks and lush rainforest to spectacular marine life, unspoilt coastline, long sandy beaches and tropical islands, mystical ancient aboriginal culture and cosmopolitan cities.

Permits
Required.

Tax breaks/incentives
Australia's Federal and State/Territory Governments offer a range of incentives to attract overseas-originated screen content to produce and/or conduct Post, Digital and VFX production (PDV) in Australia. There are three strands to the Australian Screen Production Incentive as follows:
15% Location Offset - The Location Offset offers a 15% rebate on Qualifying Australian Production Expenditure (QAPE), as long as QAPE amounts to at least A$15 million. The Location Offset may not be combined with either the PDV Offset (Post, Digital and Visual effects production) or Producer Offset. The Location and PDV Offsets are administered by the Australian Federal Government's Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA).
15% Post, Digital & VFX (PDV) Offset - The Post, Digital and Visual effects production (PDV) Offset offers a 15% rebate on Qualifying PDV Expenditure (QAPE incurred on or in relation to PDV work), and is available for projects spending a minimum of A$5 million in Qualifying Australian PDV Expenditure, regardless of whether the production is filmed in Australia. Qualifying expenditure includes (but is not limited to) visual effects, audio and visual editing and mixing, orchestration, green-screen photography and many other tasks. It can also include salaries, per diems and travel for post, digital and visual effects production staff and crew, as well as rental of relevant facilities and equipment. The PDV Offset may not be combined with either the Location Offset or Producer Offset.
The Australian Federal Incentives Guidelines, along with application for the Location Offset/PDV Offset are available on www.arts.gov.au/locationoffset.
40% Producer Offset - The Producer Offset is available exclusively for producers of film and television projects with Significant Australian Content (SAC) and is worth up to 40% of Qualifying Australian Production Expenditure (QAPE).
SAC is determined by the Film Finance Corporation (FFC) Australia (and then Screen Australia after 1st July 2008), which administers the Producer Offset. For more information on how to reach SAC visit www.ffc.gov.au. The Producer Offset can not be combined with the Location or PDV Offset.
Only official co-productions with Australia can combine subsidies from their country of origin with the Australian Producer Offset. This can offer a benefit of up to 40% on Qualifying Australian Production Expenditure, subject to minimum criteria.
Visit the Ausfilm website for a listing of Australia’s co-producing partner countries.

Recent Productions
Wolverine, Nim’s Island, Fool’s Gold, The Ruins, Where the Wild Things Are, Happy Feet, Superman Returns, Ghost Rider, Charlotte’s Web, The Matrix 2 and 3, Star Wars Episode III - The Rise of the Empire.